Iheanacho Hits Hat-Trick As Man City Cruise In FA Cup

Arsenal remain 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 on Saturday.

Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur also progressed, but West Bromwich Albion were taken to a replay by third-tier Peterborough United and Bournemouth had to come from behind to beat 2008 FA Cup winners Portsmouth.

Arsenal’s win at the Emirates Stadium preserved their 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, who 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 their dream of an unprecedented quadruple of trophies by easing to a 4-0 win at Aston Villa, last season’s beaten finalists.

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 are second in the Premier League, face Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League last 16 and will tackle Liverpool in the League Cup final on February 28.

Liverpool are in action later on Saturday when they host West Ham United, who have beaten them 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 strugglers Colchester United.

Source: Vanguard