FA Cup: Defending champion Arsenal held 0-0 by 2nd-tier Hull

Arsenal failed to capitalise on their territorial advantage as they were left frustrated after playing out a 0-0 draw against Hull City in the fifth round of the FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Arsenal will now have to travel to the KC Stadium to face Hull in the fifth-round replay and it’s a significant inconvenience in their bid to win three FA Cup trophies in a row.

Hull’s makeshift line-up struggled to make any impression during the early stages but when Arsenal did asserted themselves Jakupovic was in excellent form, saving well from Walcott with his legs in the 28th minute.

Goals from Paul McShane, Michael Hector and Lucas Piazon helped them advance to the last eight as they survived going a goal down to cause a big upset.

With a Champions League tie against Barcelona on Tuesday night in mind, Arsene Wenger made nine alterations to his Arsenal side while Bruce went one further with 10 changes as he keeps his priorities purely on promotion back to the Barclays Premier League.

Ross Barkley’s deflected shot and a close-range finish from Romelu Lukaku, both in the second half, earned Everton a 2-0 victory at Bournemouth, which had a penalty saved in the first half.

“I rested Ramsey and Ozil completely because they have played many games from the start of the season and when I can do it, I do it”.

Arsenal’s offense was potent today except for that last part: 69 percent possession, 24 shots (11 on goal), and at one point late in the game, Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were all charging forward against a Hull City side that was not quite at full first-team strength. Added Hull manager Steve Bruce: “I don’t know when we are going to play it!”

“I was walking towards our supporters at the end, and they thought it was okay to throw a coin at their own players”, Brunt told BBC Sport.

“We made 10 changes and we rode our luck a bit, but the team deserved it for the spirit and the 100% effort they gave”.

Fielding a weakened team ahead of a Champions League last-16 match against Barcelona on Tuesday, Arsenal created a slew of chances but was denied by a mixture of poor finishing and good goalkeeping from Eldin Jakupovic. “I touched it with my fingers onto the post and was happy the ball didn’t go in”. “It’s how you respond and how you find the solution to what we face now”.

On Monday morning (AEDT), the standout tie of the round sees Chelsea host Manchester City while Tottenham Hotspur play Crystal Palace in another top-flight duel and Blackburn hosts West Ham.