LONDON: Two goals from late substitute Olivier Giroud and one apiece by Mesut Ozil and Mikel Arteta secured Arsenal’s place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a 4-1 win against Everton at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger’s side remain on course to finally end their nine-year trophy drought thanks to an enterprising quarter-final display in the spring sunshine in north London.

Arsenal have dropped off the pace in the Premier League title race by winning just one of its last four matches, and are unlikely to progress beyond the last-16 of the Champions League after a 2-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich in their first-leg.

That means the FA Cup has become a priority for the Gunners, who are without a trophy since 2005, and it took the 61st-minute introduction of Giroud to turn what had been a tight contest against Everton.

The France striker, on for inexperienced and ineffective compatriot Yaya Sanogo, gave Arsenal more presence up front to allow the team’s attacking midfielders to shine.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was tripped by Gareth Barry for a penalty, which Arteta needed to convert twice — the first was ruled out for encroachment by Giroud — to give Arsenal the lead for the second time in the match.

Giroud sidefooted home Bacary Sagna’s cross from close range in the 83rd and, after another flowing move, Ozil supplied a center for Giroud to apply another simple finish two minutes later.

Ozil has been criticized by English media in recent weeks while some Germany supporters directed their ire at the playmaker during the midweek friendly win over Chile.

Yet Ozil found his form here, scoring, assisting and tracking back — much to the delight of Arsenal fans at Emirates Stadium.He gave Arsenal a seventh minute lead, after a precise through ball from Santi Cazorla but Everton equalised after a surging run from Ross Barkely resulted in a Romelu Lukaku tap-in after 32 minutes.

Once Arteta had converted a penalty midway through the second-half there was only ever going to be one winner and Giroud’s late double ensured Arsenal can look forward to a last-four date at Wembley in April.—Agencies