Arsenal dumped out of FA Cup, Leeds shocked

AFP - FA Cup holders Arsenal were sensationally dumped out of the competition by Nottingham Forest yesterday, joining Leeds United as bigname casualties on a day of shocks.

Elsewhere, West Ham stayed alive with a goalless draw at Shrewsbury and Tottenham scored three goals in just eight second-half minutes to see off the challenge of League One side AFC Wimbledon.

Championship side Forest revived memories of their glory years under Brian Clough, putting 13-times winners Arsenal to the sword in an incident-packed win at the City Ground.

Eric Lichaj opened the scoring for the home side but Per Mertesacker equalised just three minutes later.

However, Forest continued to probe an inexperienced Arsenal line-up and got their reward just before half-time when Lichaj volleyed in spectacularly from the edge of the box.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, serving a touchline ban, was forced to watch powerless from the stands as Rob Holding conceded a penalty that Ben Brereton converted to stretch home side’s lead to 3-1.

Danny Welbeck gave Arsenal hope with just over 10 minutes to go but Kieran Dowell netted from the penalty spot again to seal a 4-2 win for the second-tier side over the Premier League visitors.

In the early kick-off, on-loan forward Shawn Mccoulsky headed in a dramatic 89th-minute winner for Welsh club Newport to seal a 2-1 victory against 1972 Cup winners Leeds.

Leeds had taken an early lead at Rodney Parade when Gaetano Berardi’s deflected long-range shot found the net.

But Newport, currently 11th in League Two -- the fourth tier of the English game -levelled 14 minutes from time when Leeds defender Conor Shaughnessy sliced into his own net.

Infused with fresh belief in front of a passionate Welsh crowd, Newport pressed for a winner, and with a minute to go on-loan substitute Mccoulsky rose highest at a corner to head in the decisive goal and send the stadium into raptures.