Arsenal ‘hard man’ among six Premier League stars who failed to take their FA Cup chance | OneFootball

A thoroughly enjoyable weekend of FA Cup football saw several bit-part Premier League players given opportunity to shine as managers rang the changes with the games coming thick and fast at the end of the season.

Here are six who failed to take their chance and can expect their game time to continue to be limited for what remains of the campaign.

Joe Willock (Newcastle)

It was at the point when Willock smashed a shot miles over the bar when very well placed for Newcastle in their defeat to Manchester City that we a) realised he was playing, and b) questioned not just what he had done in this game but in most games we see him play in spirit for Newcastle.

He’s one of those hugely frustrating midfielders who’s ‘got everything’ but just not quite enough of any of it. A 26-year-old who’s made just 100 Premier League starts in their career is playing for a club that’s too good for them.

Romeo Lavia (Chelsea)

If there’s something other than his LinkedIn soundbites that Liam Rosenior has come to be known for since becoming Chelsea boss in January it’s for bristling in interviews and press conferences. He loves a bristle, particularly when the quality of his players is questioned.

He didn’t take at all kindly to Lavia being picked out as a point of weakness for the Blues during their 4-2 win over Wrexham on Saturday after what was his first start since November.

“You can’t expect perfection from a player who has been out for four months,” Rosenior said, and he’s got a point.

But the worry for Chelsea fans, all of whom are desperate to see the best of a player who has shown in glimpses he has the ability to form a double pivot of outstanding quality with Moises Caicedo, will be that he may never reach a consistent level after innumerable injuries.

Chris Rigg (Sunderland)

He will be absolutely kicking himself that strong interest from Manchester United in a big-money transfer as he was dubbed the ‘new Bellingham‘ didn’t come to anything, as Rigg looks about as likely to now move to Old Trafford as they are to persuading Jurgen Klopp to become their next permanent manager.

The 18-year-old hasn’t scored or assisted for Sunderland since Boxing Day 2024.

Liam Delap (Chelsea)

In one action Delap controlled the ball, outmuscled a Wrexham defender, turned them and spread the ball wide to Alejandro Garnacho and Chelsea fans made “there you go” declarations as one. But many more actions saw him fail to hold the ball up, get it caught under his feet or play a sloppy pass.

In truth he just looks lie a bit of a lump, certainly in comparison to Joao Pedro, who turned the game on its head when he came on and scored another wonderful goal to make it 11 in 13 appearances under Rosenior, to go with his five assists.

We look forward to the fight between West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Everton for Delap’s services in the summer.

Oscar Bobb (Fulham)

We could have picked any of the nine players drafted in by Marco Silva in what was essentially an FA Cup surrender to Southampton, made all the more sickening by the Fulham manager’s assertion ahead of the game that they are “very serious” about the domestic cup competitions. What else do they have to play for?! Don’t get us started again.

Bobb had one successful dribble, played one successful pass into the final third and produced no accurate crosses. A game in which close to wholesale changes have been made is one to avoid as someone trying to bed in at a new club, but Bobb’s not about to be handed Premier League starts on the back of this showing.

Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)

One shot in 90 minutes against Mansfield isn’t exactly the boon performance required to encourage Mikel Arteta to drop Viktor Gyokeres to the bench in Jesus’ favour and it looks increasingly like Arsenal should take whatever money they can get for him in the summer as they’ve evidently outgrown the Brazilian striker.

Two weeks on from his pathetic reaction to the 2-2 draw at Wolves in the Premier League and Gabriel Agbonlahor of all people mocking him for “thinking he’s a hard man” and this feels very like the end of days for Jesus at the Emirates.