Arsenal welcome Hull City to the Emirates this Saturday in the fifth round of the FA Cup – the third time in three years that these two have faced each other in this competition.
The players at London Colney are sure to be brimming with confidence going into this upcoming crunch period. With games against the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur coming up in the next few weeks, Danny Welbeck’s last-minute winner against Leicester will have given the squad the “jolt” they needed to a) get out of a poor spell of form and b) become even more charged up for the upcoming games. Now, Arsenal find themselves only two points from first place with twelve games to go – a recoverable distance – and in a great position to win their first league title since 2003/04. The next few weeks should firmly establish whether the Gunners have the mentality and quality in the squad to succeed this season, with key matches across three competitions coming up. However, for now, Arsenal must focus on continuing their domestic cup run with the overall aim of winning three FA Cups in a row.
Last Sunday, Arsenal beat Leicester City 2-1. coming back from a Jamie Vardy penalty on the stroke of half-time with goals from Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck to clinch a vital three points to keep the title race both wide open and with Wenger’s men in it. It was an end-to-end game for the majority of the first hour of the game, with some great attacking football on show from both sides. However, the dismissal of Danny Simpson in the 54th minute allowed Arsenal to start dominating the game, pinning the Leicester team down in the final third. Whilst it seemed that, as the game drew to a close, Leicester’s constant fouling and defensive structure would resign Arsenal to a point, in fact it was another Foxes foul that gave Mesut Ozil the chance to whip a ball into the box for the returning Danny Welbeck to nod home, to the joy of both the players and the Emirates faithful. The roar of the crowd combined with sheer jubilation made the injury-time winner one of the best Arsenal moments of recent years, which could be a turning point in the north London side’s title challenge.
Saturday’s opposition are on course for an immediate return to the Premier League and, as a result, will be even more fired up for a giant-killing against the side who robbed them of an FA Cup triumph back in 2014. Hull City are top of the Championship after 31 games played, having scored the joint-third most goals in the league so far and having the best goal difference in the league. Steve Bruce’s transfers have prevailed, including Arsenal’s very own Chuba Akpom and Isaac Hayden, who have been stand-out players this season – however, they are ineligible to play against their parent club. Nevertheless, this Hull side have lost just once in their past seven games, their last game being a 0-0 draw against fellow promotion-seekers Brighton. Despite being a dull game in the earlier stages, it livened up in the second half with both ‘keepers having to make strong saves. The Tigers are looking to give even more of a lift to their support as well as make news in the sporting world, so as a result the second-string side that the manager will field must be wary of the resistance they will experience from the Championship side.
A player Arsenal need to watch out for is Abel Hernandez. The former Palermo man decided to continue with the Tigers in England’s second tier last summer and is reaping the rewards as a result. The Uruguayan has hit the net 16 times this season because of his step-up in quality in comparison to the rest of the league, and as a result, could be considered Premier League quality – therefore having the potential to trouble the Arsenal backline. His quick feet and creativity will be the bright spark in what might otherwise be a lacklustre Hull City team.
A player Hull should keep an eye out for is Alex Iwobi. The Nigerian international has made a name for himself amongst Arsenal fans as a young starlet to follow as a result of his performances in the domestic cup competitions for Arsenal. Sharp on the ball, great awareness on the pitch and a smart passer, Iwobi has all the makings of a player who could be vital for Arsenal in the future – especially since he can play in various attacking positions on the pitch. For now, however, the no.45 must focus on honing his skills on the pitch and proving his worth to the manager – with Saturday’s match being a great stage to do such a thing.
The last time these two played was in the third round of last season’s FA Cup, in what was a 2-0 win for the Gunners at home. Whilst Hull City did offer an element of drive and fight to the game which uneased Arsenal, they failed to back this up with any quality and as a result succumbed to a defeat via goals from Per Mertesacker and Alexis Sanchez.
Match facts
– Saturday’s match will be the 100th FA Cup fixture Arsene Wenger has managed Arsenal under. The Frenchman has won six FA Cups since arriving back in 1996, and has won 71 of the 99 matches he has managed in so far.
– The Gunners have won nine of their last 10 matches with Hull in all competitions, drawing the other.
– Arsenal have won their last eight FA Cup matches at home.
– The Gunners have only lost once to lower-league opposition under Arsene Wenger in the FA Cup – won 31, drawn nine – in a 1-0 home loss to Blackburn in 2013.
– Hull have conceded just two goals in their last eight matches in all competitions.
– Hull have won four of their last five away games in all competitions, including a victory over Bury at Gigg Lane in the last round.
Team news
Arsene Wenger is expected to make a host of changes with Tuesday’s match against Barcelona in mind. Mohamed Elneny and Alex Iwobi are expected to start, as is Calum Chambers. Arsene Wenger confirmed in his press conference that David Ospina will start and that he is considering playing Danny Welbeck. In the treatment room, there are no new injury concerns, with Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere all out – with the latter destined for a return in “three to four weeks” according to the boss.
Steve Bruce has confirmed that Nick Powell will make his debut following being sent on loan to the KC Stadium from Manchester United. Isaac Hayden and Chuba Akpom are ineligible to play against their former club.
Predicted XIs
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ospina; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Chambers, Gibbs; Flamini, Elneny; Campbell, Iwobi, Walcott; Welbeck.
Hull City (4-5-1): Jakupovic; Elmohamady, Dawson, Maguire., Robertson; Snodgrass, Huddlestone, Livermore, Powell, Meyler; Hernandez.
