As is the case with the FA Cup every year, this year is not short on magic either. Having been drawn against a top-tier club for only the fifth time since World War II, Sutton United welcomed Premier League giants Arsenal to the Gander Green Lane and proved to be quite a handful for the North Londoners.
Having held the visitors for the first quarter of the match, they could do nothing to prevent Spaniard Lucas Perez from scoring the opener – a goal only made possible because of Theo Walcott’s clever and generous jump. Come the second half, and Arsenal scored another within the first ten minutes thanks to Walcott this time, who did well to connect with a pass from Alex Iwobi inside the box.
With the likes of Hector Bellerin, Mesut Ozil, Petr Cech and Laurent Koscielny given some time off by the club, youngsters Rob Holding and Jeff-Reine Adelaide got the chance to impress. Sutton, meanwhile, fielded their strongest side but failed to provide what would have been the upset of the century.
Here are five things we learnt from the FA Cup round:
# 1 Arsenal win a paper over the cracks
With three losses in their last four games in all competitions, the Gunners needed to get back to winning ways. And while they did that tonight, they did so with a performance that echoed their recent form.
Short on confidence in all areas of the pitch, Arsene Wenger’s men looked a shadow of their usual brash, crisp selves. Wayward passes, half-hearted cuts and almost no willingness to shoot from distance was a constant feature throughout the match.
While they were playing on a 3G pitch for the first time in years – despite having practiced on one the entire week – they took quite a bit of time to get their passing range and the pre-existing frustration built in recent weeks showed.
#2 Sutton an embodiment of the magic
Despite playing at home and in a familiar environment – barring the additional lights needed – Sutton could do nothing to prevent the Arsenal win. But when the tide was against them for most of the match, they did come up with the goods to threaten a freshly-exposed David Ospina – who let five goals past him on Tuesday night at the Allianz Arena.
Roarie Deacon, a former Arsenal academy graduate, came closest of all by striking the crossbar with a deadly effort from range. Ospina was flat footed and could do nothing about the effort. Adam May also came close a few minutes later, towering in to face a corner, but his effort flew over the bar.
Their strength when not on the ball, and their spirit and desire when on it, made Arsenal work a lot harder than they would have expected to in order to get the result. They were quick on the break, direct in their play and made the Premier League giants genuinely fight hard. A classic FA Cup performance.
#3 Arsenal’s left a worry for Arsene Wenger
Alex Iwobi and Nacho Monreal are an experienced pair on Arsenal’s left wing but both failed to live up to their usual standards and were poor on the night despite ending up on the winning side.
Monreal lost 12 of the 18 duels he attempted on the night and Iwobi misplaced plenty of key passes in the final third – frustrating Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott all night. The youngster looks like he needs a break and could use one with Arsenal heading into a crucial period in their season.
The Spanish left-back, meanwhile, hasn’t had the best of seasons this time around and needs to get his act together should he wish to continue his career with the Gunners.
#4 Sutton’s ex-Gunners impress
Former Arsenal’s FA Youth Cup winner Craig Eastmond decided against a move to Barnet in the winter transfer window after he found out that he had the chance to play one of the most exciting FA Cup games against his former side.
And alongside Roarie Deacon, he definitely impressed a lot of teams with his performance. Eastmond was solid defensively despite playing high up the pitch, winning 12 of his 19 duels, making one key clearance, two key interceptions, and six tackles.
Deacon, on the other hand, was efficient going forward, hitting the woodwork once, creating one big chance and finding two key passes in the game. He was brave going forward and tormented Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding all night with his physicality and pace.
#5 Arsenal need to improve and fast
The Gunners continue their away run traveling to Southampton and Liverpool in the coming days before hosting Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. If they’re to salvage what’s left of their campaign, they need to get back into the kind of attacking groove that saw them top the scoring charts earlier in the season.
Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, and Theo Walcott all need to up their games if they're to help their side remain in a UEFA Champions League spot come the end of the season. Wenger has no particular star missing - bar Santi Cazorla - and has to use his options judiciously going forward.
With his reputation and job on the line, the Frenchman needs to find a solution to Arsenal's problems and quick. Southampton and Liverpool are both tricky customers and could trouble the Gunners should they approach the game like they have the last two weeks. It’s make or break time for the London side.
