Arsenal Beat Sutton 2-0 To Reach FA Cup Quarter-Finals

Arsenal kept its FA title hopes alive on Monday with a hard-fought, 2-0 fifth-round road victory over non-league Sutton United.

Arsenal Beat Sutton 2-0 In FA Cup Fifth Round

Lucas Perez’s cross-shot opened scoring for the Gunners in the 26th minute, and then Theo Walcott doubled the lead from close range 10 minutes after halftime for his 100th goal with Arsenal. Walcott is the 18th player to reach the 100-goal mark in all competitions for Arsenal.

Perez now has six goals and three assists in his last eight starts for Arsenal in all competitions.

Arsenal will now host Lincoln City in the quarter-finals on March 11. Their next Premier League game is on March 4, when they visit Liverpool. Lincoln City defeated Burnley on Saturday.

As expected, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made several changes (seven in total) to his team’s starting 11 lineup, including David Ospina starting in goal.

Sutton had big scoring opportunities, especially when Adam May squandered a first-half chance from Ospina’s poor clearance. Roarie Deacon also shot a strong, 25-yard drive that hit the crossbar in the second half.

Sutton central defender Simon Downer made a great block on a shot from Jeff Reine-Adelaide, and Craig Eastmond threatened with a lethal cross before a fan ran onto the field, thus causing play to be momentarily stopped.

Arsenal have won 10 games and lost none of their past 12 FA Cup matches against non-league teams.

The Gunners have reached the FA Cup quarter-finals for the fourth straight season, a feat they last achieved in 2005 (five in a row).

SUTTON, GREATER LONDON – FEBRUARY 20: Gabriel Paulista of Arsenal battles for the ball with Roarie Deacon of Sutton United during the Emirates FA Cup fifth round match between Sutton United and Arsenal on February 20, 2017 in Sutton, Greater London. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)