Manchester United were made to battle all the way for their 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers at Old Trafford while Stoke City eased past League 2 side Rotherham United 2-0.

However Arsenal's young side stole the show with an exciting 3-0 win against Wigan Athletic.

Arsene Wenger's young guns sent the Latics crashing out of the Carling Cup with another stunning performance at the Emirates Stadium.

Two goals from Jay Simpson, on his first start for the club, and a third from Mexican starlet Carlos Vela put the Gunners into the fifth round.

Steve Bruce's side were never in the match and but for a fabulous display from goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, Wigan would have lost by a much greater scoreline.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis's top-flight understudies secured a place in the Carling Cup quarter-finals.

A goal in each half from Glenn Whelan and Danny Pugh - neither of whom have figured much in the Barclays Premier League - settled the issue in the fourth-round tie at the Britannia Stadium.

Whelan's strike was a clever 20-yard free-kick, while Pugh raced on to a Dave Kitson pass to grab the second.

Carlos Tevez's 76th-minute spot-kick proved enough to steer Manchester United into the Carling Cup quarter-finals at Old Trafford.

Although no-one could claim QPR deserved anything from a contest in which they were second-best from start to finish, they almost took the tie into extra-time as United failed to make the most of their dominance.

In the end, Peter Ramage's rash tackle on substitute Daniel Welbeck was all United needed as Tevez coolly stroked home the resulting penalty.

Arsenal 3-0 Wigan Athletic
Derby County 2-1 Leeds United
Manchester United 1-0 Queens Park Rangers
Stoke City 2-0 Rotherham United
Swansea City 0-1 Watford