Arsenal vs. Middlesbrough: Team News, Predicted Line-Ups, Live Stream, TV Info
Arsenal continue their quest to retain the FA Cup with a tie against Championship leaders Middlesbrough. With so many big sides already out of the competition, the Gunners must sense a repeat triumph is on the cards.
Progression won't be easy: Under former Jose Mourinho disciple Aitor Karanka, Boro have become the second tier's most in-form side. In the previous round, they dismantled Manchester City at the Etihad and will now have designs on repeating the feat at the Emirates.
Arsene Wenger will be looking to rotate his squad but will know that doing so incurs risk of an upset.
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Date: Sunday, February 15
Time: 4 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
TV Info: BT Sport (UK), Fox Sports 2 (U.S.)
Live Stream: BT Sport (UK), Fox Soccer 2 Go (U.S.)
Form Guide (last five results of both teams)
Arsenal
W (2-1) vs. Leicester City
L (2-1) vs. Tottenham Hotspur
W (5-0) vs. Aston Villa
W (2-3) vs. Brighton and Hove Albion
W (0-2) vs. Manchester City
Middlesbrough
W (1-2) vs. Blackpool
W (3-1) vs. Charlton
W (0-1) vs. Brentford
W (0-2) vs. Manchester City
W (2-1) vs. Cardiff City
Middlesbrough are on an incredibly strong run that will have instilled Karanka's team with plenty of confidence. Although both teams can reflect on 2-0 wins over Manchester City, the scale of Boro's achievement in getting that result makes them the more in-form side. They'll go to Arsenal without any fear.
Team News
Arsene Wenger will mix up his XI a little, as has become customary in the cup competitions.
Wojciech Szczesny will return to the side in place of David Ospina, while there could well be a debut in defence for Brazilian signing Gabriel Paulista.
Jack Wilshere has returned to full training, but this game could come a little soon for him. He is most likely to begin on the substitutes' bench, meaning Mathieu Flamini could be afforded an increasingly rare run-out.
Up front, Danny Welbeck is likely to be handed another start, while the probable absence of Alexis Sanchez means Arsenal may be forced to call upon both Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott.
There will be some familiar faces for Arsenal in the Boro side, including former Tottenham Hotspur defender Jonathan Woodgate. Karanka is also able to call upon a trio of Chelsea loanees in Kenneth Omeruo, Tamas Kalas and forward Patrick Bamford.
Players to Watch
Arsenal: Theo Walcott
Although debate continues to rage over Walcott's wider contribution to the team, his goalscoring potential cannot be ignored. Since returning from injury, he has already racked up three first-team goals, including a strike in the previous round against Brighton and Hove Albion.
Middlesbrough won't have encountered many players with Walcott's combination of smart movement and electrifying pace, so he is sure to provide them with a stern test.
Middlesbrough: Grant Leadbitter
The former Ipswich midfielder is enjoying an outstanding season, with 12 goals to his name already.
Once regarded as an unpolished box-to-box player, Leadbitter is showing at Boro that he has many more facets to his game. Whether or not Boro secure promotion, he stands an excellent chance of being in the Premier League next season.
James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout the 2014-15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.
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