Arsenal thrashed Hull to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Arsenal beat Hull 4-0 in the replay away from home, keeping their chances of defending the title alive.

Giroud (right) celebrates a goal for his newborn son. Photo: Reuters.

The four-star victory was a boost for Arsene Wenger's team during a difficult period, ending a five-match winless streak. Perhaps Hull also wanted to help Arsenal when, at the end of the first half, David Meyler's back pass served as an assist, allowing Oliver Giroud to easily tap the ball in from close range to open the scoring.

The French striker, regaining his confidence, scored another goal in the second half. He celebrated the goal with a lullaby dance and thumb-sucking gesture, dedicating it to his son, who was born on Monday. After 11 goalless matches, the French striker finally found the net again.

Theo Walcott scored a brace late in the match, sealing the victory. Arsenal's opponent in the quarter-finals will be Watford, a team currently playing in the Premier League.

Arsenal paid the price for missing out on a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with three new injuries. Central defenders Per Mertesacker and Gabriel played for only an hour before leaving the pitch. Aaron Ramsey, who came on as a substitute, also had to return to the dressing room after just 16 minutes due to injury. Manager Wenger is understandably worried about his squad situation at this crucial stage of the season.

"I was shocked to lose two central defenders at once, and then Ramsey," the French manager shared after the match. "Mertesacker's injury isn't too serious. Gabriel looks fine, but Ramsey worries me more."

Ramsey came on as a substitute but suffered an injury shortly after. Photo: Offside.

Arsenal struggled against Hull, who hadn't conceded a goal in six consecutive home games. The visitors failed to create any scoring opportunities until the 41st minute. A Hull defender made a careless pass into the penalty area, and Giroud seized the opportunity to score. Arsenal scored on their very first shot on target.

Hull fielded a reserve team, aiming to conserve energy for their promotion battle, and therefore lacked the attacking prowess after conceding the goal. The game was completely dominated by Arsenal, who created numerous chances.

After several shots hitting the post or being saved by the goalkeeper, the visitors doubled their lead in the 71st minute. Walcott crossed the ball from the left wing, and the Hull center-back's defensive play was almost comical, allowing Giroud to comfortably volley the ball into the net.

The English midfielder ended his five-match goalless streak with a brace in the final 10 minutes.

According to VNE