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Arsenal knocked holders Liverpool out of the FA Cup this morning (NZ time) as two sweetly-struck goals by Tomas Rosicky and a late Thierry Henry breakaway secured a 3-1 third round victory at Anfield.
The Czech midfielder drove in shots after 37 and 45 minutes and, after Dirk Kuyt raised home hopes in the 71st, Henry completed the win against a team who have not lost a league game at home since October 2005.
The stand-out Anfield tie lived up to its billing, as Arsenal overcame a cautious start to surge into a 2-0 lead.
A neat build-up ended with Rosicky sweeping in a great shot from outside the box and he then dribbled through some tentative defending to drive home a low second just before halftime.
Liverpool earned a lifeline when Kuyt deflected a Peter Crouch header beyond Manuel Almunia to spark a late assault.
However, it was Arsenal who struck again, out of the blue, when Henry broke from his own half, outmuscled England defender Jamie Carragher and shot low past a rusty-looking Jerzy Dudek.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose side face Liverpool again on Tuesday in a League Cup quarter-final at Anfield, told BBC Radio: "It was a real cup game against a very good Liverpool side.
"We showed character, good discipline, we were well-organised and when we were under pressure from Liverpool in the first half the goals came at the right moment."
Reds manager Rafael Benitez told their website (www.liverpoolfc.tv): "It was a bad day for all our supporters and for us and we have to be disappointed because we made some mistakes which cost us."
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Earlier, top-flight strugglers Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United were dispatched by third division sides as Nottingham Forest beat the Londoners 2-0 and Swansea City won 3-0 in Sheffield.
There were no such problems for Chelsea, however, as a Frank Lampard hat-trick helped them thump Macclesfield 6-1. Bolton Wanderers, West Ham United and Watford also progressed against lower league opposition while a last-minute Nwankwo Kanu header enabled Portsmouth to beat Wigan Athletic 2-1 in an all-Premier clash.
The dreams of the two remaining minor league clubs ended as Tamworth lost 4-1 at home to second division Norwich City and Aldershot went down 4-2 at third division Blackpool.
- REUTERS