Manchester United's hopes of a third League Cup title in a row were ended Tuesday when it was thrashed 4-0 by a rampant West Ham in a surprisingly one-sided quarterfinal at Upton Park.
United States defender Jonathan Spector and England striker Carlton Cole both scored twice for the Hammers, who inflicted a first defeat of the season in all competitions on their Premier League rivals - a four-time winner of England's second-tier cup competition and the current league leaders.
In the night's other match, Arsenal easily saw off Wigan 2-0 thanks to Antolin Alcaraz's own goal and a close-range strike by Nicklas Bendtner. The Gunners are now heavy favorites to win the competition and end a trophy drought that goes back to 2005.
The other two quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday, with Birmingham hosting fierce local rival Aston Villa and Ipswich - the only non-Premier League team left in the competition - at home to West Bromwich Albion.
West Ham is bottom of the Premier League but earned a morale-boosting 3-1 win over Wigan on Saturday and would have fancied its chances when it saw the teamsheets, with United making 10 changes to a starting side that routed Blackburn 7-1 at the weekend.
What the Hammers would not have counted on was two goals from Spector, a former United player who hadn't previously scored in six years in English football. He was also playing out of position in central midfield and hadn't appeared in the first team since August.
"It's been disappointing and frustrating, but I've just been working hard and hope for the best," Spector said of his season so far. "I'm not really sure (how he scored twice) - playing in a different position kind of helped, I was able to get forward a bit more."
One of United's recalled players, Gabriel Obertan, saw a seventh-minute shot tipped onto the post by Hammers goalkeeper Robert Green but that was as good as it got for the new Premier League leaders.
West Ham was denied the lead in the 16th when Victor Obinna's shot, which deflected in off Spector, was ruled out for offside against the American player.
The hosts didn't have to wait long before going ahead, Spector getting in front of Darren Fletcher to head home Obinna's cross in the 22nd.
Then, after going on a surging run 15 minutes later, his pass into the box was blocked but the loose ball ran free and he pounced to send a rasping shot into the United net.
The closest Spector had previously come to scoring was in 2007 in a league match at Derby, when a goal he thought he had netted was eventually given as an own goal to Eddie Lewis - his teammate in the U.S. side.
Things got worse for United after the break as Obinna continued to run riot down the left.
The Nigeria international, on loan at West Ham from Inter Milan, sent over a whipped cross in the 56th that Cole headed home and the England striker followed up with a clever swivel and shot in the 67th after Obinna had again provided the pass.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has decided to take the League Cup seriously this season, having previously used the competition to blood youngsters in his squad, and his decision could pay handsome dividends after beating Wigan.
"We did the job on a cold night and we're in the semifinals," Wenger said. "We want to win trophies and be at the top of the table. We are always at the top of the table but to win trophies would be better.
"But there's no guarantee we'll win this trophy. It's home and away now and it will be tough."
Wenger's team against Wigan was far from first choice but it included established internationals like Netherlands striker Robin van Persie, who was starting his first game since Aug. 28, England winger Theo Walcott and Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner.
The latter two were key figures in the opening goal scored by Alcaraz, who inadvertently glanced the ball into his own net in the 42nd minute after Bendtner had just failed to meet Walcott's inswinging cross.
Bendtner, who has recently complained about not getting enough first-team action, made it 2-0 in the 65th by sliding home a sublime cross from Carlos Vela.
To make matters worse for Wigan, which is third from bottom in the Premier League, forward Victor Moses was carried off on a stretcher in the 35th after falling on his left shoulder.
