Walcott brings up 100 goals as Arsenal ends Sutton's dream run

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott scored his landmark 100th goal for the club in a 2-0 win at Sutton United in the FA Cup on Monday as the team safely negotiated the minefield of a visit to the minor league team and secured a place in the quarterfinals.

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott celebrates after scoring a goal.

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott scored his landmark 100th goal for the club in a 2-0 win at Sutton United in the FA Cup on Monday as the team safely negotiated the minefield of a visit to the minor league team and secured a place in the quarterfinals.

The England striker reached his century after the break, adding to a first-half strike from Lucas Perez, as the Premier League giant was relieved to put its recent woes behind it and end the National League club's fairytale run.

Arsene Wenger's men, determined not to entertain the concept of a Cup giant-killing, forgot their European troubles and coped with an artificial pitch in a ramshackle south London ground to beat, but not overwhelm, the courageous fifth-tier dreamers.

Sutton had fantasised about pulling off the greatest Cup upset of all in front of 5,000 fans and hosting a sixth-round tie with fellow National League club Lincoln City, which is the first minor league side to reach the last eight in 103 years.

Yet Sutton's chances of emulating Lincoln's sensational win at Premier League Burnley on Saturday were effectively extinguished once Arsenal's Spanish striker Lucas broke the deadlock in the 26th minute with a left-foot curler.

Walcott killed the tie with a slickly-worked team goal in the 55th minute but Sutton refused to bow out quietly, creating several good chances and seeing its best player, Roarie Deacon, smash a fierce shot against the bar.

It was not enough, though, to stop a slightly under-strength Arsenal side from easing towards a home date with Lincoln as it seeks to win the FA Cup for a record 13th time.

Key Match Facts:

- Theo Walcott became the 18th player to score 100 goals in all competitions for Arsenal.
- Walcott has scored six times in his last three away FA Cup games for the Gunners.
- Arsenal has won 10 and lost none of its last 12 FA Cup matches against non-league sides.
- The Gunners have reached the sixth round for the fourth season in a row; a feat they last achieved in 2005 (five in succession).
- Sutton midfielder Nicky Bailey made more tackles (8) and interceptions (6) than any other player on the pitch.