Man. United, Arsenal ease into semi-finals

Manchester United and Arsenal kept their seasons alive with clinical away victories over Premier League rivals in FA Cup quarter-finals yesterday.

Paul Scholes struck twice for holders United, who crushed Southampton 4-0, and an early Fredrik Ljungberg goal gave champions Arsenal a 1-0 win at 10-man Bolton Wanderers.

Manchester United captain Roy Keane put his side ahead after only two minutes with a rasping angled drive that took a deflection on its way into the net.

Cristiano Ronaldo doubled the advantage just before halftime with a neat finish from eight metres after Wayne Rooney had escaped down the left.

Scholes added the third with a low shot just after the interval and the former England midfielder completed the rout with a stooping far-post header three minutes from time.

Arsenal, like United knocked out of the Champions League in midweek and lagging way behind league leaders Chelsea, were not quite as impressive but still dominated their game at Bolton.

Diouf dismissal

Ljungberg dinked the ball over goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen after three minutes to put his side ahead, and the hosts' hopes plummeted six minutes later when Senegal striker El-Hadji Diouf was sent off for elbowing Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann off the ball.

Bolton had beaten Arsenal 1-0 in January, one of only four Premier League defeats suffered by the champions this season, but they rarely threatened to get back into the match.

Lehmann, who required treatment after the Diouf incident, had to be alert to keep out two headers from Stelios Giannakopoulos after Gary Speed's long throws caused confusion in the heart of Arsenal's defence.

The visitors dominated possession in the second half, making their numerical advantage count to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the fifth year in a row.

Jaaskelainen dived to keep out a fierce shot from Jose Antonio Reyes, Dennis Bergkamp volleyed inches wide and Ljungberg was guilty of an astonishing miss in the dying seconds when he scooped the ball over the crossbar from two metres with the goal gaping.

Blackburn Rovers face second division Leicester City and Newcastle United meet Tottenham Hotspur to complete the quarter-finals today.