LONDON — Arsenal remains on course for a third consecutive FA Cup success after Alexis Sanchez inspired Arsene Wenger's side to a 2-1 fourth-round win over second-tier Burnley Saturday.
Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur also progressed, but West Bromwich Albion was taken to a replay by third-tier Peterborough United and Bournemouth had to come from behind to beat 2008 FA Cup winner Portsmouth.
Arsenal's win at the Emirates Stadium preserved its hopes of becoming the first team to win three consecutive FA Cups since Blackburn Rovers, who achieved the feat between 1884 and 1886.
Making his first start after two months out with a hamstring injury, Chile star Sanchez teed up Calum Chambers to open the scoring in the 19th minute with a fine shot using the outside of his right foot.
Sam Vokes equalized for Burnley on the half hour with a powerful header, but Arsenal, which made nine changes, claimed victory in the 53rd minute when Sanchez slammed home after a neat team move.
Nigerian starlet Kelechi Iheanacho scored a hat trick as City kept alive its dream of an unprecedented quadruple of trophies by easing to a 4-0 win at Aston Villa, last season's beaten finalist.
Iheanacho opened the scoring in the fourth minute, following in to score after Fernando's header was cleared off the line, and the 19-year-old forward added a second with a 24th-minute penalty.
He completed his hat trick with 16 minutes remaining, seizing on ex-City defender Micah Richards's back-pass and surging through to score, before Raheem Sterling completed the scoring.
Manuel Pellegrini's City is second in the Premier League, faces Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League last 16 and will tackle Liverpool in the League Cup final on Feb. 28.
Liverpool is in action later Saturday when it hosts West Ham United, which has beaten it twice in the league this season.
Tottenham breezed through, Nacer Chadli scoring twice on his 100th appearance and Eric Dier and Tom Carroll also finding the net in a 4-1 win at third-tier struggler Colchester United.
Liverpool beat Stoke City on penalties to reach the League Cup semifinals Tuesday and Mark Hughes's men met with fresh cup disappointment four days later as it went down 1-0 at Crystal Palace.
Wilfried Zaha notched the game's only goal in the 17th minute at Selhurst Park, taking Palace into round five for the second season running.
Gary Roberts put Portsmouth, now languishing in the fourth tier, within sight of a major upset when he scored in the 43rd minute of their meeting with south-coast rivals Bournemouth.
But Josh King equalized for Eddie Howe's side with a 71st-minute header before Marc Pugh completed a 2-1 win.
Saido Berahino's brace was not enough for West Brom, which drew 2-2 with Peterborough, but Odion Ighalo's late strike earned Watford a 1-0 victory at Championship representatives Nottingham Forest.
Fourth-tier Oxford United could not repeat its third-round win over Swansea City, losing 3-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers, but third-division Shrewsbury Town stunned Championship side Sheffield Wednesday 3-2. — AFP
