LONDON - Manchester United and Arsenal, knocked out of the Champions League in midweek, kept their seasons alive with impressive away victories over Premiership opponents in FA Cup quarter-finals.
Paul Scholes struck twice as holders United crushed Southampton 4-0, and an early Fredrik Ljungberg goal gave champions Arsenal a deserved
1-0 win at 10-man Bolton Wanderers.
United and Arsenal, lag eight and 10 points respectively behind Premiership leaders Chelsea, leaving the Cup as their only realistic chance of lifting a trophy.
United defender Rio Ferdinand said: "It wasn't meant to be for us in other competitions but, hopefully, the FA Cup will be the one. Our midfield and forward play was very good and we kept the ball pretty well."
Captain Roy Keane put United ahead after only two minutes with a rasping angled drive that took a deflection. Cristiano Ronaldo doubled the advantage just before halftime.
Scholes added the third with a low shot just after the interval and the former England midfielder completed the rout with a stooping far-post header three minutes from time.
United, record 11-times winners of the FA Cup, are seeking to win the trophy in successive seasons for the first time.
Arsenal were not quite as impressive but still proved too strong for Bolton, who played for almost the whole game with 10 men. Ljungberg scored after three minutes to put his side ahead, and the hosts' hopes plummeted six minutes later when Senegal striker El-Hadji Diouf was sent off for elbowing Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
Bolton had beaten Arsenal 1-0 in January, one of only four Premiership defeats suffered by the champions this season, but they rarely threatened to get back into the match.
Lehmann, who required treatment after the Diouf incident, had to be alert to keep out two headers from Greek Stelios Giannakopoulos after Gary Speed's long throws caused confusion in the heart of Arsenal's defence.
The visitors dominated possession in the second half, making their numerical advantage count to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the fifth year in a row.
Blackburn Rovers played second-division Leicester City and Newcastle United took on Tottenham Hotspur at St James's Park overnight in the remaining quarter-finals.
- REUTERS
