Arsenal strong enough to maintain title tilt and cup run, claims Bellerin

“That is the goal of the whole team”, he said. What I will say is we take this competition with a desire to do well in it and to try to win it. It is a long way in the cup and you need a long run. But I believe that the next step is to get [Tomas] Rosicky back, [Danny] Welbeck back, [Alexis] Sanchez back, [Jack] Wilshere back and maybe we will get one player in.

The Gunners have achieved the feat three times before and travel to face Liverpool on Wednesday as League leaders after also defeating Sunderland 3-1 in the third round of the Cup.

“The team was up to the challenge. It is nice to get the three goals and that is confidence for the team as we had a hard week ahead”.

Having spent the first half of the season on loan at Preston, Pickford was recalled and drafted in for the game at Arsenal and the local boy was delighted to make his Sunderland bow.

Alex Iwobi has revealed that his FA Cup debut against Sunderland is a dream come true. “Hopefully I can train with them more and play more so I can develop every day”.

“The result wasn’t the best, but, from a personal point of view, it was the proudest moment of my life for myself, my family and everyone who has helped me come through – the coaches when I was younger”, said Pickford. I’m thankful that they took me, I came back and there’s nothing better than to go and play.

“I just treated it as another game really”.

“I didn’t feel too nervous”.

Sunderland who have not won in ten visits to the Emirates scored first in the game when Laurent Koscielny lost the ball from a Kieran Gibbs close pass allowing Jermaine Lens to steal the ball and net from a shot.

But Allardyce wants Pickford to put the pressure on fellow keepers Mannone and Costel Pantilimon for a starting spot – one of whom could leave the club before the end of the January transfer window.

Inevitably, Pickford will have been dreaming of a maiden appearance where he made a string of unfeasible saves and registered a clean sheet in an unlikely cup upset for the much-changed Black Cats.