Arsenal will look to beat Hull City for the third time in three years in the FA Cup when the two teams clash at the Emirates on Saturday.
The Gunners came out triumphant in enthralling fashion in the 2014 final against the Tigers, beating them 3-2 after going two early goals down. Then, last year, in the third round, Arsenal battled past Steve Bruce's men 2-0, on their way to defending the FA Cup title.
On Saturday, it will be the fifth round of the FA Cup, and despite Hull's good form in the Championship, Arsenal will be the favourites to move into the quarterfinals. Arsene Wenger, while making some changes to his lineup, however, is expecting a difficult match against Hull, much like another Championship side Burnley gave them in the previous round of the FA Cup.
"They are in a strong position in the Championship, but the level in the Championship has gone up tremendously," Wenger told the club's official website. "We saw it against Burnley, you need a top-level performance to beat these teams.
"They are very strong because they have been together for a long time. Let's not forget, if you go through their team they have all played together in the Premier League. They are all Premier League players, even on the bench. I consider them a Premier League team."
Those bench players will come into play for Hull City, with Bruce admitting he will prioritise getting promoted to the Premier League over the FA Cup. However, like Wenger said, Hull have a pretty strong squad, and Arsenal, coming off that dramatic 2-1 win over Leicester City in the Premier League last weekend, can expect a really difficult match at the Emirates on Saturday.
"It was written in the stars that we were going there again," Bruce told reporters of drawing Arsenal again. "So the draw could have been kinder, but whenever you go to play Arsenal at the Emirates it is a fabulous occasion. It's a big cup tie, so let's go and enjoy it and see what we can do.
"We pushed them hard in the final when we were 2-0 up before losing in extra time. It's always a big call to beat Arsenal at the Emirates, it doesn't happen very often. But we saw Bradford turn Chelsea over last season. The FA Cup is the FA Cup. It's always a great time to play them so let's enjoy the occasion. We'll have to play well if it is to be our day, but let's see if we can pull off one of the big shocks."
Where to Watch Live
Arsenal vs Hull City is set to begin at 6.15 pm IST (12.45 pm GMT, 7.45 am ET). Live coverage of the FA Cup third round match in India will be on Sony Six and Sony Six HD. Sonyliv is the live streaming online option for viewers in India and the rest of South Asia.
BT Sport 2 will broadcast the FA Cup fifth round match live in the UK, while all the action can also be live streamed on Watch BT Sport. BBC Radio is the radio option for viewers in the UK.
ESPN will broadcast the match live in Australia, with the live stream option on ESPN Player.
Viewers in the US can watch Arsenal play Hull live on Fox Sports 1, while the action can be live streamed on FoxSoccer2Go. Sportsnet World and Watch Sportsnet will broadcast the FA Cup game live in Canada.
Viewers in Singapore can flip their remotes to Eleven, while Arsenal vs Hull City will be shown live in China and Hong Kong on LeTV. Bein Sports will broadcast the match live in the Middle East, France and North Africa, with the live streaming option on Bein Sports Connect.