Arsenal cruised into the quarterfinals with a 4-0 win at the KC Stadium on Tuesday but the victory was costly as centre-back pairing Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista both had to come off injured.
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Steve Bruce insists an extended FA Cup run could boost Hull’s promotion push as he prepares to cross swords with Arsene Wenger for a fourth time in three seasons in the competition.
The Gunners then lost centre-half Mertesacker following an earlier clash of heads but were ahead four minutes before half time as a direct effect a calamitous blunder from Meyler.
Watford now lie in wait this weekend in a hastily-arranged quarter-final, which Arsenal approach with doubts over Per Mertesacker, Gabriel and Aaron Ramsey.
Powell recovered in time to hit a free-kick that bounced out to Meyler, whose shot from the edge of the box drew a brilliant one-handed save from the diving David Ospina.
Mertesacker limped off in the 33rd minute as the tie looked to perhaps be turning the hosts’ way, only for Meyler’s shocking decision five minutes before half-time to put Arsenal on their way.
Led by the incredible goaltending from Eldin Jakupovic, whom saved 11 shots in the first leg, Hull have a great chance of moving onto the next round.
After braces from Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott fired his team into the last eight, Wenger told BT Sport 1: “It was a shock as we lost our two centre-backs in the game and then we lost Aaron Ramsey”.
Wenger’s headache was only compunded when Ramsey had to come off with a shoulder problem and he went straight down the tunnel after they made their third and final substitution with young Jeff Reine-Adelaide coming on.
“Ramsey I’m a bit more concerned because its a muscular thigh injury”.
But even Walcott was muted in his celebration after the game given the growing list of players in the Arsenal treatment room, saying: “The only disappointing thing when you look back at this game is the injuries we’ve picked up”.
Cup holders Arsenal must now face Watford in the quarter-finals. But we also came up against a very good keeper and a side that was very well organised and defensively strong.
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