ARSENAL VS MIDDLESBOROUGH FA CUP QUARTER FINAL CONTEST

The status and reputation the English FA cup has built for itself over the years is commendable and very good for football. This is one competition where you can never go into a match with the believe that victory is assured. Every team in the competition must play and play out their hearts if they must win no matter how big or small the team maybe. This was exemplified by the elimination of Chelsea by Bradford city.

Today’s match between a resurgent Arsenal and a hard fighting Middlesborough promises to go down the wires. On a normal day when big names and big clubs play prominent role in deciding who carries the day, one would easily tip the Arsene Wenger side as the outright winners because of the caliber of players at the disposal of the Emirate side, but if all things goes well today, that will not be the case.

The Aitor Kranka boys may not have many big names in their fold, but they have depth and quality crowned with determination and a fluid kind of football that radiates energy and youth. They showed what kind of upset they can cause in the match against Manchester city. No one gave them a chance against the big boys in sky blue but they held their own tenaciously to the end. Though they made some mistakes that gave the Manchester side some breathing space, but I don’t see that happening against Arsenal unless the Gunners wakes from their occasional slumber in the middle of the park and create clear cut chances for the likes of  Olivier Giroud and the ever dependable Alexis Sanches. That would be possible if Theo Walcott could come to the party with his menacing runs from the flank and Mesut Ozil finds his feet alongside Santi Cazorla to free the forwards and stifle the Borough defense.

But that might not come the easy way because the men from Middlesborough also possesses troublesome qualities that can cause any team heart ache. If the likes of Patrick Bamford is called to the party, he is definitely going to cause some upsets in the Arsenal defense alongside  Kike Garcia and Ken Kamara who can make runs from the centre half on a good day.