Bradford City and West Brom lead the way in our FA Cup Team of the Week featuring while Henderson and Mignolet also join the select 11.
Check out our latest Team of the Week and then let us know your top XI using the story comment facility at the bottom of the article.
TEAMtalk's Top Men: (4-1-3-2): Mignolet, Dawson, McArdle, Lescott, Gibbs, Henderson, Clarke, Ozil, King, Ideye, Stead
Simon Mignolet (Liverpool): After a cacophony of flaps and fumbles cast doubt on his Anfield career, Belgian shot-stopper Mignolet maintained his admirable resurgence against Crystal Palace on Saturday evening. Despite early miscommunication, contributing to Fraser Campbell's smash'n'grab opener, the former Sunderland glovesman responded in imperious fashion, dealing exceptionally with Palace's cross-centric ploy. With his confidence restored, Mignolet could finally quash the incessant rumours surrounding his future.
Craig Dawson (West Brom): Tony Pulis' tactical prudence is weaving wonders at the Hawthorns, with versatile defender Dawson a major, if unexpected, beneficiary. Forced into an unfamiliar right-back role, he defied any premature "square peg, round hole" claims by producing a performance of supreme distinction as the Baggies trounced West Ham. While offering a reliable physical presence, his assist for Brown Ideye's early strike was full-back play transcribed verbatim from textbook.
Rory McArdle (Bradford): The imperious Bantam's blocker raised his game immeasurably on Sunday, inspiring the League One underdogs to a rather foreseeable cup upset against Sunderland. A major protagonist in Bradford's incredible sprint to the 2012 League Cup final, McArdle's assured defensive display once again propelled his side towards the national stadium. Steven Fletcher, Danny Graham and Connor Wickham, who's combined transfer fees tot up to around £30m, all tried and failed to bypass the towering centre-half.
Jolean Lescott (West Brom): The former England international cast off the shackles of his Man City detention last summer, joining the Baggies as a free man on the road to redemption. Thankfully, his prolonged period in the football wilderness has barely affected Lescott's undoubted, if forgotten, quality. Displaying excellent organisation and positional awareness, the 26 time international marshalled West Brom's impenetrable backline against the rather blunt Hammers.
Kieron Gibbs (Arsenal): While Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil served up a feast of delicious dexterity, Arsenal's roving left-back soared understandably below the radar. However, his performance was no less dazzling. Against a shell-shocked Middlesbrough, Gibbs' tireless overlaps and perfectly placed crosses bamboozled the visitors' static defence, laying on the opener for Olivier Giroud with a typically pinpoint delivery. His enforced exile from national recognition remains a source of underlying confusion.
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool): The Reds' captain-in-waiting assumed the armband with pride, offering a mouth-watering taster of Liverpool's future in the absence of outgoing talisman Steven Gerrard. In the bubbling cauldron of Selhurst Park, Henderson's impeccably refined forward bursts and instinctive tactical awareness inspired Liverpool's triumph in a full-blooded midfield battle, providing the platform for a hard-fought yet ultimately deserved win. On this evidence, Liverpool's future is in capable hands indeed.
Billy Clarke (Bradford): Even upon the rhythm restricting turf of Valley Parade, dexterous forward Clarke showcased his enviable technical nous, outperforming his top-tier counterparts with consummate comfort. His impressive link-up play and incisive passing exposed Sunderland's ragged backline as Bradford added yet another Premier League name to their ever burgeoning collection of scalps. His admirable efforts to claim the opener, via a huge deflection of countryman John O'Shea, typify Bradford's underdog spirit.
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal): At £42.5m, it's fair to say much was expected of Germany's principal playmaker when he swapped the brilliant white of Real Madrid for Arsene Wenger's trophy-hunting Gunners. And, after a rather underwhelming first 18 months in north London, Ozil is starting to augment his undoubted eminence with vital consistency. The languid schemer's magnificent display against Middlesbrough maintained his remarkable recent form; his weighted passes and delicate balance offering a further reminder of his astounding skill-set.
Joshua King (Blackburn): Arguably the finest performer of round five, the Norwegian international eradicated Stoke with a clinical hat-trick at Ewood Park. A flicked header preceded two uber-composed one-on-ones shattered the Potters as Gary Bowyer's unfancied charges took one huge stride towards Wembley. While his formative years at Manchester United only yielded a mere handful of first-team opportunities, King exceptional display finally propelled him into nationwide prominence. Who says the magic of the cup is dead?
Brown Ideye (West Brom): The universe has three constants; life, death, and the fact that football will always, always make us look like jabbering fools. Justifiably vilified after netting only twice in his first 17 games in English football, Brown Ideye's annus mirabilis continued on Saturday as he destroyed West Ham's makeshift backline with a performance of pure poachery. With trademark centre-forward intellect, the Nigerian's third and fourth goals of the calendar year offer a stark reminder of the beautiful game's undying unpredictability.
Jon Stead (Bradford): After netting in each round of the cup thus far, it was something of an inevitability that Bradford's strapping targetman would find the net against his former employers on Sunday. Stead, duly, rendered stattos smug and fans delirious as his low drive evaded Sunderland's clanger-happy 'keeper Vito Mannone. His trademark hold-up play and reliable aerial threat, straight out of the League One manual, proved too much for the beleaguered big-boys.
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