FA Cup Team of Week: Brown Ideye, Di Maria, Giroud and Mignolet Shine
Welcome to a special-edition FA Cup Team of the Week, where we round up the best performances across the third round and develop a working XI—in this case, a 4-3-3.
Three days of illustrious action to sink our teeth into, but who impressed the most on a weekend where most of the favourites managed a win? We have representatives from West Brom, Preston North End, Arsenal, Liverpool and more.
If you spotted another strong performance elsewhere, drop his name in the comments below and start the conversation!
GK: Simon Mignolet, Liverpool
1 of 11
Simon Mignolet's been excellent since the turn of the year, though that's not a popular fact among those who enjoy deriding him on a weekly basis.
An improved defensive line has helped him settle and play better, but he was called into action multiple times against Crystal Palace this weekend and put in a commanding showing.
One particular one-on-one stop against Dwight Gayle was a true highlight.
RB: Alan Hutton, Aston Villa
2 of 11
Aston Villa netted four times this weekend (though only two counted due to the offside flag), and that's a very positive sign for the incoming Tim Sherwood.
Also positive was the continued good form of Alan Hutton, who continues to represent the entirety of the Villans' width on the right-hand side and covers a tremendous amount of ground.
It went a little unheralded due to Shay Given's wonder saves, but the Scot was a candidate for man of the match.
CB: Tom Clarke, Preston North End
3 of 11
Preston North End may have been dumped out of the competition by Manchester United on Monday after conceding three goals, but Tom Clarke was suitably impressive in defence.
The right-centre-back held up well in the air as Marouane Fellaini attempted to take control of the match, and he pushed forward with regularity to join and support attacks on the right flank.
A strong performance in front of a big, big audience.
CB: Mamadou Sakho, Liverpool
4 of 11
Mamadou Sakho seems to go down injured, knock or worse, in every game that he plays well in. That worries Liverpool fans immensely, as the defence may just crumble without him.
Crystal Palace put the Reds under some intense pressure early on at Selhurst Park, and Sakho was called into action several times. Where Martin Skrtel wholly failed to deal with the pace of Dwight Gayle, though, the Frenchman impressed in his positioning and decision-making.
LB: Kieran Gibbs, Arsenal
5 of 11
Kieran Gibbs broke forward with gusto on his return to Arsenal's XI this weekend, ensuring Arsene Wenger will have a tough call between himself and Nacho Monreal for the next league game.
He was key to many attacks on the overlap, and some intelligent runs were picked out with ease by the brilliant Santi Cazorla. His cutback allowed Olivier Giroud to open the scoring.
The Englishman's endured a strong season when fit, but injuries continue to halt his progress.
MID: Angel Di Maria, Manchester United
6 of 11
Manchester United looked relatively abject across the board in their win against Preston North End on Monday, but Angel Di Maria was a bright spark.
In the diamond, he ran with the ball superbly and caused Simon Grayson's team problems, then later on the right wing, he swung in some dangerous crosses that caused havoc in the box.
It wasn't vintage Di Maria, but a clear improvement at least.
CM: James Morrison, West Bromwich Albion
7 of 11
West Bromwich Albion crushed West Ham early on Saturday, kicking off an exciting weekend of action and setting the tone for goals.
James Morrison was influential in skipping through midfield, scoring a long-range thunderbolt just before half-time and causing the usually reliable Alex Song no end of problems.
A few more of these commanding showings in the league, and the Baggies will be safe and sound.
MID: Hal Robson-Kanu, Reading
8 of 11
Hal Robson-Kanu was man of the match in Reading's 2-1 victory over Derby—an impressive result given the fixture was at the iPro Stadium, a fortress for Steve McClaren's side.
The winger provided one goal and one assist, the latter being for Yakubu's late winner that propelled the side into the quarter-finals, with his trickery and raw pace on show.
ST: Brown Ideye, West Bromwich Albion
9 of 11
It was between Brown Ideye and team-mate Saido Berahino for this spot due to the immense competition up front this week.
Ideye endured a horrendous first half-season in England and was, per the Express & Star, close to being sold on deadline day to Al-Gharafa for half the price he was bought for in the summer.
His two goals in a 4-0 win over West Ham capped a brilliant few weeks for the Nigerian, who has suddenly found his shooting boots. Perhaps he had them on the wrong feet?
ST: Joshua King, Blackburn Rovers
10 of 11
After Peter Crouch opened the scoring at Ewood Park, the fixture between Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City looked as though it may conform to league form, but Joshua King had something else to say.
A brilliant hat-trick for the Norwegian striker put the 23-year-old's talents on a more global stage, and per The Guardian, the club is now very concerned about losing him on a free transfer this coming summer.
ST: Olivier Giroud, Arsenal
11 of 11
Olivier Giroud ended any prospects of Middlesbrough hanging on and making things difficult for Arsenal by scoring two quick first-half goals.
His first was a classic near-post finish after Kieran Gibbs' strong low cutback, and his second was a fantastic hooked effort from a quick corner that seared past Tomas Mejias. He's really, really enjoying his football in 2015.
