A goal in each half from Fabio da Silva and Wayne Rooney took United through to a semifinal at Wembley Stadium next month giving Alex Ferguson's Premier League leaders the perfect boost before their Champions League last-16 second leg against Olympique Marseille back at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

For Arsenal the night ended in yet more disappointment following their elimination from the Champions League by Barcelona on Tuesday and their defeat by Birmingham City in the League Cup final at Wembley last month.

Arsenal are second behind United in the Premier League title race, and could still salvage something from a season that promised so much just two weeks ago, but they will need an enormous improvement in their form to do that.

In Saturday's other quarterfinal, Bolton Wanderers won 3-2 at Birmingham to clinch a place in the semi-finals for only the second time since they last won the FA Cup in 1958.

The quarterfinals will be completed on Sunday when Manchester City are at home to Championship (second division) side Reading and Stoke City host West Ham United.