LEAGUE CUP: Arsenal thrashed by Sheffield Wednesday

             

Ross Wallace, Lucas Joao and Sam Hutchinson netted as Sheffield Wednesday eased to a shock 3-0 win over Arsenal in the League Cup.

 

Sheffield Wednesday eased to a stunning League Cup upset in comprehensively beating in-form Premier League giants Arsenal 3-0 at Hillsborough.
Ross Wallace, Lucas Joao and Sam Hutchinson grabbed the goals as the Championship side enjoyed a cup tie to remember on Tuesday.

Buoyed by a fine recent run, Arsene Wenger - as is often the case in this competition - named an experimental XI featuring the likes of Glen Kamara, Alex Iwobi and Joel Campbell.


The Frenchman was left scratching his head in the first 20 minutes though, as first Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and then the man who replaced him, Theo Walcott, were both forced off with apparent hamstring injuries.
And Wenger's expression looked considerably more pained by half-time, with Wednesday 2-0 ahead thanks to excellent goals from Wallace and Joao.

Things went from bad to worse for Arsenal when Hutchinson converted from close range just after the break, with the home side comfortably seeing the game out to deservedly secure their place in the quarter-finals.

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Dejeceted Arsenal players look on during the Capital One Cup fourth round match between Sheffield Wednesday and …

Wenger made a slew of changes to the side that beat Everton on Saturday, with just three players retaining their place in the XI.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, Petr Cech and Olivier Giroud were the only survivors, with the former immediately taking centre stage as he picked up a hamstring problem inside five minutes and was forced from the field.
Walcott initially looked a threat when coming on in his place, but that did not last long as he Oxlade-Chamberlain back to the bench with a similar complaint.

Scenting an opportunity for a shock, Wednesday held their own in the opening exchanges and took the lead in the 27th minute.

Daniel Pudil worked his way down the left wing before sending in a superb low pull-back that Wallace expertly curled into the bottom corner.
Carlos Carvalhal's men continued to look a threat thereafter and almost grabbed a second when Jeremy Helan wriggled through on goal and forced a good save from Cech.
The goalkeeper was powerless moments later, however, as Wallace sent in a delicious centre that Joao nodded home.

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Theo Walcott is one of a couple of injury concerns for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal …

Whatever Wenger said to his side at half-time hardly had the desired effect, as the buoyant hosts added a third six minutes after the restart.

Barry Bannan delivered a lovely free-kick to the back post, with Tom Lees - who looked marginally offside - sending a controlled volley across goal for Hutchinson to poke home.

Not content with three, Wednesday continued to push forward and almost netted again when Joao nodded narrowly wide from Bannan's centre.

Arsenal finally created their first real opening in the 70th minute, Per Mertesacker seeing a close-range header turned over by Joe Wildsmith.

But that proved the only real moment of Arsenal resistance as Wednesday finished the job impressively.