Tomas Rosicky scored one and made another as defending champions Arsenal progressed through to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 3-2 win at Brighton.
Rosicky's fine volley added to goals from Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil, who both scored their first goals following their returns from long-term injury, while Chris O'Grady and Sam Baldock responded for the Championship side to ensure a nervy finish.
Arsenal, who beat champions Manchester City in their last match, took just two minutes to get on the scoresheet as Walcott controlled Calum Chambers' cross before firing a shot into the far corner. Walcott, who returned from nearly 10 months out with a serious knee injury in November, netted his first goal since New Year's Day 2014. The England striker had looked rusty in his first few games following his return and getting back among the goals will have given him a huge boost in confidence. Hopefully this is the start of a positive run of goal-scoring form for Walcott and it was certainly the ideal start for the visitors.
The cup holders then doubled their advantage after 24 minutes when Ozil, who was making just his second appearance following his comeback from injury, latched onto a fine pass from Rosicky and calmly slotted the ball beyond David Stockdale in the Brighton goal. It is great to see Ozil back in the side and on the scoresheet but whether he can get back to the form he showed when he very first joined the club is another story. There is no denying he is a top class player when he hits top form but some sections of the Gunners' faithful and neutrals questioned his ability following a string of poor displays prior to his injury. Let's just hope he can really hit the ground running now, providing several assists and goals and becoming a key player for Wenger's side.
Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger must have been delighted to see his side in a commanding position but a goal from O'Grady within five minutes of the restart ensured a tenser second half, especially on a weekend that had already seen some huge cup upsets. Rosicky miscued his clearance and Baldock headed the ball into the feet of O'Grady for the 28-year-old to fire home beyond the returning Wojciech Szczesny.
The Polish goalkeeper had been dropped in recent games, reportedly for smoking in the showers after the 2-0 defeat at Southampton on New Year's Day, and his replacement David Ospina kept three consecutive clean sheets.
Some fans wanted Ospina to keep his place but, with rotation always likely in cup games, it was unsurprising to see Szczesny get his chance. Personally, I would restore Ospina for the next league game at home against Aston Villa, as not only was he keeping clean sheets but he also seemed a lot calmer between the sticks.
It is inevitable that Szczesny will return to the first-team fold for league games at some point but I see no reason for dropping Ospina at the moment and Wenger will have a big decision over team selection to make in the coming days.
With yet another possible fourth round cup shock on the cards, Arsenal burst back into life and restored their two-goal cushion through Rosicky just nine minutes later. The experienced midfielder, who continues to impress whenever given a starting role this season, played a neat one-two with Olivier Giroud, latching onto the Frenchman's chipped pass before unleashing an unstoppable volley beyond Stockdale. Although it wouldn't be too much of a shock if Rosicky was dropped to the bench in the next game, I would prefer him to start again. He seems to add another dimension to our midfield, I love watching him play and his performances warrant more first-team football.
Brighton pulled another goal back as Baldock clipped the ball beyond Szczesny with 15 minutes still remaining on the clock. Following the previous days upsets, including Chelsea throwing away a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 at home to Bradford, there were a few moments where I began to wonder if the same fate was going to strike my beloved Gunners.
Arsenal almost extended their advantage when substitute Alexis Sanchez hit the crossbar from a free-kick, while Brighton were adamant they should have been awarded a late penalty for an alleged handball from Chambers inside the box. In fairness, the Gunners also had a shout for a spot-kick turned down earlier in the match when Gordon Greer appeared to handle in the box. Neither penalty was given and the two incidents appeared to merely cancel each other out.
Wenger's men held on to book their passage in round five and his side will fancy their chances of defending their silverware following the notable exits of Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham.
With a place in round five secure, the London club will need to turn their attention back to the Premier League. Arsenal could potentially leap-frog Manchester United and move level on points with third-placed Southampton with a win, depending on other results. There is still a long way to go but recent results have been positive for the Gunners and, with the pending signing of defender Gabriel Paulista, perhaps fans can begin to smile a lot more now.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
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