Match report – Player ratings – Video

While the second half saw the visitors with more of the ball, I don’t think the scoreline really reflected the chances we had throughout the game, and overall this was a well deserved passage through the 4th round of the FA Cup.

We should have been ahead as early as the 5th minute when Joel Campbell, starting on the left hand side, played a lovely one-two with Alexis and found himself one on one with the keeper. Perhaps it’s six of one, half a dozen of other in terms of bad finish/good save, but you would expect the striker to score from there more often than not.

With plenty of other changes too — Nacho Monreal, Calum Chambers, Hector Bellerin and Theo Walcott all starting — there was a freshness to us in the first half, with Alexis denied by good defending before a good Bellerin cross led to a corner. The ball was whipped in to a dangerous area (this is anywhere beyond the first man, just so we’re clear), and Per Mertesacker rose highest to nod the ball down and into the net for 1-0.

We seemed invigorated by the goal and only a brilliant goal line block from Paul McShane denied Alexis a goal. There was one off the post, Monreal’s stopping header was saved by legs of Harper, and despite scoring from a good set-piece we decided once was enough by making a bollix of a series of corners and a dangerous free kick right at the end of the half.

In the second period Hull had lots more of the ball than in the first but really failed to do a lot with it. We were well organised, the central partnership of Chambers and Mertesacker looked pretty solid with the youngster having an assured game after some difficult outings recently, and despite their increased possession stats we were the ones with the clearest chances.

When the ball fell to Campbell on the edge of the box he really should have done better than to drag his shot wide; Cazorla set up Walcott with just the onrushing keeper to beat but his finish was that of a man who has spent 12 months out and the chance went begging; Harper saved from Alexis, and substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain almost got on the end of a cutback from the Chilean.

At 1-0 there’s always a bit of worry but the game was put to bed when the former Barcelona man capped a determined performance with the goal he deserved. After working the ball nicely through midfield, Cazorla fed him with his back to goal, he shimmied, turned and curled it into the far corner for 2-0. It was a beautifully simplistic finish, and he was immediately subbed for Akpom, his work done, his importance to this team underlined once again.

Hull had a couple of late pot-shots which didn’t trouble us and in the end there was to be no revenge for the final in May. Afterwards, Arsene Wenger said:

I believe we had a serious performance. We were in control and it was a positive game. We created many chances and it took us a while until the 82nd minute to get the second goal but overall I think we had a serious, positive and good collective performance.

And of Alexis and the fear he might be playing too much:

I feel that when the players are confident it’s important to keep them going, especially when they have that physical potential. He recovers very quickly and we’ll see. At the moment he doesn’t look in our tests like he has any fatigue problem. In the end, he always feels ready.

It was interesting to hear that he was offered a rest for yesterday’s game but declined. He just wants to play. And that’s probably something we’ve got to bear in mind too as we manage him. I’m sure this is more than he’s ever played before, in a much more physical league too, but then again when a player is making the kind of contribution he is, for a team without so many other players who could take up the slack, it must be almost impossible as a manager to leave him out.

What’s notable now is that our fixtures between now and February 7th come, more or less, at seven day intervals so there’s more time between games to rest and recuperate – and obviously get some players back. The Southampton game was miserable, but in general we’ve come through the festive period quite well.

With regards some of the other performances, I thought Francis Coquelin in midfield had a very good game. I was a little perplexed by the BBC commentators constantly ripping on his passing. While there were a couple that went astray, overall I thought he was quite assured and showed some ability to create from deep. A few times he looked for the runs of Walcott and a more up to speed Theo would probably have made more of them. There was one in particular where a better touch from the winger should have resulted in a goal.

Speaking of Walcott, the time he got will have done him good. The rustiness is obvious and when he’s not fully fit the flaws of his game are a bit too apparent, but what he did show was some good movement in the final third, the kind of darting runs we don’t have a lot of, so hopefully this will get him closer to full sharpness.

And as for Joel Campbell, he worked very hard overall and credit to him for that, but the finishing left something to be desired. There’ll probably be some understanding from the manager that he has played little this season but at the same time when you get opportunities to play, taking those chances would go a long way to ensure you get more of them.

Still, under the circumstances and following the dismal day at Southampton it was a welcome performance and win. They haven’t often been routine this season, so I’m not going to complain when one of them comes along. The draw for the 4th round takes place this evening, as far as I’m aware, so we’ll have news of that and everything else on Arseblog News later.

Right, that’s about that. James and I will have an Arsecast Extra for you later this morning. If you’ve got questions, fire them across to us @gunnerblog and @arseblog using the hashtag #arsecastextra.

Until then.

ps – If you’re just getting back to work after the Christmas period, I’d love to say I have sympathy for you but, you know …