Arsenal oust Spurs from League Cup with 4-1 win

LONDON (AP):

Samir Nasri scored a pair of extra-time penalty kicks as Arsenal ousted north London rival Tottenham from the League Cup with a 4-1 victory, and Premier League side Everton was beaten in a shootout by third-tier Brentford yesterday.

Tottenham substitute Robbie Keane had cancelled out Henri Lansbury's first Arsenal goal to send the game into extra time, but the home side crumbled within 30 seconds of it starting.

After being fouled by Sebastien Bassong, Nasri converted from the penalty spot and the France midfielder beat Spurs goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa again five minutes later when Steven Caulker brought down Marouane Chamakh.

"He had a superstition to think that when a penalty is made on you not to take it," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "But I tried to prove to him that that's solely based on fear. He realises now that it was a bad superstition."

Andrei Arshavin ended any hopes of a Tottenham comeback by firing low past Pletikosa in the 105th minute.

Everton, who are yet to win in the Premier League season, went out after Jermaine Beckford and Phil Jagielka missed penalties in a 4-3 shootout loss against Brentford.

Seamus Coleman had put Everton in front with his first goal for the club after six minutes, but Gary Alexander levelled for the League One club with a powerful header.

Bolton were the other Premier League casualty in the third round yesterday, with Owen Coyle's side losing 1-0 at former club Burnley, who were relegated from the top flight last season.

In all-Premier League matches, Stoke beat Fulham 2-0 and West Ham won 2-1 at Sunderland.

Elsewhere, Birmingham defeated MK Dons 3-1, Wolverhampton eliminated Notts County 4-2 in extra time, Ipswich won 2-1 at Millwall, Swansea triumphed 3-1 at Peterborough and Leicester beat Portsmouth 2-1.

With Spurs focused on their first Champions League campaign and the Premier League, only defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto survived from Saturday's 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton. As well as Pletikosa and Caulker, Brazilian midfielder Sandro Ranieri made his debut.

But such is the fierce local rivalry, Wenger veered from his usual policy of deploying a side packed with youngsters in English football's second-tier knockout competition, with Tomas Rosicky captaining a strong side.

"We got a few reproaches that we didn't take the competition seriously, that it was a derby that it was the start of the competition," Wenger said. "To go out at the start would have been difficult for us."