Burnley claim another Premier League scalp

Burnley continue their giant killing run in this season's English League Cup with a 2-0 upset over Arsenal to reach the last four of the competition.

Burnley's Chris McCann keeps a close check on Arsenal's Jack Wilshere during their League Cup encounter at Turf Moor.

Burnley continued their giant killing run in this season's English League Cup with a 2-0 upset over Arsenal to reach the last four of the competition. Another Premier League club, Stoke City, also felt the bite of a Championship club as they fell 1-0 at home to Derby County. Burnley's shock win over the Gunners follows on from their penalty shoot-out triumph over Chelsea in the previous round, with Arsene Wenger's side, comprising mainly of youngsters and squad players, unable to find a way past a resolute Burnley outfit.

Kevin McDonald was the hero for the Clarets, who took his tally to three goals in four days for Owen Coyle's men with goals in each half to book the Lancashire Club's berth in the semi-finals. "All the cameras are here so they must've known there would be an upset here," the Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen said. "Anything can happen in football, so with a good draw and a little bit of luck, who knows how far we can go." McDonald gave Burnley a sixth-minute lead when he tapped in a rebound after the Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianksi fumbled a dangerous cross from the right by the former Manchester United midfielder Chris Eagles. Fabianksi also saved a header from Mike Duff and a bouncing half-volley by Robbie Blake before McDonald made it 2-0 in the 57th minute.

"Obviously the best goals I've scored so far," said McDonald, who joined from Dundee in Scotland in June. Wenger banked on his starlets who had served him so well in the previous rounds, with the Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner and Mikael Silvestre the only recognised first-team stars in action, but they were unable inspire the likes of Kieran Gibbs and Paul Rodgers to break the deadlock, much to the joy of the Turf Moor faithful.

Burnley are joined by fellow Championship club Derby after Nathan Ellington dispatched an injury-time penalty kick at the Britannia Stadium. The referee awarded the kick for a handball in the area and Ellington hit the ball low down the middle past the diving Steve Simonsen in the Stoke goal. The other quarter-finals will be played tonight, when four-time winners Tottenham continue their defence of the trophy at Watford, and Manchester United host Blackburn Rovers. The draw for the semi-finals will be made on Saturday.

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