Hull City vs. Arsenal: Lessons Learned from FA Cup

Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott scored twice each as Arsenal moved into the last eight of the FA Cup with a 4-0 victory at Hull City on Tuesday night.

The same two teams played out a scoreless draw last month in their original fifth-round tie, but Arsenal finally broke through in the 41st minute of the replay and added three goals in the final 20 minutes to seal progress.

The Gunners will host Watford in the sixth round on Sunday.

Here, Bleacher Report goes over five lessons learned from Tuesday's match.

The FA Cup Is Arsenal's Best Chance for Silverware (Again)

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Two goals apiece from Giroud and Walcott mean Arsenal now need just three more wins to lift the FA Cup for the third consecutive season. That's fantastic news for the Gunners' faithful, but the FA Cup is also the club's best—and possibly only—chance to claim silverware this spring.

Admittedly, an eight-point deficit with nine games to go in the Premier League is hardly insurmountable. For proof, simply look to Manchester City's 2011-12 title-winning side, which overcame the same gap in just six matches. However, Arsenal's league form suggests it would be a massive surprise if they do make up the ground and win the league for the first time in 12 years.

Meanwhile, the club's Champions League challenge is technically still alive but in even more trouble. Trailing 2-0 to Barcelona after the home leg of their round-of-16 tie, Arsenal look destined to depart the competition yet again at the same familiar stage.

That leaves the FA Cup, and with all respect to Watford as the opponents this weekend in the sixth round, the way is paved to the semi-finals. If Arsene Wenger's side advance that far, anything is possible in the final two rounds.

So now the question is whether this win will offer any advantages going forward. Sure, it was "only" a victory over a second-tier side, and Hull served up the opening goal on a silver platter. But scoring four goals and keeping a clean sheet will surely give the team confidence as they seek a third consecutive FA Cup win.

Goals Are Nice, but Giroud and Walcott Must Show More

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As the title of this slide states, it's good news that both of Giroud and Walcott scored twice on the night. However, both players played poorly at times, especially in the first half, and must show more consistency in the final third.

For most of those opening 45 minutes, Giroud struggled to make an impact on the game and Walcott was almost anonymous. But everything changed in the 41st minute as Giroud notched a goal that can only be described as fortunate.

Taking advantage of an error by Hull's David Meyler, Giroud made no mistake with his close-range finish to put Arsenal ahead. It was a first goal in 774 minutes for the Frenchman (h/t Squawka), whose celebration honored the recent birth of his second child.

Giroud added his second in the 57th minute with a fine volley that suggested his confidence returning. Although his wasn't a brilliant performance, the goals will give him a new sense of self-belief after ending his long goal drought.

"My wife gave birth yesterday but I wanted to play this game," Giroud told BT Sport (h/t BBC Sport). "I'm very happy for the team. We are really pleased and I am pleased to score. The team had a good cohesion."

For his part, Walcott found it difficult to run in behind the defense in the first half and struggled with his dead-ball deliveries. But all aspects of his game improved in the second half, when he not only scored twice but also added an assist on Giroud's second goal. 

Like his attacking colleague, Walcott must find a way to turn this two-goal haul into a good run of form.

David Ospina Has Moved on from the Olympiakos Debacle

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David Ospina, Arsenal's second-choice goalkeeper, turned in a nightmare performance earlier this season as Arsenal lost at home to Olympiakos in the UEFA Champions League. However, after back-to-back good games, the Colombian appears to have put that disastrous night behind him.

At the weekend, Ospina played well as he deputized for Petr Cech in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur. His saves helped Arsenal record a draw that day, and he replicated his heroics Tuesday night.

In the 30th minute, Hull nearly made the breakthrough as Meyler powered a low shot on target following a scramble in Arsenal's box. The shot took a deflection on the way through, but Ospina reacted quickly, stuck out a strong right hand and pushed the ball away.

Without that alert stop, Arsenal would have been behind. Instead, Giroud broke the deadlock 11 minutes later and the Gunners never looked back.

Injuries Are Mounting for the Gunners

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Before we carry on too much about all the good news, remember that this is Arsenal. Tempering all that joy were three injuries to first-team contributors—all in the same game.

First, center-back Per Mertesacker left the match in the 33rd minute with a nasty contusion above his left eye. The German was previously involved in a midair collision with Hull's Nick Powell and was unable to continue.

Next to leave was Gabriel, Mertesacker's partner in central defense. The Brazilian limped off in the 57th minute with a hamstring issue but is "all right," according to Wenger (h/t BBC Sport). 

Most concerning was the injury to Aaron Ramsey, who replaced Gabriel but left the match just 16 minutes later. The extent of the damage to his thigh is unclear, but his absence would be a blow for Arsenal, who have 10 players on their injury list, per Arsenal Report.

With matches looming in the FA Cup, Champions League and Premier League, Wenger needs a full squad at his disposal. After Tuesday night, it's unlikely he'll have that luxury.

Iwobi and Campbell Deserve Whatever Playing Time They Get

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Giroud and Walcott scored the goals, but Alex Iwobi and Joel Campbell might have been the brightest of bright spots for Arsenal on the night.

Iwobi, who's only 19, continues to show impressive maturity whenever he steps on the pitch. Against Hull, the young Nigerian displayed top passing and movement, along with outstanding composure on the ball. He never looks fazed and clearly has bags of potential.

As Arsenal tweeted via the club's official account, Iwobi and Campbell combined well throughout the evening.

Tweeted Arsenal Column: "Iwobi so graceful in possession. Glides across the turf like slippers on concrete."

Campbell, meanwhile, continued his strong season with a good game overall and an eye-catching assist on Walcott's first strike. The Costa Rican had to wait patiently for his chance, but he obviously doesn't want it to pass him by.

"Joel Campbell improving game by game," tweeted Chris Wheatley. "Vision, versatility, goals. Plenty more to come from the 23-year-old."