Arsenal 2-0 Middlesbrough - 5 Talking points.

Arsenal bounced back from the derby shambles with a resounding FA Cup win over this season’s surprise package in Middlesbrough. The Gunners were in total control as Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud combined to destroy the Championship leaders by scoring two quickfire within space of 150 seconds.But that’s not the whole picture about this exciting encounter as Arsenal showed a bit of grit and steel in their approach throughout the game as they held off a late surge by the visitors along with efficiently rotating their squad. Here are the five talking points from this win at Emirates –

#5 Middlesbrough\'s dream run finally ends.

Middlesbrough is having a fruitful season under their manager Aitor Karanka as till today they were chasing promotion and also Cup glory. They shocked one and all by stunning Premier League champions Manchester City at the Etihad, but Arsenal took no chances today as they smacked down the high-flying side from north-east.

Along with Bradford they were considered to be the giant killers who would get into the quarter finals but sadly they couldn’t emulate their fellow minnows tonight as Gunners blew them away in the frantic two minutes of the game.

Boro’s were completely blown away by the creative force of Arsenal led by Santi Cazorla as they were unable to match the pace with which the hosts were transferring the ball from midfield to the final third. FA Cup this season has sprung quite a few surprises as Middlesbrough themselves has been a part of it. But it seems, the big boys have taken the note of this and are taking no chances against lower opposition as evidently seen in this tie.

Despite this defeat, it has been a good cup run for the Championship leaders who can now focus solely on winning promotion back to the Premier League. Like all fairy tales, this one sadly doesn’t have a happy ending.

#4 Toms Mejas - Boro\'s lone ranger.

He is a relatively unknown quantity in the world football, but today he announced himself to the world. His team may have lost, but he was imposing in front of the goal. If not for him, Arsenal would have run riot as they were bullying the visitors in the outfield.

Aitor Karanka’s boys may have conceded two goals, but none of the goals were due to his errors. His midfield and defense were so battered by the Gunners that there was very little scope for him to salvage anything from that. In the first goal it was Santi’s magic and his centre-halves’ sluggishness to let Giroud in whereas in second goal his entire defense was in the holiday mood as they were caught completely off guard in that corner.

But Tomás Mejías stood tall and held his ground, especially in the second half where he denied Arsenal multiple times. His saves from point blank range were extremely crucial considering the hosts were feeling the heat from Karanka’s boys in the second half.

He is their second choice keeper, but his strong display tonight can change things if he continues to perform at this level. The Former Real Madrid man is showing the faith of his coach by rising up to the occasion.

#3 The new boy Gabriel Paulista.

England finally witnessed Arsenal’s January signing from Villareal as Gabriel Paulista started his first game for the club. There was a lot of hype around this Brazilian starlet and undeniably he has taken the steps in the right direction on living up to all that hype.

He had a good outing against a bit physical attack of Middlesbrough. The 24-year-old was decisive in his approach. He was good in the tackle and also flaunted his aerial prowess. The Brazilian, in the long run, can easily dislodge Per Mertesacker if he carries on with his development at this rate.

The main advantage he has over his German teammate is that he has the legs to track his man, if at all he loses out on him. Gabriel may not be the quickest centre half, but he surely has that burst of pace to get back at his man.

Gabriel today also displayed his fearlessness as he at times put his body down the line and the one he took for the team when he made that glaring challenge on Reach which saw him cautioned by the referee. It was just 10 minutes in the second half and there was absolutely no need to make that challenge but he was ready to sacrifice himself for the team if need be.

Some may call that naivety but with age and little more maturity this quality will only help him be a leader of the defence. The trailer of this young prodigy surely looks good but will he blossom into a defensive rock that he is expected to be? Only time will tell.

#2 Scintillating Santi Cazorla.

Santi Cazorla is indeed blossoming in his new found role in the centre of the park as one of the advanced playmakers as once again he ran riot at Emirates. The Spaniard was pivotal in both the goals as he laid foundations for both the goals.

His vision was impeccable today as he was constantly ripping the Middlesbrough’s defense at will. His passes had surgeon’s precision as he skillfully dissected the defense and picked up gaps and runs of his teammates especially in the first half where he was simply unplayable.

He was unlucky to not score a goal, but his influence on the game at times, was reminiscent to Robert Pires, in his heydays. Some may call this an exaggeration but if they closely observe the game they will understand the context of the comparison.

Arsenal without him today wouldn’t have had such an easy ride as it was evident in second half when Middlesbrough tried to mark him out of the game as they were successful in diminishing his influence in the midfield, albeit marginally.

If Arsenal is looking to finish in the top four and dream to defend their FA Cup crown, Santi will be pivotal to this as at the moment he is their only player who is a real game changer.

#1 Arsenal\'s triumphant return to \'beautiful\' football

The cuteness is back at Emirates. Arsene Wenger reverted to his preferred possession based style as the club was slowly heading into the neverland with the tactical dilemma of recent weeks. Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil, and Alexis Sanchez combined beautifully in the final third with the little Spaniard tearing Boro’s defense at will.

The main highlight of this game was the surge from the defense as both Arsenal full backs made buccaneering runs forward time and again. Kieran Gibbs’ role in the first goal is the highlight of this attacking swagger of Gunners.

Maybe it was due to the quality of opposition that Wenger sent out such an attacking lineup. Wenger’s instinctive selection of the lineup was reflected in their style of play as well. The Gunners were simply magical at times with the front three of Danny Welbeck, Alexis and Giroud wreaking havoc at Smoggies central defenders.

Whether this was just a fixture influenced or has Arsenal returned to their comfort zone isn’t clear as of yet but one thing is for sure there is a sense of variety in Arsenal’s approach which has given them a cutting edge in this final stretch of the season.