Gunners stay on course for Cup hat-trick

ARSENAL remain on course for a third consecutive FA Cup success after Alexis Sanchez inspired Arsene Wenger’s side to a 2-1 fourth-round win over second-tier Burnley yesterday.

Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur also progressed, but West Bromwich Albion were taken to a replay by thirdtier Peterborough United and Bournemouth had to come from behind to beat 2008 FA Cup winners Portsmouth.

Arsenal’s win at the Emirates Stadium preserved their hopes of becoming the first team to win three consecutive FA Cups since Blackburn Rovers, who achieved the feat between 1884 and 1886.

Making his first start after two months out with a hamstring injury, Chile star Sanchez teed up Calum Chambers to open the scoring in the 19th minute with a fine shot.

Sam Vokes equalised for Burnley on the half hour , but Arsenal, who made nine changes, claimed victory in the 53rd minute when Sanchez slammed home.

Nigerian starlet Kelechi Iheanacho scored a hat-trick as City kept alive their dream of an unprecedented quadruple of trophies by easing to a 4-0 win at Aston Villa, last season’s beaten finalists.

Iheanacho opened the scoring in the fourth minute, and the 19-year-old forward added a second with a 24th-minute penalty. He completed his hattrick with 16 minutes remaining, seizing on a back pass and surging through to score, before Raheem Sterling completed the scoring.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp rested 10 players for the home tie against West Ham United, who have beaten the Reds twice in the league this season. However, the move only added to the team’s fixture pile-up as the game ended in a goalless draw.

Tottenham breezed through, Nacer Chadli scoring twice and Eric Dier and Tom Carroll also finding the net in a 4-1 win at third-tier strugglers Colchester United.

“I think that this competition is magic. The opponents always believe that maybe it’s their day, that they can win,” Spurs manger Mauricio Pochettino said.

Liverpool beat Stoke City on penalties to reach the League Cup final on Tuesday and Mark Hughes’s men met with fresh cup disappointment four days later as they went down 1-0 at Crystal Palace.

Wilfried Zaha notched the game’s only goal in the 17th minute at Selhurst Park, taking Palace into round five for the second season running.

Gary Roberts put Portsmouth, now languishing in the fourth tier, within sight of a major upset when he scored in the 43rd minute of their meeting with south-coast rivals Bournemouth.

But Josh King equalised for Eddie Howe’s side with a 71stminute header before Marc Pugh completed a 2-1 win.

Saido Berahino’s brace was not enough for West Brom, who drew 2-2 with Peterborough, but Odion Ighalo’s late strike earned Watford a 1-0 victory at Championship representatives Nottingham Forest.

Fourth-tier Oxford United could not repeat their thirdround win over Swansea City, losing 3-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers, but third-tier Shrewsbury Town stunned Championship side Sheffield Wednesday 3-2. — AFP

The opponents always believe that maybe it’s their day, that they can win