When you have Arshavin, Van Persie, Walcott on the pitch and Samir Nasri with Bendtner on the bench you know it should a case of when will the team score as apposed to if

We have been reminded many times that we haven’t won a trophy since Patrick Vieira’s spot kick winner against Manchester United in 2005. Four years later the FA Cup trophy doesn’t look a million miles away from returning to Arsenal but this time in a new home.

Having said that, the path to the cup is potentially more difficult than that of the Champions League. Before any future predictions or thoughts we had to beat Hull City at the Emirates to set up a mouth watering clash against Chelsea in the semi’s.

As expected Arsene rotated his squad around, looking for the freshest of legs to play the game with the weekend clash against Newcastle firmly in his mind. The FA Cup is in my opinion Arsene’s last priority right now behind both the Champions League and Champions League qualification.

Lukas Fabianski, Kieron Gibbs, Abou Diaby, Carlos Vela and Robin Van Persie came in for Manuel Almunia, Gael Clichy, Denilson, Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner respectively.

Hull started on the front foot and took the game to Arsenal, Manucho who is on loan from Manchester United had an early run at the Arsenal defence, but failed to get a shot away and the danger was gone.

I wondered about how we would set up either Vela on the left wing and Arshavin floating behind Van Persie or 4-4-2 with Vela playing alongside Van Persie and Arshavin out wide, we started with the latter shape with the new strike partnership.

Hull City flooded the midfield with the intension of stopping Arsenal play through them. He must have been speaking to his old pal Sam Alderdyce on how to lose the game well. This certainly wasn’t the Hull City who came to the Emirates trying to play football, this looked like a new Hull, a time wasting, kicking Hull City.

Arsenal started to dominate the possession after the first couple minutes but the side started slowly, perhaps the amount of changes to the side meant that the team lost a bit of spark to their football that we saw at the end of the Blackburn game.

Hull City scored after 12 minutes against the run of play, former Spud Nick Barmby received a throw inside the penalty area, he spun and hit a first time shot that Djourou got a block on, unfortunately for him his block looped up high over Fabianski into the top corner. Djourou has been unlucky when it comes to conceding goals. The Chelsea own goal springs to mind.

Barmby had the ball in the net again ten minutes later but he was in an offside position and the call was correct by the assistant referee. Linesman in my day.

Arsenal then turned up the heat and went in search for goals. Sam Ricketts made a great block on Arshavin following a Walcott deflected cross.

Moments later it was Arshavin once again who came closest to blowing the Hull City door down. The man known as AA cracked a volley which flew just wide of the far post.

I cannot remember a player making such a difference to a team in such a short space of time. He was barely fit on his debut yet looked our most dangerous player which says a lot about his ability. No changes at half time for either side, Arsenal came out with purpose and more energy for the last 45 minutes.

A few minutes into the half we really should have scored from Abou Diaby when an Arshavin corner kick was met in the air by the Frenchman but his header flashed past the post from close range. Was this going to be one of those days? I had faith in the side, recent results would have installed enough confidence in the team to know that they can turn it around at any point.

When you have Arshavin, Van Persie, Walcott on the pitch and Samir Nasri with Bendtner on the bench you know it should a case of when will the team score as apposed to if (I have successfully erased our run of draws out of my mind for life)

A Van Persie header was cleared off the line by Dawson and Alex Song’s follow up went narrowly wide. We were coming close, we were playing with a higher tempo that was suiting the players.

On 65 minutes Arsene made some match winning attack changes. Samir Nasri replaced Alex Song and Bendtner came on for Vela who had an off day.

The substitutions clearly made a difference. Nasri was driving from the center of midfield alongside Diaby, Bendtner added presence to the attack.

Van Persie headed against the bar on 71 minutes, it seemed like one of those evenings when the ball just doesn’t want to go in. Luckily this Arsenal team have the fight to keep going to the end. On 77 minutes Bendtner found Arshavin in the box, the Russian had a cool head and played it square to Van Persie to fire in for 1-1.

Bendtner blazed over a couple of minutes later from close range to continue his difficult time in front of goal. William Gallas has scored many important goals for Arsenal so far, that continued last night with a close range header. Gallas looked to be in an offside position when the ball played in but who cares, Arsenal in front.

In true Arsenal fashion we looked for a third which Eboue could have claimed after coming on for Walcott but he hit into the side netting.

At full time Arsene walked straight down the tunnel without shaking hands with Phil Brown. Hull City were very cynical and wasted time from very early on in the game. The good news is that this team have overcome two negative teams in a week.

Arsenal have been given a relatively easy path to the semi finals and it is now down to the Gooners to show Chelsea what they are made of, before that tired legs will have to rest ahead of a busy schedule.