Giroud inspired Gunners have eyes on cup

FA Cup Fifth Round: Arsenal 2 Middlesbrough 0FA Cup holders Arsenal are building an impressive record at the Emirates after recording their ninth consecutive win there to beat Middlesbrough 2-0 and reach the quarter-finals with a professional performance.

In a season which has been littered with cup giantkillings, this was a fixture marked out by some as another possible upset. But, in the end, it was a surprisingly comfortable afternoon against a Boro side who knocked out Manchester City in the previous round but who never for a minute looked like repeating the act in the last 16.

French striker Olivier Giroud was the inspiration, scoring two goals in two first-half minutes to win the tie, and it may prove an important result for Arsenal in Premier League terms, too, helping to regain momentum after a recent defeat at Spurs and a rather nervy win against Leicester a few days later, which suggested there was another ‘wobble’ in store for Arsene Wenger’s men.