Arsenal made their way through to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup with a comfortable but uninspiring victory over Plymouth Argyle at Ashburton Grove last Saturday.

The first half of the match was eminently forgettable with both teams failing to get the collective pulses of the crowd racing. The game sparked into life though in the early stages of the second period when Robin Van Persie headed home a Samir Nasri corner following virtually the Gunners' first attack of the half. The lead was doubled three minutes later when Nicklas Bendtner turned in a Van Persie cross. Within a matter of five minutes Arsenal had seemingly put themselves in control of the tie but before the home supporters could begin to relax Plymouth struck back in the 52nd minute when Karl Duguid lashed home a shot from ten yards. In recent months, Arsene Wenger's team have found it almost impossible to keep regular clean sheets and the spectres of so many leads thrown away this season reared their ugly heads.

Though it was difficult not to experience a sinking feeling that a Plymouth equaliser was inevitably on the way once they had pulled a goal back, the visitors could not find another gear to capitalise on their big moment and put the Gunners truly on the back foot. A period of intense pressure following their goal failed to materialise. That said, Arsene Wenger's charges did not look convincingly home and dry until Robin Van Persie scored his second, and the team's third, with six minutes left on the clock. The final scoreline was possibly a little flattering but there was no doubt the victory was achieved without any real panic. A shock never looked on the cards.

Arsenal's reward for seeing off Plymouth was an away tie at Cardiff City, last year's beaten finalists. This could prove a very difficult draw indeed. Cardiff will fancy their chances after their run in the competition last season and, with a vociferous home support behind them, it will not be a game for faint hearts. After getting to so many finals and winning the trophy so many times in the first half of this decade, Arsene Wenger ought to know what it will take to get a result at Ninian Park but the players will need to be fully committed in their attitude and approach on the day.

It's back to business in the Premier League on Saturday when Bolton Wanderers visit the Grove. Having slipped to fifth place in the table, and being three points behind Aston Villa in fourth, it is match that Arsenal have to win to put some pressure on Martin O'Neill's team. Villa have had a fair amount of luck in recent weeks. Certainly, their victory at Hull City in their last game owed more to fortune than skill as they were largely outplayed by the Tigers for the whole game but clinched the points courtesy of a Hull own goal late on. Successful teams always make the most of the breaks that come their way and over thirty-eight games the maxim of "if you can't be good, be lucky" holds true. All Arsenal can do is try to keep winning in order to take full advantage of any slip-ups from the Midlanders.

Some Arsenal players still believe the team can win the title and are quoted saying as much on an almost weekly basis. It's nice they have that belief, even if this side has shown very little in the way of title-winning form so far this season. Talk is cheap though and much more needs to be shown on the pitch before anyone can take those claims seriously. Their immediate focus and priority must be to get back into the top four and consolidate their position there.