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Holders Arsenal crash out of the FA Cup

HOLDERS Arsenal crashed out of the FA Cup third-round stage on a weekend of coupon carnage for favourite backers in the live televised contests.

Arsenal, 6-10 to see off Nottingham Forest, produced a woeful display to go down 4-2 at the City Ground as they became the biggest casualties of the third round.

Forest did not play like 5-1 outsiders to land a deserved giantkilling.

Per Mertesacker cancelled out Eric Lichaj’s opener but the Forest full-back put the Sky Bet Championship side back in front on the stroke of half time.

Danny Welbeck scored either side of penalties from Ben Brereton and Kieran Dowell, although there was to be no comeback from the Gunners, who were 10-1 to retain the trophy.

Everton, who lost 2-1 at Liverpool, were the only other side shorter than 50-1 not to be in the fourth-round draw, although those who backed the televised favourites were left to count the cost of two bad days.

It started with 4-7 Leicester and 1-2 Chelsea being held to 0-0 draws at Fleetwood and Norwich respectively before 11-10 West Ham had to settle for a stalemate at Shrewsbury on Sunday. Leeds, 10-11 pokes to beat Newport, were eliminated with a 2-1 defeat.

Tottenham beat AFC Wimbledon 3-0 in a non-televised tie with Harry Kane scoring twice.

Martin O’Neill is 13-8 favourite with Betfredto fill the Stoke managerial vacancy created by Mark Hughes’s sacking on Saturday evening.

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