Giroud and Walcott doubles send Arsenal into FA Cup quarters

Sport360 staff 01:59 09/03/2016
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  • Olivier Giroud opened the scoring before the break for Arsenal.

    Two goals each from Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott saw holders Arsenal stretch their three-year unbeaten run in the FA Cup thanks to a comfortable 4-0 win at Hull City on Tuesday.

    Arsene Wenger’s side will host Premier League rivals Watford in the last eight on Sunday to contest a place in the semi-finals at Wembley in April after victory in a 15th consecutive tie for the Gunners as they close in on a third straight success in the competition.

    Wenger’s side took the lead five minutes before the interval with the first goal second-tier Hull have conceded at home for 652 minutes.

    Giroud scored for the first time since bagging two in the 3-3 draw with Liverpool in mid-January as he put the ball through the legs of Eldin Jakupovic from close range after Meyler failed to see the danger when attempting to pass the ball back to his ‘keeper.

    Kieran Gibbs was unfortunate not to add to the lead before the break, the defender seeing a 25-yard effort strike the bar after finding space following a short corner.

    Gabriel limped off early in the second half, joining Mertesacker on the Gunners’ injury list after the German international had been forced off looking groggy before the interval.

    He needed stitches in a head wound following an accidental clash with Hull forward Nick Powell, substitute Nacho Monreal coming on as an emergency centre-back.

    Gabriel’s replacement Aaron Ramsey came within inches of inadvertently heading a cross into his own net as Championship promotion contenders Hull enjoyed their most sustained spell of pressure midway through the second half thanks to the introduction of substitute Sone Aluko.

    Giroud’s 20th goal of the campaign — a volley from a deflected Walcott cross — put the result beyond doubt before Ramsey was withdrawn as he appeared to indicate to Wenger that he was feeling a calf problem.

    Walcott then added a third with 13 minutes remaining as the forward calmly passed the ball into the bottom corner from 10 yards after Campbell’s sublime through-ball found him in space in the area.

    And Walcott added the fourth with two minutes left with the aid of a deflection off defender Alex Bruce as he sprinted onto an Alex Iwobi pass to fire in an angled drive.

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