After a weekend of underdogs causing upsets it may have caused many to believe another may happen, however, an Arsenal wins sees them go through to the fifth round. The Arsenal line up was much changed from last weekend with a total of 7 changes. The match saw the notable returns of Ӧzil, Walcott and the dropped Szczesny.

Arsenal got off the the perfect start when Chambers cross found Walcott in space who executed a deadly finish with the outside of his right foot. The lead was then doubled when Rosicky’s reverse pass found the returning Ӧzil who found the net with a precise shot. Arsenal never looked in any danger and was controlling the match with relative ease.

However, the 2^nd half was much different and Brighton pulled one back quickly after the break. Brighton seemed to have an edge but Arsenal quickly made it 3-1 when Giroud’s dinked pull back found Rosicky on the edge of the area who scored with a great effort. Arsenal seemed to be seeing the game out but Brighton pulled another back to make it 3-2 with a dinked finish over the returning Szczesny. That was the last of the goals as Arsenal saw the match out.

Coquelin was excellent for the final 10 minutes which he came on and showed his importance once again. Chuba Akpom must have a brief mention as well. Akpom was direct and looked good showing he may get a chance in the final few months of the season. He made Stockdale pull off a good save and looked to have more a bit more quality than Sanogo with the ball. It would be good for Akpom to have a career at Arsenal especially being a local lad.

Wenger had the following to say on the performance;

"It was hard work. A typical cup tie where the other team never gives up. We had to fight until the end but overall we were always leading and missed a few chances as well.”

"I believe that is where we won the game [at the start]. The results from yesterday maybe got us on our toes and we got off to a quick pace, and I think that surprised Brighton.”

Wenger was also pressed on the retuning players and the possibility of retaining the cup which he responded by saying

"The players who were injured have worked very hard to come back and I think they did well. It is too early to say if we can win the FA Cup, there is such a long way to go."

Finally, Wenger was also quizzed on the Gabriel Paulista signing and he admitted it was very close.

"He is a defender, can play on the flanks as well, tall, pacy and strong in the challenges. He has a good chance to adapt to English football. I see in him good potential and he can be a good addition to the squad. It could be done before the draw tomorrow."

He further remarked that getting a work permit should not be an issue.

Overall, a good win at a difficult place which provided Wneger with many positives. Positives for Arsenal include the performances of the returning players but also an excellent Rosicky. After a weekend of upsets it was important just to get through to the next round and not be another casualty. It’s now onto the next game and the draw tomorrow.