Santi Cazorla runs to the fans after putting Arsenal ahead against Tottenham yesterday.Santi Cazorla runs to the fans after putting Arsenal ahead against Tottenham yesterday.

Premier League leaders Arsenal showed their class as they comfortably beat London arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium to book a place in the FA Cup fourth round yesterday.

Goals from Spanish forward Santi Cazorla and Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky sealed a smooth passage for the 10-times winners after an open contest in which the visitors played their part.

Arsenal joined fellow top-tier sides Everton, Southampton, Stoke City, Crystal Palace, who won 2-0 at West Bromwich Albion, and Cardiff City, 2-1 victors at Newcastle United in their first outing under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, in progressing.

Seven-times winners Aston Villa crashed out after a 2-1 home loss to lower league Sheffield United in their third round tie.

Cup holders Wigan Athletic, who were relegated from the Premier League last term, were held to a 3-3 draw by League One MK Dons, while losing finalists and league title favourites Manchester City drew 1-1 at second tier Blackburn Rovers.

Cazorla drilled in a fine opening goal for Arsenal on 31 minutes, before Rosicky doubled the lead on the hour with a well-taken finish after robbing Danny Rose on the halfway line and sprinting clear.

Tottenham, who had shown signs of improvement under new boss Tim Sherwood, were overrun in midfield as their strike pair Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado failed to cause many problems.

The victory came at a cost, however, with England forward Theo Walcott carried off on a stretcher in the closing stages after appearing to suffer a knee injury, which if proved serious could force manager Arsene Wenger into the transfer market to bolster the depleted attacking options of the Premier League leaders.

Arsenal had to play the closing stages with 10 men as Walcott was carried off. He was taken around behind the Arsenal goal, in front of the Spurs fans – some of whom threw objects, which appeared to include coins and plastic bottles.

Walcott signalled a “2-0” gesture with his hands, before donning an Arsenal scarf as he was carried on around the stadium.

Villa manager Paul Lambert will have no need to worry about the FA Cup being a distraction this season after League One Sheffield United dumped his side out.

Lambert had said last week the cup was something he could do without and his side fell behind at Villa Park thanks to Jamie Murphy’s deflected strike for the Blades.

Nicklas Helenius levelled for Villa but Ryan Flynn’s superb strike gave United a 2-1 victory and a place in the fourth round.

Championship Leeds were another side to be on the receiving end of an upset as they lost 2-0 at Rochdale.

Scott Hogan and Ian Henderson got the goals at Spotland as the League Two side enjoyed a memorable triumph.

Cardiff manager Solskjaer made a winning start to his reign as his side came from behind to win 2-1 at Newcastle.

Papiss Cisse had put the Magpies ahead at St James’ Park but substitutes Craig Noone and Fraizer Campbell hit back for the Bluebirds.

Macclesfield survive

Non-league Macclesfield earned themselves a replay as they drew 1-1 with Championship Sheffield Wednesday.

Reda Johnson had put the Owls ahead at Moss Rose but Steve Williams’ strike earned the hosts the chance to do it all again at Hillsborough.

Championship strugglers Millwall, last year’s semi-finalists, were hammered 4-1 at League Two Southend as Wigan face a replay at MK Dons after the two sides played out a thrilling 3-3 draw at the DW Stadium.

Wigan led 2-0 through Roger Espinoza and Jordi Gomez, only for Ben Reeves to score twice for the Dons in first-half stoppage time.

Shaun Williams then missed a penalty for the visitors and Callum McManaman capitalised to put Wigan back in front.

However, Patrick Bamford found a leveller to force a replay.

Everton romped to a comfortable 4-0 win over QPR as Ross Barkley, Nikica Jelavic (2) and Seamus Coleman got the goals, with Jelavic also missing a penalty.

In the day’s early kick-off Blackburn earned themselves a replay at the Etihad Stadium as they drew 1-1 with Manchester City.

Alvaro Negredo had tapped in to give City the lead, but Scott Danns capitalised on Costel Pantilimon’s error to level.

FA Cup third round results

Arsenal 2
Cazorla 31; Rosicky 62;
Tottenham 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 59,476.

Aston Villa 1
Helenius 75;
Sheffield Utd 2
Murphy 20; Flynn 81;

HT: 0-1. Att: 24,038.

Barnsley 1
O’Brien 19;
Coventry City 2
Moussa 78; Clarke 89;

HT: 1-0. Att: 7,439.

Blackburn 1
Dann 55;
Man. City 1
Negredo 45;

HT: 0-1. Att: 18,813.
Red card: Boyata (MC) 86.

Bolton 2
Ngog 10; Beckford 51;
Blackpool 1
Barkhuizen 45;

HT: 1-1. Att: 11,180.

B’rnemouth p
Burton p

(waterlogged pitch)

Brighton 1
Crofts 32;
Reading 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 20,696.

Bristol City 1
Thomas 85;
Watford 1
Murray 84;

HT: 0-0. Att: 10,165.

Doncaster 2
Forrester 72; Wakefield 90+;
Stevenage 3
Zoko 49; Hartley 65; Charles 90;

HT: 0-0. Att: 3,899.

Everton 4
Barkley 35; Jelavic 44, 68; Coleman 76;
QPR 0

HT: 2-0. Att: 32,283.

Grimsby 2
Hannah 25; Disley 62;
Huddersfield 3
Norwood 51; Paterson 86; Thomas 90og;

HT: 1-0. Att: 6,504.

Ipswich Town 1
McGoldrick 38;
Preston NE 1
Davies 42;

HT: 1-1. Att: 13,534.

K’derminster 0
Peterborough 0

Att: 3,858.

Macclesfield 1
Williams 72;
Sheff. Wed. 1
Johnson 25;

HT: 0-1. Att: 5,873.

M’boro 0
Hull City 2
McLean 10; Proschwitz 61;

HT: 0-1. Att: 15,571.

Newcastle 1
Cisse 62;
Cardiff City 2
Noone 73; Campbell 80;

HT: 0-0. Att: 31,166.

Norwich City 1
Snodgrass 45;
Fulham 1
Bent 40;

HT: 1-1. Att: 21,703.

Rochdale 2
Hogan 45; Henderson 84;
Leeds United 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 8,255.

Southampton 4
Clyne 22; Lambert 29; Rodriguez 66; Lallana 73;
Burnley 3
Vokes 51; Ings 57; Long 86;

HT: 2-0. Att: 15,077.

Southend 4
Corr 22; Atkinson 45; Timlin 57; Leonard 90;
Millwall 1
Woolford;

HT: 2-0. Att: 7,923.
Red card: Easter (M) 44.

Stoke City 2
Jones 16; Adam 55;
Leicester City 1
Nugent 77;

HT: 1-0. Att: 16,844.

West Brom 0
Crystal Palace 2
Gayle 22; Chamakh 90;

HT: 0-1. Att: 12,700.

Wigan 3
Espinoza 18; Gomez 27; McManaman 65;
MK Dons 3
Reeves 45, 45+; Bamford 84;

HT: 2-2. Att: 6,960.

Yeovil 4
Hayter 12, 60; Grant 49; Moore 90;
Leyton Orient 0

HT: 1-0. Att: 3,667.

Playing today
Derby County vs Chelsea - 15.15
Liverpool vs Oldham - 16.00
Man. United vs Swansea - 17.30
Nottm Forest vs West Ham - 13.00
Port Vale vs Plymouth - 16.00
Sunderland vs Carlisle - 15.00

Upcoming fixtures

Tuesday: League Cup SF, first leg – 20.45 Sunderland vs Man. United.
Wednesday: League Cup SF, first leg – 20.45 Manchester City vs West Ham.
Saturday: 13.45 Hull City vs Chelsea. 16.00 Cardiff vs West Ham; Everton vs Norwich; Fulham vs Sunderland; Southampton vs West Brom; Tottenham vs Crystal Palace. 18.30 Manchester United vs Swansea.
Sunday: 15.05 Newcastle vs Manchester City; 17.10 Stoke vs Liverpool.
Monday, Jan. 13: 21.00 Aston Villa vs Arsenal.

League Two
Cheltenham p - Chesterfield p
Exeter City 0 - Mansfield Town 1
Newport 1 - Northampton 2
Portsmouth p - Accrington p
Torquay United 1 - Morecambe 1
Wycombe 0 - Wimbledon 3
York City 3 - Dagenham 1

Standings: Scunthorpe 44; Burton 42; Chesterfield, Southend 41; Rochdale 40; Oxford, Fleetwood 38; Newport 37; Morecambe 36; Dagenham 34; Cheltenham, Plymouth 33; Exeter 32; Wimbledon, Hartlepool 31; Mansfield 29; York 28; Bury, Wycombe 27; Portsmouth 26; Accrington 25; Bristol Rovers, Tor-quay 23; Northampton 22.

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