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A second-string Arsenal side proved strong enough to secure a 2-0 victory at Championship (second division) club Burnley overnight (NZ time) and with it a place in Monday's FA Cup fourth-round draw.
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.
Liverpool, though, were held to a 1-1 draw at cash-strapped third division side Luton Town, while Derby County and Fulham both came from behind to draw 2-2 with Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol Rovers respectively.
Later on Sunday, Newcastle United faced a tough trip to Stoke City hoping to avoid the fate of Everton, Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers, all victims of upsets by lower league sides on Saturday.
At Turf Moor, Arsenal's unfamiliar line-up 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 Eduardo set up Bendtner 15 minutes from time.
"They gave us a real game, they missed that header and we took our first chance," Arsene Wenger told the BBC.
Of prolific Brazil-born Croatian striker Eduardo, the Arsenal manager said: "You give everybody six months when they come to England, it takes five or six months to adapt."
It was a rip-roaring tie at Luton even if the goal count did not match Liverpool's 5-3 win at the same stage two years ago.
Liverpool looked short of confidence and were hanging on somewhat before a defensive blunder let in Andriy Voronin and when his shot was parried, Peter Crouch was on hand to tuck the ball in after 74 minutes.
The lead lasted only three minutes though as John-Arne Riise put through his own net trying to hold off Dave Edwards to earn a desperately-needed replay for Luton, who have barely had enough money to pay their players in recent weeks after going into administration.
Luton were one of four teams from the lower half of the third division who played Premier League opposition over the weekend and none of them lost.
On Saturday, Oldham upset Everton 1-0 and Huddersfield beat Birmingham City 1-0 while on Sunday Bristol Rovers led twice at Fulham through Danny Coles and Craig Hinton before David Healy and Danny Murphy made it 2-2.
At Derby, early defensive blunders gifted goals to Mark Beevers and Marcus Tudgay for Wednesday, sixth to last in the second division, but Kenny Miller and Giles Barnes levelled it for the Premier League's bottom club before halftime.
- REUTERS