Scout Notes – FA Cup Fourth Round – Sunday

Tomas Rosicky steers Arsenal to a narrow win at Brighton with a goal and assist at the Amex. Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil grab a goal apiece as Arsene Wenger rings the changes. Carles Gil fires Villa into the fifth round with a stunning strike at home to Bournemouth, whilst Diafra Sakho recovers from a back injury to help the Hammers down Bristol City.

Gunners Midfielders in the Goals

The holders advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 3-2 win over Championship strugglers Brighton yesterday. Arsene Wenger made seven changes to the side which stunned the champions at the Etihad last Sunday – amongst top-flight sides, only Chelsea and Tottenham, with nine apiece, made more alterations from their last competitive match but unlike their London rivals, the Gunners were able to avoid a cup humbling.

Wenger switched from a 4-1-4-1 to a more expansive 4-2-3-1 set-up and fielded Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil on the flanks, with Aaron Ramsey partnered by Mathieu Flamini in the double-pivot and Tomas Rosicky fielded in “the hole” behind Olivier Giroud. Walcott, Ozil and Rosicky all bagged a goal apiece, with the latter also earning an assist in a man-of-the-match performance against the Seagulls to heighten the number of options currently available to Wenger in the final third of the pitch.

The Arsenal boss handed Alexis Sanchez 20 minutes off the bench as the Chilean replaced the tiring Walcott late on, whilst Ozil was also withdrawn towards the end of the second period after months on the sidelines through injury. It seems likely that both will continue to be eased back into league action, though there’s no doubt that yesterday’s display hands Wenger a real selection headache in the centre of the park which may well persuade some Sanchez owners to invest in Olivier Giroud up top, rather than double up in midfield.

At the back, David Ospina and Hector Bellerin’s stock was arguably boosted by their absence ahead of three home clashes (AVL, LEI, EVE) and a trip to Palace in the next five. After helping their side earn back-to-back league shut-outs, the sub-5.0 pair made way for Wojciech Szczesny and Calum Chambers in goal and at right-back respectively but Arsenal’s defensive frailties returned once again as Brighton notched twice in a five-goal thriller.

Sakho the Hammers’ Hero

A late header from Senegalese striker Diafra Sakho ensured West Ham United advanced to the last 16 of the FA Cup with a narrow 1-0 victory over League One outfit Bristol City at Ashton Gate. With West Ham going well in the league, Sam Allardyce had vowed before Sunday’s clash to take the cup competition seriously and was as good as his word in terms of team selection. The Hammers boss made just one change from the starting line-up which defeated Hull City in their last outing, with Winston Reid replacing James Collins in defence.

Allardyce was left thankful for the impact of his substitutes, Morgan Amalfitano and fit-again goalscorer Sakho, whose recovery from a back injury has, fortuitously for Allardyce, arrived too late for him to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations. Sakho’s display off the bench suggests he could now be set to oust Enner Valencia from the starting XI if his manager continues with a midfield diamond set-up and, now down to a mere 5.5 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, he may tempt some on the lookout for a budget option up top. With a tough run of fixtures to follow (liv, MUN, sou, tot, CRY, CHE, ars), though, our enthusiasm in West Ham’s assets is somewhat tempered.

New boy Gil Steers Villa Through

Paul Lambert’s notoriously goal-shy side managed to score more than once in a match for the first time in nearly two months with a 2-1 victory over Championship leaders Bournemouth. The Midlands side – sporting six changes from their home defeat to Liverpool the previous weekend – were helped on their way to the next round with a stunning strike from new playmaker Carles Gil, who is already looking like a shrewd January signing.

Fantasy managers eyeing up the crafty Spaniard should bear in mind that Villa’s next two fixtures – against Arsenal and Chelsea – may not present too many opportunities for the ex-Valencia man to thrive in his new surroundings. Subsequent fixtures thereafter, though (hul, STO, new, WBA, sun, SWA), may just provide the platform for Gil – at 5.0 in FPL – to re-ignite Villa’s season and bring himself onto our radars as a viable fifth midfielder, with Lambert hoping the new boy’s impact can also reignite Christian Benteke’s faltering performances up top.