Arsene Wenger feels his Arsenal side were made to work for their 3-2 win away at Brighton in an FA Cup clash this evening.
Arsenal took the lead after just two minutes through Theo Walcott, while they then looked in for a comfortable 90 minutes when Mesut Ozil struck in the 24th minute, sending Wenger's men in at the break two-nil up.
But Championship side Brighton pulled a goal back when Chris O'Grady hit the back of the net for the hosts in the 50th minute.
However, Tomas Rosicky restored Arsenal's two-goal lead when he hit a superb volley in the 59th minute.
relatedNewsStory
Brighton did score again, through Sam Baldock in the 75th minute, and then proceeded to push for the equaliser, which ultimately eluded them.
Wenger, reflecting on the match, dubbed it a "typical cup tie", while stressing that his side had to work hard in order to book their spot in the next round.
He told the BBC: "It was hard work. A typical cup tie where the other team never gives up. We had to fight until the end but overall we were always leading and missed a few chances as well.
"I believe that is where we won the game [at the start]. The results from yesterday maybe got us on our toes and we got off to a quick pace, and I think that surprised Brighton."
Wenger also saluted his side's returning players, with Ozil and Walcott both featuring, but claimed it is too soon to know whether Arsenal can retain their FA Cup they won last season.
"The players who were injured have worked very hard to come back and I think they did well. It is too early to say if we can win the FA Cup, there is such a long way to go."
Like betting on football? Check out our sister site Inside Bet. Free bet offers, betting tips, betting facts. Visit Inside Bet.
