The FA Cup holders edged one step closer to etching their name onto the trophy once as Arsene Wenger’s side battled against the resilient Championship outfit to progress
Agencies
London, January 26
Arsenal battled their way to a 3-2 win over Brighton to move one step closer to retaining the FA Cup.
England winger Walcott set the tone for a dominant first-half display from the holders with the opener in just the second minute, while Ozil - making his first start since October - added the second before half-time.
Having offered precious little in terms of an attacking threat prior to the break, Brighton reduced the arrears early in a much-improved second-half showing when Chris O’Grady capitalised on some poor Arsenal defending to score.
Hopes of a stirring comeback on a weekend of upsets appeared to be dashed when Tomas Rosicky volleyed in Olivier Giroud’s chipped pass from the edge of the box.There was still time for Sam Baldock to set up a nervy finish with a measured 75th-minute finish, but Arsene Wenger’s men held firm.
Arsenal started with the confidence of a side enjoying a three-match winning run without conceding a goal, their most recent triumph having come against Premier League champions Manchester City.
Walcott and Ozil were unused substitutes in that game but came to the fore at the Amex Stadium, the former opening the scoring inside 90 seconds with his first goal in more than a year.
When the sides last met at the same stage in 2013, Walcott broke Brighton hearts with an 85th-minute winner in a game that also ended 3-2, but he was much quicker off the mark this time around, collecting Calum Chambers’ right-wing cross with his first touch and steering home with his second.
Brighton struggled to stem the flow of attacks and fell two behind midway through the half as Ozil turned neatly in the box and swept a precise finish beyond David Stockdale following Rosicky’s neat pass into feet
A rare foray forward from Chris Hughton’s side saw Baldock fire high and wide from 12 yards just before the half-hour mark, but when Brighton finally did manage a shot on target it changed the complexion of the match.
It came five minutes into the second half when Rosicky’s poor clearance allowed O’Grady to seize possession in the box and he showed excellent composure to fire a low shot past the flat-footed Wojciech Szczesny.
The goal energised the home fans and suddenly Brighton seemed to harbour hopes of matching Bradford City’s stunning FA Cup turnaround against Chelsea on Saturday, with Phil Parkinson’s side having come from 2-0 down to win 4-2.
That notion was soon dispelled, though, as Rosicky scored the pick of the bunch in the 59th minute. The Czech looked one way and played a pass the other before volleying the return ball from Giroud beyond Stockdale.
Baldock’s chipped finish gave Brighton a glimmer of hope, but a record home crowd were denied the equaliser that would have forced an unlikely replay as Arsenal - who saw Alexis Sanchez clip the crossbar with a late free-kick - marched on to round five.
Diafra Sakho’s header saw West Ham United beat Bristol City 1-0 on Sunday as they avoided becoming the latest Premier League side to be knocked out by lower league opposition on a sensational weekend of FA Cup action.
However, the Hammers left it late at City’s Ashton Gate ground, with Sakho only scoring nine minutes from time after Andy Carroll’s cross hit the underside of the bar.
Bristol City were looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow third-tier side Bradford, who produced one of the all-time great FA Cup shocks when they knocked out Premier League leaders Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
City’s Matt Smith twice had headers from corners cleared off the line in the opening period, the first by Mark Noble and the second when the striker’s opposite number, Carroll, headed the ball away from beneath his own bar.
However, West Ham turned round at half-time with the match still goalless and then saw England winger Stewart Downing go close to breaking the deadlock on the hour mark when he shot just over the top.
But it was Senegal striker Sakho, who ensured east London side West Ham, FA Cup winners in 1964, 1975 and 1980 and losing finalists as recently as 2006, would take their place in Monday’s fifth-round draw, although Smith went close again in stoppage-time.
Championship high-flyers Middlesbrough won 2-0 away to Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday and Sunday’s remaining Cup ties saw two more second-tier clubs looking to make it into the last 16 at the expense of top-flight sides.
Bournemouth, the Championship leaders, were away to Aston Villa while Arsenal travelled to Brighton.
With Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton - defeated 3-2 by top-flight rivals Crystal Palace on Saturday - all beaten, none of the Premier League’s top three remained in the FA Cup.
Swansea and Tottenham also failed to make it into Monday’s fifth-round draw. Meanwhile Manchester United, fourth in the Premier League, face a replay against fourth division Cambridge after a goalless draw on Friday.
The same scoreline also saw Liverpool held by Championship club Bolton at Anfield on Saturday.
