West Ham, Arsenal and Spurs out of League Cup

Premier league strugglers West Ham United suffered a humiliating home defeat in the third round of the English League Cup on Wednesday when they were beaten 1-0 at home by second division Oldham Athletic on a night of shocks.

Arsenal, fielding a virtual reserve side, led Sunderland 2-0 at Highbury but lost 3-2, while first division Sheffield United scored twice in the last two minutes to beat Yorkshire rivals Leeds United 2-1.

Last season's runners-up Tottenham Hotspur also went out, losing 2-1 at Burnley, while fellow first-division side Ipswich Town claimed another premier league scalp with a 3-1 home win over Middlesbrough.

Defending champions Blackburn Rovers edged past first division strugglers Walsall on penalties after a 2-2 draw at Ewood Park. Everton also got through on a shoot-out after a 3-3 draw with Newcastle United at St James' Park, while Liverpool, winners in 2000, beat Southampton 3-1 at Anfield.

The dream ended for the two remaining third division clubs as Oxford lost 3-0 at home to Aston Villa and Bury lost 3-1 at Fulham.

The woe continued for West Ham manager Glenn Roeder, whose team have won just three games in the premier league and none at home.

Roeder put out a full-strength side but they created very little in another disappointing display.

UNBEATEN AWAY

Oldham, flying high in second place in division two and unbeaten away in the league, got the only goal three minutes before halftime when Canada striker Carlo Corazzin powered a header from a corner past England goalkeeper David James.

Goals for Robert Pires and striker Francis Jeffers had a virtual Arsenal reserve team two up at the break against Sunderland.

The visitors, also playing an unfamiliar line-up, pulled one back through Kevin Kyle in the 56th minute and Marcus Stewart levelled with a 70th-minute header.

Two minutes later defender Darren Williams scored with a bullet header to hand Arsenal their fifth defeat in six games.

Blackburn took a first-half lead at home to Walsall with a Corrado Grabbi penalty but Zigor Aranalde equalised for the first division side with another penalty the 67th minute.

The game went into extra time when Australia striker David Zdrilic raised Walsall's hopes only for an Ian Roper own goal to take the game to penalties.

Blackburn won the shoot-out 5-4, the action finishing shortly before 11pm (2300 GMT) local time.

A Steve Yates own goal gave Leeds the lead after 24 minutes at Bramall Lane but Phil Jagielka equalised for Sheffield United with a spectacular 30 metre effort in the 90th minute.

Peter Ndlovu stunned under-pressure Leeds boss Terry Venables by scrambling in the winner seconds later.

"We lost the lead through one of the best strikes I've ever seen," said Venables.

"Scoring again at the end was a bigger blow."

Gus Poyet headed Spurs into a 17th minute lead but Robbie Blake got a deserved equaliser in the 57th and Steve Davis headed Burnley's winner three minutes later.

Ireland striker Robbie Keane missed a hat-trick of great chances for Spurs when clean through then crashed a spectacular volley from 25 metres against the bar in injury time.

SATISFYING VICTORY

But Burnley held out to collect a famous victory in the 100th meeting of the clubs.

"We didn't deserve anything tonight, Burnley were the better side," said Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle.

Chris Kirkland produced an astonishing display in his first match of the season for Liverpool, the young English goalkeeper making endless great saves to deny Southampton.

Liverpool then went ahead just before halftime with a deflected Patrik Berger free kick.

Kirkland produced a remarkable triple save early in the second half but was beaten at the fourth attempt as Agustin Delgado scored in the 55th minute.

But Liverpool restored their lead immediately through El Hadji Diouf and Milan Baros tucked in the third to leave Southampton down and out and wondering just how they lost.

At St James' Everton went ahead with a Kevin Campbell header after 11 minutes before England winger Kieron Dyer scored two in a minute to swing it round only for Steve Watson to equalise for Everton in the 85th to take the game into extra time.

COOL ROONEY

An Alessandro Pistone own goal edged Newcastle ahead but a David Unsworth penalty took the game to a shoot-out where the hosts scored their first two spot-kicks then missed the next three to give Everton a 3-2 win.

Seventeen-year-old Wayne Rooney was one of Everton's on-target penalty takers but Newcastle's 18-year-old debutant Michael Chopra blazed his over the bar.

Carlton Cole, Chelsea's 18-year-old striker, made the most of his first start of the season by scoring both goals in their 2-1 home win over Gillingham.

Andy Johnson was another two-goal man as he took his tally to 10 in five games in Crystal Palace's 3-0 home win over Coventry City.

Latvian international striker Andrejs Stolcers got two in Fulham's defeat of Bury with Lee Clark also on target.