Arsenal vs. Lincoln City: Score and Reaction from 2017 FA Cup

Arsenal defeated Lincoln City in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium, winning 5-0 on Saturday evening.

The Imps held their own against the Premier League giants in a balanced first half, but Theo Walcott gave the Gunners the lead on the stroke of half-time.

Olivier Giroud doubled the lead eight minutes into the second half as the hosts exploded out of the blocks to overwhelm the minnows.

An own goal by Lincoln's Luke Waterfall soon followed before the banks burst with further strikes from Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger fielded a strong side against the non-league outfit, as Sanchez, Giroud and Walcott led the attack.

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Lincoln, playing with nothing to lose, presented an aggressive 4-4-2, and they matched their lofty opponents for the opening half of the match. Giant attacker Matt Rhead led the line as the Imps attempted to unsettle the Gunners defence.

The visitors were impressive in the opening moments, pressing up the field to meet Arsenal head on, closing down the hosts with pure aggression and hard work.

Walcott almost opened the scoring after 14 minutes as he hit the woodwork, but the Imps remained resolute.

Nathan Arnold almost gave Lincoln a shock lead as he burst through the Gunners' defence, but he was denied as goalkeeper Petr Cech made a desperate save.

Squawka News highlighted the moment:

Lincoln were the happier of the two sides as half-time approached, with Arsenal appearing to lack rhythm.

However, Walcott stole the lead in stoppage time when the Imps deserved parity heading into the interval.

The England international's shot nestled into the bottom corner after a deflection took the ball past goalkeeper Paul Farman.

ITV Football hinted at who they thought was the better side in the first half:

Pundit Robbie Savage was unimpressed with Wenger's men, per BBC 606:

Despite all the good work from the underdogs in the first half, the Gunners overran Lincoln in the second frame as the scoreline swelled to 5-0 in a 30-minute spell. 

Giroud's second half opener was soon followed by Waterfall's own goal just before the hour-mark.

Heads dropped as Sanchez and Ramsey scored a quick-fire double as Lincoln completely ran out of steam.

However, Bleacher Report UK said the game was difficult for Gunners fans to celebrate after recent performances:

Arsenal continued the onslaught in the final 10 minutes as they put their foot on the accelerator, with Sanchez smashing the woodwork as the hosts ran Lincoln's tired bodies ragged.

The final minutes were like a shooting gallery for the hosts as they hunted further goals, but Lincoln took credit for securely holding the Emirates club in the first half.

In the end, the class gap told, and Arsenal cruised into the last four with little bother as their world-class players did their job.

Post-Match Reaction

Wenger complemented Lincoln after their display in north London, and he believes they will soon be out of non-league football, per the club's official Twitter feed:

The Gunners join Manchester City in the semi-finals. Tottenham Hotspur take on Millwall on Sunday, while Manchester United visit Chelsea on Monday.