Arsenal in control as quarter-finals beckon
Wenger full of praise for an assured Arsenal team ahead of tonight's FA Cup quarter-final draw
Arsenal 2 Middlesbrough 0. Two goals from Olivier Giroud eased Arsenal into the quarter-final of the FA Cup against a Middlesbrough side who never seriously threatened the holders.
It was a regulation win for the Gunners, who go into the hat for tonight's last eight draw as one of five Premier League teams, with Manchester United facing an awkward trip to League One Preston North End this evening in their fifth-round tie.
Along with United, Liverpool are the only heavyweights left in the tournament and Arsenal are the favourites to retain the trophy they won last season when they beat Hull at Wembley.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Arsenal's victory at the Emirates over Middlesbrough came courtesy of two first-half goals from striker Giroud. The Frenchman fired home his first on 27 minutes after Santi Cazorla carved open the visitors' defence with a lovely through ball for Kieran Gibbs.
His pass was converted by Giroud and two minutes later he was at it again, volleying home at the near past as the Boro defence went to sleep at a corner.
Boro never looked like fighting their way back and the main point of interest for Arsenal fans after the break was the performance of new signing Gabriel Paulista. The Brazilian made his debut at centre-back, despite Arsene Wenger's pre-match concerns that his inability to speak English could be a problem.
As it turned out Paulista was never put under pressure as Middlesbrough failed to repeat their heroics of the previous round when they beat Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad.
"We controlled the game from the first to the last minute," reflected Wenger. "They had one chance at the end from a header, but overall I'm pleased with the way we attacked, the way we defended and with the way we played together with a good focus for 90 minutes. That's basically it."
There was little else for Wenger to say, other than to praise Giroud and give Paulista a proverbial pat on the back.
"He has shown three important qualities – great concentration levels, great urgency to defend and good pace, especially on the recovery tackle he made in the box," was how he assessed the South American's debut.
"On the other hand, he played a little bit with the handbrake on because he did not want to make a mistake. From what I've seen there's a lot to come from him because technically he is good at passing as well."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
English football and the etiquette of leaving the stadium early
Talking Point The belief that 'true fans stay to the end' does not always apply
By The Week UK Published
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
Pros and cons of VAR in football
Pros and Cons String of mistakes has put new technology under the microscope
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Can Arsenal really win the Premier League title?
feature How the pundits reacted after the Gunners’ late 3-2 victory over Man Utd
By Mike Starling Published
-
2022 FA Cup final: Chelsea vs. Liverpool preview, predictions, kick-off time and TV coverage
feature Premier League rivals go head-to-head in another Wembley final
By Mike Starling Published
-
Tottenham vs. Arsenal predictions: race for the Premier League top four
feature Expect a ‘seismic’ north London derby with Champions League qualification on the line
By Mike Starling Published
-
Should the FA Cup semi-finals be moved from Wembley?
feature Man City and Liverpool fans face travel chaos on semi-final weekend
By Mike Starling Published
-
Giant killings and classic ‘cupsets’: who said the magic of the FA Cup was dead?
feature National League side Boreham Wood are through to the fifth round after a stunning win at Bournemouth
By Mike Starling Published