( CNN ) -- When the draw for the third round of the FA Cup was made , one match particularly enticed -- Arsenal versus Tottenham . With Arsenal leading the Premier League and Tottenham rejuvenated under new manager Tim Sherwood , the encounter between the north London rivals indeed promised much . But in the end it was mostly one-way traffic and the Gunners prevailed 2-0 at home to advance in football 's oldest knockout competition . The FA Cup is famous for its giant killings although on Saturday only one Premier League team lost to lower-division opposition , Aston Villa . And even then , Villa 's 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United was n't that big of a surprise since Villa boss Paul Lambert said this week the FA Cup was a distraction . Manchester City will still be favored to beat Blackburn in a replay following their 1-1 draw but the quadruple chasers are facing a stack of fixtures in January . Arsenal , which trails only Manchester United in FA Cup successes , took an early lead when in-form Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla sent a left-footed shot into the top corner in the 31st minute . Arsenal maintained the pressure in the second half and doubled the advantage when Tottenham fullback Danny Rose was dispossessed by Tomas Rosicky near the halfway line . Rosicky coolly beat Hugo Lloris in the 62nd minute to preserve manager Arsene Wenger 's streak of never losing in the third round . `` We won such an important game -- it means a lot to us and the fans , obviously , '' Rosicky told ITV . The lone bad news for Arsenal was a leg injury to Theo Walcott , another player in form . Walcott left the pitch in controversial fashion , telling Tottenham fans -- with his hands -- what the score was . Wenger said he was told it was the England international 's reaction to being hit with coins . `` What he did was not offensive , '' Wenger told reporters . `` I do n't think the FA will take any action . I have seen the pictures and he is not being aggressive . He is smiling . '' Tottenham was unable to build on its 2-1 win at Manchester United in the league on Wednesday and was eliminated from a Cup competition for the second time in about two weeks . With Sherwood at the helm , then as a caretaker , Spurs lost to West Ham at White Hart Lane in the League Cup quarterfinals . Villa ousted . Despite saying that most Premier League managers would prefer to avoid the FA Cup , Lambert fielded star striker Christian Benteke against third-tier struggler Sheffield United . But it was Ryan Flynn who got a late winner at Villa Park -- and now Lambert can focus fully on keeping his team in the top division . `` There was never any way I was decrying the competition at all , '' a defiant Lambert told Villa 's website . `` You want to try and do a good run . If you look at the League Cup last time , we picked strong teams throughout the competition . I never take them lightly . '' Manchester City , embarrassed by Wigan in last year 's final , took a 1-0 lead at second-tier Blackburn though conceded the equalizer in the 55th minute . `` I think it 's very important to still be in the cup -- we played against a strong home team , '' City manager Manuel Pellegrini told the club website . City , which finished with 10 men after the 85th-minute dismissal of Dedryck Boyata , could play seven more games in January , a test even for its deep squad . Wigan , now in the Championship , will replay against the MK Dons after a 3-3 draw . In the all Premier League ties , Ole Gunnar Solskjaer began his reign as Cardiff boss with a 2-1 upset win at Newcastle ; Norwich and Fulham drew 1-1 ; and Crystal Palace won 2-0 at West Bromwich Albion . Macclesfield , the lowest-ranked team in the third round , earned a replay by drawing Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 . Among Sunday 's matches , Derby hosts Chelsea and Manchester United entertains Swansea .
Arsenal defeats Tottenham 2-0 to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup . Arsenal is the second most successful side in the competition behind Man United . Aston Villa was the only Premier League team to lose to lower-division opposition . - The first ever World Series game between two teams from different leagues takes place at Yankee Stadium when New York Yankees beat Brooklyn Dodgers 3-2 for their third straight win over Brooklyn.