Story highlights
Robin van Persie scores twice as Arsenal beat Aston Villa 3-2
Arsenal trailed 2-0 at halftime in FA Cup fourth round tie
Sunderland and Middlesbrough draw 1-1 in north-east derby
Liverpool drawn at home to Brighton in last 16 draw
Arsenal recovered from two goals down at halftime to beat Aston Villa 3-2 in their English FA Cup fourth round tie at the Emirates Sunday.
Arsenal looked headed out of this year’s competition after goals from Richard Dunne and England striker Darren Bent left them trailing.
But Arsene Wenger’s men grabbed three goals in eight second half minutes to spare their blushes in the all-Premier League clash.
Two Robin van Persie penalties to take his tally for the season to 25 were separated by a Theo Walcott goal.
“We wanted to stay in the Cup,” Wenger told ESPN as he explained their recovery.
“Two-nil was very harsh for us at half-time. It was just a question of keeping our structure and then we got an early (goal to make it) 2-1.”
In an earlier clash Sunday, Sunderland salvaged a 1-1 home draw against second flight north-east neighbors Middlesbrough.
Barry Robson gave Middlesbrough a deserved first half lead, but it was his mistake that allowed Frazier Campbell to score the equalizer on his return after a long-term injury.
The winners of their replay will take on Arsenal in the last 16, while Liverpool’s reward for knocking bitter rivals Manchester United out of the FA Cup Saturday was a home tie against second-tier Brighton.
Tottenham, third in the Premier League, must travel to Stevenage, who play in the third flight, while favorites Chelsea are at home to Birmingham, who won last season’s League Cup but were also relegated.
