FA Cup holders Arsenal eased into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a minimum of fuss as they started the defence of their trophy with a no-frills 2-0 victory against Third Division Oxford at Highbury. Despite fielding a half-strength side, Arsenal took an early lead with Dennis Bergkamp's 100th goal for the club but it was not until Scott McNiven's 68th-minute own goal that they put the game beyond Oxford.
Journeyman striker Nigel Jemson claimed a priceless double to dump Everton out as Shrewsbury pulled off a major 2-1 shock. The 33-year-old former Nottingham Forest frontman curled home a 38th-minute free-kick and then snatched a dramatic 89th-minute winner after substitute Niclas Alexandersson had dragged the visitors back into the game on the hour.
Transfer-listed Danny Dichio fired West Brom to a 3-1 win with a stunning first-half hat-trick at The Hawthorns today. The Baggies forward netted three times in the opening 19 minutes as the Premiership side heaped more misery on First Division strugglers Bradford. The visitors' only consolation came when Mark Danks sneaked in to head home after 78 minutes.
Two goals from Jermain Defoe rescued West Ham after a tense and dramatic tie against Nottingham Forest at Upton Park. Marlon Harewood and Andy Reid had earlier put Forest ahead twice, before they were pegged back by strikes from Defoe, Joe Cole and then a late winner from Defoe following a wicked deflection.
Kevin Phillips kept Sunderland's FA Cup dream alive with a 62nd minute equaliser to deny below-strength Bolton. Phillips headed John Oster's cross past Kevin Poole and should have scored a 79th minute winner but flashed his shot wide. Bolton made nine changes but should have wrapped the game up after first half dominance capped by Michael Ricketts' headed 17th minute opener.
Matt Jansen scored his first goals since his life-threatening motorbike accident to power Blackburn Rovers into the fourth round at the expense of hosts Aston Villa today. To add to Villa's misery, it was their former hero Dwight Yorke who struck Blackburn's other double to leave them with nothing to play for this season but Premiership respectability.
Jonatan Johansson's two spectacular goals and a Jason Euell penalty were enough for Charlton to see off a spirited challenge from Third Division Exeter in the tie at The Valley. The Grecians battled back from a goal down to equalise shortly after the interval through Brazilian defender Santos Gaia's bullet header, but the Addicks refused to panic and their class eventually told.
Mario Stanic's goal sent Chelsea safely through to the next round with a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough. Chelsea dominated the first half and led by Stanic's well-taken strike after 38 minutes, when he was unselfishly set up by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink on the edge of the box.
A first-half penalty from Mark Viduka and a delightful Eirik Bakke finish in the second half proved decisive, sending Leeds into Monday's fourth-round draw with a 2-0 victory over Scunthorpe.
FA Cup Third Round full times
Arsenal 2-0 Oxford UtdAston Villa 1-4 Blackburn
Blackpool 1-2 Crystal Palace Bolton 1-1 Sunderland
Bournemouth 0-0 Crewe Brentford 1-0 Derby
Cambridge Utd 1-1 Millwall Cardiff 2-2 Coventry
Charlton 3-1 Exeter Chelsea 1-0 Middlesbrough
Darlington 2-3 Farnborough Grimsby 2-2 Burnley
Ipswich 4-0 Morecambe Leicester 2-0 Bristol City
Macclesfield 0-2 Watford Plymouth 2-2 Dag & Red
Preston 1-2 Rochdale Rotherham 0-3 Wimbledon
Scunthorpe 0-2 Leeds Sheff Utd 4-0 Cheltenham
Shrewsbury 2-1 Everton Stoke 3-0 Wigan
Walsall 0-0 Reading West Brom 3-1 Bradford
West Ham 3-2 Nottm Forest
Southampton 4-0 Tottenham
Filed by Johnny Proby
