Five talking points from the weekend action

Arsenal may have reached peak Arsenal

Arsenal fans will not be in a good mood after their dismal 4-2 hounding away at Nottingham Forest.

The FA Cup holders fell at the first hurdle, and never looked like getting past the Championship side. Boss Arsene Wenger could only watch from the stands as he began a three-game ban.

It wasn’t the Frenchman’s strongest XI, but it was a poor result, an even worse performance, and adds pressure for their Carabao Cup clash with Chelsea on Wednesday night.

Stoke finally sack Hughes – but who comes in?

There weren’t too many Premier League exits over the weekend, but Stoke City were one of the few.

And their 2-1 loss to Coventry City proved to be the death knell for Mark Hughes.

There’s no doubt that Sparky had lost his way with the Potters, but who do Stoke turn to? There aren’t too many obvious candidates.

Who really wants a replay?

Not Chelsea or Bournemouth, that’s for sure.

The Blues couldn’t get past Norwich City on Sunday, while the Cherries had to fight back to claim a 2-2 draw against Wigan Athletic.

Chelsea could do without the additional fixture as they look to strengthen their hold in the top four. It means Antonio Conte’s men still have six games to play this month, including the two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

As for Bournemouth, they need to focus all their resources on their relegation battle, and not a trip to the North-West. The Wigan replay comes three days before a huge clash for Eddie Howe’s men against fellow strugglers West Ham United.

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