Southampton vs. Arsenal: Score and Reaction from 2017 FA Cup
Theo Walcott led Arsenal to a 5-0 win over Southampton and the fifth round of the 2016-17 FA Cup on Saturday, scoring a hat-trick at St Mary's Stadium.
Danny Welbeck scored twice in quick succession to put the Gunners on the way to an easy win, and Walcott added a third goal before half-time.
Walcott completed his brace after the break, adding another goal to complete the party.
As shared by the Gunners' official Twitter account, manager Arsene Wenger fielded a whole bunch of youngsters and fringe players, including David Ospina and Welbeck:
Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe thought it felt more like an FA Youth Cup match:
Arsenal started the contest well, and Jeff Reine-Adelaide had an early chance to open the scoring after great work from Walcott and Hector Bellerin.
Lucas Perez nearly picked out Walcott with a great cross, and Shkodran Mustafi did well to block a shot from Shane Long on the other side of the pitch. Southampton's youngsters were able to deal with Arsenal in the opposing half, but defensively, the Saints struggled to keep up with the pace.
It took the visitors just 15 minutes to open the scoring, as Welbeck timed his run perfectly before chipping the ball over goalkeeper Harry Lewis.
Former England international Gary Lineker was impressed:
The Gunners kept pushing, and a second goal soon followed. It was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who provided the assist this time around, and once again, Welbeck timed his run perfectly before beating Lewis.
It was a fine start for a player making his first start after a long-term injury:
Ospina nearly gifted the hosts a goal of their own by coming off his line too far, but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg couldn't take advantage, firing a shot over the crossbar. Long also threatened, but Ospina redeemed himself with a fine save.
Mustafi missed a golden opportunity to make it 3-0, as he failed to connect cleanly with a header. The Saints left him all alone inside the box, and he should have done better.
Hojbjerg almost curled home a perfect free-kick before Walcott added a deserved third goal, with Welbeck turning provider on the quick counter.
The Gunners were cruising, even without the presence of their manager on the sidelines:
Southampton tried to end the half on a high, and Long once again went close, while Josh Sims failed to convert a golden opportunity after a blunder from Kieran Gibbs.
Arsenal got back on top at the start of the second half. Sam McQueen had to make a vital stop to intercept a great pass from Oxlade-Chamberlain for Walcott. Bellerin also had a chance, firing a shot into the waiting hands of Lewis.
On the other side of the pitch, Mustafi nearly allowed Sims to go one-on-one with Ospina, but he recovered just in time to clear.
With 25 minutes to play in a match Arsenal had seemingly already won, the bold decision was made to introduce Alexis Sanchez.
Saints enjoyed some possession, and Ospina and Mustafi almost had another embarrassing moment, but it hardly mattered, as Walcott doubled his tally minutes later. Sanchez provided the assist.
Bleacher Report UK's Sean Swaby couldn't help but think of the meeting between these two teams late in 2015, which started the Gunners' decline that season:
Alex Iwobi also got some minutes, as the match was all but over at this point. Gibbs gave away another chance with a bad mistake, but Hojbjerg failed to capitalise.
Despite the scoreline, the Gunners kept pushing for more, and Walcott was rewarded with six minutes left to play, completing his hat-trick.
Perez almost added a sixth goal, drawing a fine save from Lewis as the Gunners' dominance continued. The hosts couldn't wait for the final whistle, as Arsenal cruised into the next round.
Per Arsenal's official Twitter account, manager Arsene Wenger praised the returning Welbeck for his resilience:
Arsenal's next outing will be against Watford in the Premier League, while Southampton will visit Swansea City in the same competition.
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