Arsenal managed to see off a resilient Sunderland on
Saturday with a 3-1 victory, keeping their hopes of a third consecutive FA Cup
alive.
Arsene Wenger fielded a stronger team than expected, with
Aaron Ramsey and Nacho Monreal on the bench and Per Mertesacker and Mathieu
Flamini rested completely. David Ospina, expected to start, was absent with a
slight groin injury. Alex Iwobi was the most exciting introduction to the
line-up, as the 19-year-old made his full competitive debut for the Gunners.
Calum Chambers consolidated his midfield credentials with
a tidy performance alongside Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. It was his interception
and pass that led to Arsenal’s first clear-cut chance of the match, ending up
with the Sunderland ‘keeper palming away a fierce shot from Kieran Gibbs.
Chambers also posed a threat from corners but was unable to direct any of his
headers on target.
The Gunners boasted a pacey front line, but it was
Sunderland that scored the opening goal. Kieran Gibbs made a good tackle before
passing it back to Laurent Koscielny, who proceeded to attempt a drag back at
the edge of the box. Sunderland’s most potent attacker, Jeremain Lens, made no
mistake with the finish, smashing it past Petr Cech
.
Joel Campbell equalised a few minutes later with a fine
finish. Theo Walcott pulled it back for the Costa Rican to curl into the bottom
corner, with Alex Iwobi also playing a promising part in the build-up.
The rest of the first half proceeded without much of
interest. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was bright in the middle and made good
bursting runs but was frequently let down by his inaccurate passing.
The second half was much brighter, as Arsenal upped the
tempo and Sunderland began to tire from their high-intensity pressing. Campbell
was at the heart of everything good from Arsenal, showing off some impressive
technical ability in and around the box. His second-half free kick demanded a
good save from Jordan Pickford but Arsenal’s domination and pressure was
failing to deliver the elusive second goal. Oxlade-Chamberlain rattled a
long-range shot off the bar, just a few inches from giving him a much-needed
confidence boost.
In the 67th minute, Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey
replaced Calum Chambers and Alex Iwobi. The Nigerian had a promising game,
showing off some tidy passing and fast feet, and must continue to impress in
cup ties as a wealth of attacking talent lies ahead of him in the pecking
order.
Ramsey made an instant impact when he came on and
transformed the match. A typical box-to-box run within minutes of his arrival
gave Arsenal a tantalising chance to go ahead, but Walcott shot straight at the
‘keeper.
By the 73rd minute, the Gunners were ahead. Hector
Bellerin stormed into the box and sent a low cross that Ramsey poked into the
net. Arsenal never looked back from there, with Olivier Giroud sealing it just
two minutes later from another fine Bellerin assist.
The chance to add a fourth was denied after Martin
Atkinson controversially waved away Giroud’s calls for a penalty after he went
tumbling down in the box.
A much-awaited ten-minute appearance from Jeff
Reine-Adelaide capped off an enjoyable second-half. Campbell and Bellerin were
both outstanding and Ramsey provided that extra quality needed to help Arsenal
across the line into the fourth round.
The Gunners will discover their fourth-round opponents on
Monday evening.
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