Arsenal progressed to the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a convincing 5-0 win against non-league side Lincoln City on Saturday evening.
The Gunners took a while to get going against a resilient Lincoln team, who were well-drilled and solid for much of the first half. In fact, the Imps went closest to an opening goal when Nathan Arnold's goal bound shot was well saved by Petr Cech.
Theo Walcott finally broke the deadlock just before the break, coolly slotting home, via a deflection. A sigh of relief went around the Emirates, with it looking to be a difficult evening for the home side.
Theo Walcott is now this season's FA Cup Top Scorer with 5 goals. � #afc pic.twitter.com/ydGZDgfqXO
Arsenal looked a different side in the second half, with Sanchez and Ozil beginning to terrorise the visitors defence with their usual intricate passing. And it was soon 2-0, with Giroud passing the ball in to the net from inside the box.
With the wind out of the Lincoln sails, the Gunners capitalised, and an own goal from Luke Waterfall made it 3-0. Sanchez curled home a beautifully struck goal to make it 4-0, and Ramsey rounded off the game with a simple tap in 15 minutes from time.
The pressure was all on Arsenal before the match, after their 10-2 aggregate humbling against Bayern Munich still fresh in everyone's minds. And Lincoln looked to capitalise on any negativity from the start, giving the Gunners players little time on the ball and defending admirably as a unit.
It was very nearly 1-0 to the Imps in the 29th minute. Nathan Arnold gathered the ball on the right hand side of the box and jinked his way past three Arsenal players. His left footed strike looked to be heading for goal, and it took an impressive save from Petr Cech to avoid was would have been an embarrassing scoreline for the hosts.
Great photo of Petr Cech's save to keep out Nathan Arnold's curling strike.
Brilliant football all round. � pic.twitter.com/8ztxp2wnEh
Arsenal were struggling to find their rhythm, with a well-organised Lincoln team making it difficult for the home side to find any gaps on the field. However, Lincoln hearts were broken just before half time.
Frenchman Olivier Giroud held the ball up well in the Lincoln box and laid it off for Theo Walcott who calmly slotted in to the bottom corner. The visitors would have felt hard done by after looking like going in to the break level.
After the half-time break, the Gunners emerged as a different side. There was an urgency about their play, and the confidence seemed to be visibly returning to the players.
The home side soon put some daylight between themselves and their visitors, with some lovely one touch football culminating in an easy finish for Giroud, who finished well with his right foot.
Olivier Giroud has now scored 7 goals in his last 12 games across all competitions for Arsenal.
Comfy finish. pic.twitter.com/tljyDOUiZv
Lincoln City began to tire, and the Premier League side began to go for the jugular. Kieran Gibbs, who missed an easy chance himself a few minutes earlier, got in behind the Imps defence, his cutback taking a deflection off of the impressive Waterfall and nestling in to the back of the net.
Alexis Sanchez, the subject of much speculation about his future throughout the week, added Arsenal's fourth goal soon after. After dodging a challenge and hurdling a sliding challenge from a desperate defender, Sanchez showed his class, curling his the ball expertly past the keeper and into the left hand side of the goal.
But there was still time for a fifth goal, with Aaron Ramsey very much getting the rub of the green, with the ball falling at his feet two yards out, allowing him to casually walk the ball over the line.
The result was harsh on Lincoln, who can take heart from an impressive FA Cup campaign which saw them defeat the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion and Burnley to reach the quarter finals.
But it was a much-criticised Arsenal team who predictably had too much for the minnows, and their name will deservedly be in the draw for the semi finals at Wembley.
Next up? York in the FA Trophy on Tuesday.
Lincoln undone but their fans can cherish #FACup memories.#ARSLIN https://t.co/6SHSOfBmcd pic.twitter.com/7rPOHwrejp