Theo Walcott of Arsenal celebrates their sixth goal during the fourth round match at Madejski Stadium in Reading, England. (Photo by Scott Heavey/Getty Images) (Scott Heavey/Getty Images)

(PhatzRadio / CBC Sports) — Arsenal staged a stunning League Cup fightback at Reading after trailing 4-0 in the first half on Tuesday, advancing to the quarterfinals with a 7-5 extra-time victory after Theo Walcott scored a hat trick.

Walcott netted in injury time in both halves, and then in the last minute of extra time as well in a game that always seemed to offer up a new twist.

“It was an unbelievable game. I’m absolutely knackered now,” Walcott said. “We’ve scored seven goals away from home — it was great going forward. Maybe defensively it wasn’t great at times, but we’re in the draw and that’s what matters.”

Arsenal’s performance in the first half was so poor that some Gunners fans left after the team conceded a fourth goal in the 37th minute as Reading dominated against its Premier League rival.

But after Walcott pulled one back just before halftime, he took the game into extra time with a last-gasp equalizer in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Substitute Olivier Giroud had netted the second for Arsenal and Laurent Koscielny, who earlier scored an own goal, made it 4-3 in the 89th.

Marouane Chamakh put Arsenal ahead for the first time in extra time with his first goal in almost a year, but Reading drew level again when Pavel Pogrebnyak made it 5-5 with four minutes to go.

Walcott then completed his hat trick by slotting in a rebound from Andrei Arshavin’s effort, and Chamakh lobbed goalkeeper Adam Federici in the closing exchanges to ensure Arsenal advanced.

On a thrilling night for English football’s second-tier knockout competition, three Premier League clubs — Southampton, Sunderland and Wigan — were beaten by lower-league opposition.

The biggest shock came at Wigan where fourth-tier club Bradford won a penalty shootout 4-2 after the match ended 0-0.

Premier League struggler Southampton exited after losing 3-0 to Leeds of the League Championship.

Goals from Michael Tonge and El-Hadji Diouf as well as Luciano Becchio’s penalty kick steered Leeds into the quarterfinals for the first time since 1996.

“We didn’t perform anywhere near what’s expected of a Southampton Football Club team,” said Southampton manager Nigel Adkins, who made 11 changes from the side that lost to Tottenham on Sunday.

“Forty-eight hours ago we had a high-intensity game and I made the relevant changes. I take full responsibility,” he said. “We wanted to play tomorrow, but the powers that be wanted it to be tonight. But we gave the players who have not been in the team to the chance to show what they could do, and they did not take it.”

Middlesbrough advanced after Scott McDonald’s goal secured a 1-0 victory at northeast rival Sunderland.

It was a nervy night for Aston Villa, which only eliminated third-tier club Swindon 3-2 after Christian Benteke’s 90th minute goal.

Villa appeared to be cruising to victory after goals from Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor before halftime.

But Swindon subsitute Miles Storey scored twice after the break to make it 2-2 before Benteke’s hammered home a cross from Eric Lichaj.

FC Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas, right, celebrates after scoring the third goal of his team against CD Alaves, during their Spanish Copa del Rey round of 32 first leg soccer match, at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria on Tuesday. (Alvaro Barrientos/Associated Press)

Barcelona breezes past Alaves in Copa del Rey play

Barcelona didn’t need Lionel Messi to secure a successful start to its Copa del Rey defence Tuesday, beating third-tier Alaves 3-0 after goals by David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas.

Villa opened the scoring in the 40th minute when he perfectly timed his run past Alaves’ back four to powerfully latch onto a long pass by Iniesta and send it into the net via the crossbar.

Villa, who missed the second half of last season and the European Championship after breaking his leg, said he’s enjoying every minute being back on the pitch.

“From hospital it was difficult to score goals,” Villa said. “After all this time I want to play as much as possible, but I am in the hands of professionals and they know what’s best for me.”

‘From hospital it was difficult to score goals.’—Barca striker David Villa

Iniesta added the second in the 51st after a well-worked move. Fabregas won possession deep in Alaves’ half and threaded a cross through the defence to Villa, who found Iniesta with a delicate tap. The Spain midfielder then scored with a delightfully controlled lob over Alaves goalkeeper Urtzi Iturrioz.

Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez had what appeared to be a legitimate goal disallowed for offside in the 56th minute. But Fabregas rose above the Alaves defence in the centre of the penatly area to head in a precisely aimed cross from the right by Dani Alves in the 88th.

Coach Tito Vilanova had decided to rest Messi, forward Pedro Rodriguez, midfielder Xavi Hernandez and defender Jordi Alba for the game.

With several other defenders out injured, Vilanova selected Martin Montoya, Javier Mascherano, Marc Bartra and Dani Alves for the back four.

Earlier Tuesday, goals by Nelson Valdez and Jonas gave Valencia a 2-0 win over lower-tier club Llagostera.

Playing in pouring rain at Llagostera’s 2,500-capacity stadium 100 kilometres (62 miles) northeast of Barcelona, Valencia’s Brazil forward Jonas headed midfielder Daniel Parejo’s pass into the net in first-half injury time.

Valdez then headed in a corner from Parejo in the 66th.

Llagostera is an agricultural town of 8,000 residents and its football has 500 members and an annual budget of C400,000.

Steve Von Bergen (L) of Palermo and Stephat El Shaarawy of Milan compete for the ball during the Serie A match between US Citta di Palermo and AC Milan at Stadio Renzo Barbera on October 30, 2012 in Palermo, Italy.
(October 29, 2012 – Source: Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images Europe)

Milan comes back from 2-0 down to draw at Palermo

MILAN (AP) Milan fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Palermo in Serie A on Tuesday after young striker Stephan El Shaarawy again came to the Rossoneri’s rescue.

El Shaarawy scored his seventh league goal of the season 10 minutes from time to prevent Milan from slipping to its sixth loss of the campaign.

Fabrizio Miccoli had put Palermo in front from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime following a handball from Ignazio Abate. Franco Brienza doubled the team’s lead less than two minutes after the break.

However, Riccardo Montolivo grabbed one back in the 69th minute as Milan started to dominate.

“It’s the first time we’ve managed to come back,” Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “In the second half we created a lot and made very few mistakes with the last ball.

“Even though we played awfully in the first half, we could have avoided the penalty. Then the lads did well and we deserved to draw. We had a brilliant second half.”

El Shaarawy, who also scored the only goal of the game on his 20th birthday against Genoa this past weekend, completed Milan’s spirited comeback. He is currently Serie A’s leading goalscorer ahead of the rest of the midweek matches.

Palermo remains the only team in Serie A to have won just one game so far this season.

“We stopped after we went 2-0 up,” Palermo coach Gianpiero Gasperini said. “Instead of continuing to pressure them we stopped at the edge of the area without defending or playing. We were too passive. We threw away a great opportunity, we played well in the first half and at the beginning of the second half and we had the opportunity to continue, thanks to the space we had.

“The few times we got the ball back, we struggled to get going. We became a bit scared. We must understand that matches finish after 90 minutes or 95, we have lost too many points in the final minutes.”

Palermo had lost only one of the past seven matches against Milan at the Stadio Renzo Barbera, and it was the better team at the start.

Brienza almost had a great early chance but he was squeezed out by the Milan defense.

Seconds later Alexandre Pato – who is not yet back to his best after eight months out with injuries – spun well but had the ball snatched from his feet by Palermo’s Edgar Barreto, just as the Brazilian was about to let fly.

Miccoli then sent a shot just wide of the left post before firing a fierce 35-yard free kick straight at Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia.

Miccoli had another good chance in the 26th minute when Milan midfielder Kevin Constant set him up perfectly but he saw his effort skim the top of the crossbar.

The Palermo captain again went close with another free kick which went a whisker wide with Amelia beaten.

The home side took a deserved lead when Miccoli’s cross hit Abate on the arm at point-blank range, just inside the area.

The penalty decision was harsh as it was doubtful Abate had handled intentionally but Miccoli stepped up to fire a perfectly placed spot kick into the bottom left corner which Amelia could do nothing about, despite diving the right way.

It was Miccoli’s 99th goal in Serie A.

Palermo doubled its lead when Brienza found himself in acres of space just outside the box and he fired a stunning strike into the far right corner with Amelia rooted to the spot.

Milan finally started playing and substitute Bojan Krkic almost pulled one back when he went on a mazy run and beat two defenders before drawing a fine save from Palermo goalkeeper Samir Ujkani.

Ujkani did even better to keep out Urby Emanuelson’s curling free kick.

Milan grabbed one back as Bojan drew several Palermo defenders to him before crossing to the other side of the area for an unmarked Montolivo to smash into the bottom left corner.

The Rossoneri completed the comeback when Ujkani palmed Abate’s shot to El Shaarawy, who swiveled and turned it in at the near post from a tight angle.