Arsenal handed out a lesson in top-class finishing to Coca-Cola Championship leaders Reading as their young Carling Cup side reached the quarter-finals for the third consecutive season.
While Reading contrived to miss a hatful of chances, with Manuel Almunia excellent in goal, Arsenal's two talented young strikers Robin van Persie and Jose Antonio Reyes both finished with aplomb before half-time.
For Reyes, it was the end of a 12-game run without a goal. For Van Persie, it was his eighth goal in as many games.
Reading's impressive contingent of fans witnessed a frustrating first half, in which their side carved out numerous openings but contrived to squander all of them.
Striker Dave Kitson was the most culpable of all, starting early on when he turned inside Johan Djourou only to be denied by Almunia, who had rushed off his line to block.
The difference between the Premiership and the Championship can often be most evident in terms of finishing and that much was shown by Reyes on 13 minutes.
Owusu-Abeyie slipped a neat pass into the Spaniard's path after evading the offside trap and, having side-stepped his way past Stack, he calmly clipped the ball into the empty net from a tight angle.
Owusu-Abeyie was causing all sorts of problems down Arsenal's left flank and his next incisive through-ball found Van Persie, whose fierce drive was tipped around the post by Stack.
Arsenal's youngsters continued to make some elementary mistakes at the back but were not punished, with Kitson directing a point-blank header straight at Almunia.
It was a costly miss. Just a minute later, Arsenal sped downfield, with Van Persie finding Larsson, who, in turn, picked out Reyes on the edge of the penalty area. The Spaniard managed to lay the ball off as he was tackled and it fell to Van Persie, who fizzed his shot past Stack into the corner of the net.
The second half was the same story as Djourou was caught in possession by Stephen Hunt but Almunia was off his line to produce an excellent block and Sidwell knocked his follow-up effort wide.
Van Persie came off to be replaced by Lupoli and the 18-year-old Italian made an immediate impact with an accomplished finish to make it 3-0, wrapping the game up.
