London - Arsenal, West Ham and Aston Villa redressed the balance for Premier League teams after a flow of upsets in the FA Cup, securing narrow wins over awkward lower-league opposition to advance to the fifth round on Sunday.
Chelsea and Manchester City were among five teams in the Premier League’s top nine to be eliminated on Saturday on one of the most astonishing days in the famous competition’s history.
The underdogs couldn’t continue the shocks a day later, with Arsenal beating second-tier Brighton 3-2 after being sent on their way in a dominant first half by early goals from Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil.
Senegal striker Diafra Sakho came off the bench and scored an 81st-minute header to earn West Ham a 1-0 victory at Bristol City, who are second in English football’s third tier.
Villa had the toughest assignment against second-tier leaders Bournemouth, but came through with a 2-1 home win. New signing Carles Gil - with his first goal since moving from Valencia - and Andreas Weimann scored for the Premier League side.
Arsenal, who are fifth in the Premier League, are the highest-ranked team guaranteed a spot in the last 16 as Arsene Wenger’s side look to defend their title.
Walcott put Arsenal ahead in the second minute before Ozil was found by a probing pass from Tomas Rosicky and placed a finish into the corner.
Sloppy defending allowed Brighton to reduce the deficit through Chris O’Grady in the 50th minute, but Rosicky restored Arsenal’s two-goal lead by volleying home from the edge of the area. Sam Baldock then lifted a neat finish over Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny in the 75th minute. This set up a tense finish at the Amex Stadium in which Arsenal missed some gilt-edged chances to extend their lead, but always looked vulnerable at the back.
West Ham were inferior to Bristol City in the first half at Ashton Gate, clearing two headers off the line, but improved after the break. Sakho, who came on as a 57th-minute substitute, struck the bar with a fierce shot before meeting Andy Carroll’s cross with a far-post header from close range.
“Bearing in mind what has happened this weekend, it is a big result for us,” said West Ham manager Sam Allardyce.
With Villa struggling in the Premier League and Bournemouth flying in the League Championship, their clash had all the ingredients of another cup upset, and the visitors had Villa at full stretch for much of the game.
However, Villa were clinical in front of goal, surprisingly given that they are the lowest-scoring team in all four divisions in England, and Gil broke the deadlock by finding the net from 25m in the 51st minute.
Weimann then steered home Alan Hutton’s cross to make it 2-0 in the 71st minute, before Callum Wilson’s injury-time response for Bournemouth.
The win completed a positive day for Villa, with the club announcing that star midfielder Fabian Delph had signed a new 4½-year contract.
The draw for the fifth round takes place on Monday.
Sapa-AP