Gunners hit QPR for six

Dixon and Bergkamp celebrate Arsenal's first goal

QPR 0-6 Arsenal

Arsenal breezed past QPR into the fifth round of the FA Cup, with two of their six goals scored by Rangers players.

Excellent second-half strikes by Sylvain Wiltord, Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp sealed the win after Matthew Rose's own goal on 49 minutes had put the Gunners 3-0 up.

  Key incidents

31 mins: Arsenal clear Crouch header off line

32 mins: Gunners take lead through Plummer own goal

33 mins: Wiltord makes it 2-0

49 mins: Rose own goal means no way back for Rangers

56 mins: Wiltord volleys home for 4-0

58 mins: Pires run and shot makes it 5-0

74 mins: Bergkamp compounds QPR misery with sixth

Wiltord volleyed home from a Pires corner on 56 minutes, and Pires made it five two minutes later with a strong run and shot past Ludek Miklosko.

Bergkamp hit Arsenal's sixth in the 74th minute, running onto a through ball from Patrick Viera and leaving Miklosko to collect from his net once again.

Earlier, Rose was beaten onto the wrong side of the scoresheet by fellow defender Chris Plummer who beat his own keeper in the 32nd minute to give Arsenal the lead.

There seemed to be little danger as Lee Dixon crossed from the right, but Plummer could only look on in horror as the ball struck his knee and sailed past Miklosko.

After the first two goals we just had to go for it and send on an extra striker, but Arsenal murdered us with their passing and movement.

  Gerry Francis

Wiltord made it 2-0 a minute later with a low drive from 15 yards after being set up by Berkgamp, although there was another element of luck involved as the ball took a slight deflection off Ian Baraclough.

Arsenal's first had come as they counter-attacked after defender Ashley Cole cleared a Peter Crouch header off his own line.

If the QPR striker had scored from Baraclough's corner, it would have been just reward for a bright opening 30 minutes from Rangers.

The 6ft 6in Crouch could have put his team ahead in the 16th minute but shot into the side netting from close range when it looked easier to score.

Rangers tried their luck with several long balls into the Arsenal box from free-kicks, but Arsene Wenger's side weathered the early storm and gradually took command.

We had some luck with our first three goals but it is just what we've been lacking away from home lately

  Arsene Wenger

However, QPR boss Gerry Francis had every reason to feel hard done by as his side came in at half-time 2-0 down.

They continued to play with a style which belied their lowly league position at the start of the second period.

But Rose's own goal, scored from six yards with Wiltord breathing down his neck, knocked the stuffing out of them.

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Teams:

QPR: Miklosko, Carlisle, Perry, Rose, Baraclough, Peacock, Plummer, Langley, Darlington, Crouch, Kiwomya. Subs: Harper, Ngonge, Connolly, Morrow, Koejoe.

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Stepanovs, Adams, Cole, Lauren, Vieira, Parlour, Pires, Bergkamp, Wiltord. Subs: Manninger, Grimandi, Vivas, Malz, Henry.

Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe)