FA Cup progress comes at cost for Arsenal; Wenger in 'shock' at injuries

Nothing ever comes easy for Arsenal.

Amid a dismal run of league form, Arsenal traveled to Hull on Tuesday for an FA Cup fifth-round replay with the Tigers after the reverse fixture ended scoreless.

Arsenal more than made up for that effort by putting four past Eldin Jakupovic, courtesy of braces from two players desperate for goals, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud.

Even with the victory ahead of Sunday's quarter-final with Watford, manager Arsene Wenger will be concerned over the number of injuries that plague the side.

Centre-back Per Mertesacker came off in the 33rd minute for Nacho Monreal after a coming-together left the angular German dazed with a knot on his noggin.

On the other side of the interval, Mertesacker's partner, Gabriel, came off with an apparent hamstring issue, and was swapped for Aaron Ramsey as Wenger shifted his lines.

Fifteen minutes passed before Ramsey hobbled off for Jeff Reine-Adelaide, and, suddenly, a straightforward trip to East Yorkshire left the Gunners shorthanded.

With Laurent Koscielny likely to miss the next two matches with a calf concern, the centre-back depth chart has been narrowed to Calum Chambers, an out-of-position Monreal, and a kit bag filled with moths.

After the victory, Wenger spoke to the media about the number of injuries the club faces ahead of a third consecutive FA Cup run, next week's visit to Barcelona, and the Premier League run-in.

"I'm a bit under shock there because we lost our two centre-backs in the game and after we lost Aaron Ramsey," Wenger told reporters. "Mertesacker has a cut on his eye so he should be fine."

The gaffer added that he wasn't too concerned about both Mertesacker and Gabriel, offering that the pair "looks alright."

However, he's "a bit more concerned" about Ramsey's condition, but will know more when the results of a scan are released.

"What matters now is our next game which is Watford on Sunday afternoon. I would have loved to have played on Saturday," he said.

Mired in a period of doubt when a division of Arsenal supporters have demanded the Frenchman's head, the record six-time FA Cup winner took a stab at his detractors.

Touche, Arsene. Touche.