Sunday 15 February 2015 20:47, UK
Was it Joshua King and his hat-trick for Blackburn or Olivier Giroud's brilliant brace for Arsenal? How about that man Yakubu or the remarkable scoring streak of Bradford's Jon Stead?
There were plenty of heroes from the weekend's FA Cup action but who was your top pick? Adam Bate talks us through some of the candidates…
Olivier Giroud
Giroud scored both in Arsenal's comfortable 2-0 win over Middlesbrough and the first was a classic with all 11 players involved in the build-up. The second was typical Giroud as he connected sweetly on the volley after making a trademark near-post run. The Frenchman is now into double figures for the season and while Alexis Sanchez has given the Gunners a new dimension in attack, it remains true to say that nobody at the club can quite bring what Giroud does to the team.
Shay Given
Paul Lambert's exit from Aston Villa was not mourned by many but it needed a good result against Leicester in the FA Cup to really lift the gloom at Villa Park. While Leandro Bacuna and Scott Sinclair scored the goals in their 2-1 win, that wouldn't have been possible without a spectacular performance from Given. The back-up keeper is now 38 and while he showed some signs of rustiness, he also displayed plenty of agility to keep out a Matty James effort with his fingertips - surely the save of the round.
Brown Ideye
Ideye's unlikely transformation from figure of fun to Baggies folk hero has been swift. The record signing has now scored four goals in three games and his brace in West Brom's 4-0 win over West Ham on Saturday was surely his best moment in an Albion shirt. The confidence was oozing from the Nigerian striker and the performance was summed up by a sensational turn to outwit Kevin Nolan that might well have won him a penalty. Suddenly Ideye can do no wrong.
Joshua King
Gary Bowyer admitted that he'd identified the pace of King as a potential weapon with which his Blackburn side could hurt Stoke at Ewood Park on Saturday but even he couldn't have anticipated how successful the tactic would prove. King was the man who made it work with a brilliant performance as he grabbed a hat-trick in a convincing 4-1 win. Marc Muniesa's injury picked up when chasing in vain for the final goal summed it all up - Stoke just couldn't keep up with King.
Jon Stead
Jairzinho famously scored in every game of Brazil's march to 1970 World Cup glory and while few will have mentioned Stead in the same breath as the great Brazilian, the experienced striker remains on course for something similar - and somewhat more unlikely - in this season's FA Cup. His goal in Bradford's latest heroic victory - a 2-0 win over Sunderland on Sunday - means the on-loan Huddersfield man has now scored in all five rounds of this season’s competition.
Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge's return to the Liverpool starting line-up in recent weeks has been a boost for Brendan Rodgers and that was never more obvious than on Saturday at Selhurst Park when he scored the equaliser in a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. After being controversially denied an early penalty, the England man looked close to his lively best and his sumptuous volley was a fine way to make that point. If this FA Cup run leads to Rodgers' first trophy, then people may point to his goal as the key moment.
Yakubu
Fifth-round weekend threw up its fair share of stories but the return of Yakubu was more enjoyable than most. Spells in China and Qatar had seemed to signal a career that was winding down but the striker popped up at Reading and promptly scored the winner in their 2-1 victory at Derby on Saturday. Royals boss Steve Clarke turned to the Yak for only his second appearance off the bench and he didn't disappoint as he swept home past Kelle Roos with customary composure.
If you're reading this on SkySports.com, have your say on the player of the FA Cup weekend in our comments section below or vote in our poll.
