Arsenal's reserves ease past Burnley in FA Cup
Updated: 2008-01-07 10:11
LONDON - A second-string Arsenal side proved strong enough to secure a 2-0 victory at Championship (second division) club Burnley on Sunday and with it a place in Monday's FA Cup fourth-round draw.
 Arsenal striker Eduardo celebrates after scoring against Burnley during their FA Cup match at Turf Moor. Eduardo inspired Arsenal to victory away to Burnley by making one goal and scoring the other in a 2-0 win. [Agencies] |
The Premier League leaders won with goals by in-form striker Eduardo da Silva and Dane Nicklas Bendtner after Burnley had a man sent off on the hour.
Derby County and Fulham flirted with home defeat by lower-league opposition but both came from behind to draw 2-2 with Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol Rovers respectively.
Later on Sunday, Liverpool were away to Luton Town while struggling Newcastle United faced a tough trip to Stoke City, both hoping to avoid following Everton, Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers, who were victims of lower league upsets on Saturday.
At Turf Moor, Arsenal's unfamiliar side had an early scare when Kyle Lafferty hit the bar with a header after five minutes.
However, they went ahead four minutes later when Eduardo latched on to a long ball from Kolo Toure and finished with all the calmness that has brought him 11 goals this season.
Lafferty was sent off for a bad tackle on Gilberto Silva after an hour and Arsenal settled it when a lovely ball by Eduardo set up Bendtner.
"They gave us a real game, they missed that header and we took our first chance," Arsene Wenger told the BBC.
Of Brazilian-born Croatia striker Eduardo, who cannot stop scoring at the moment, the Arsenal manager said: "He is a good player. You give everybody six months when they come to England, it takes five or six months to adapt."
On German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, making a rare start amid talk of a departure, Wenger added: "He gave a faultless performance today. He was highly focused and showed again what a great professional he is.
"It's sad if he wants to go but I've said many times the decision is in his court."
Bristol Rovers are flirting with the relegation zone in the third division but led twice at Fulham through Danny Coles and Craig Hinton.
David Healy, with a first-half equaliser, and Danny Murphy's 73rd-minute goal to make it 2-2 earned the Londoners a replay.
At Derby, early defensive blunders gifted goals to Mark Beevers and Marcus Tudgay for Wednesday, sixth to last in the second division, against the Premier League's bottom club.
But Kenny Miller and Giles Barnes levelled it for Derby before halftime.
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