Nottingham Forest hands Arsenal earliest FA Cup exit of Wenger era

The holder of the FA Cup is out.

Nottingham Forest shocked Arsenal in the FA Cup's third round Sunday, as the Reds beat the Gunners 4-2 at The City Ground. The result marked the first time since 1996, the year of Arsene Wenger's appointment, that the club from north London lost a tie at this stage of the tournament.

Both clubs were without a permanent manager. Alan Brazil, Forest's caretaker manager since Mark Warburton's contract was terminated on New Year's Eve, stood in one dugout. Wenger, meanwhile, watched on from the stands due to a three-match touchline ban for his verbal abuse of Mike Dean.

It was a forgettable day for Arsenal's centre-backs. Mathieu Debuchy took the pitch beside Per Mertesacker and Rob Holding as the Gunners deployed their second string, and Ben Brereton, just 18 years old, ran circles around the three defenders. The teenager converted the first of two penalty kicks that were awarded to Forest and bullied the trio until the final whistle.

But it wasn't just Brereton who stood out. Jordan Smith was excellent despite committing an error that led to Danny Welbeck's goal, while Matty Cash and Ben Osborn outplayed Mohamed Elneny and Chris Willock. Kieran Dowell was also at his best, and tallied Forest's fourth goal by spooning a penalty into the back of the net with his magical left foot. Eric Lichaj was brilliant, scoring both of the Reds' first-half goals - one of which was produced with a stunning volley - and organising the club's defence.

After the game, Lichaj declared: "My wife said she would let me have a dog if I scored a hat-trick this year. But Kieran wouldn't let me have the last penalty. He told me to go away."

Forest, winner of the FA Cup in 1897-98 and 1958-59, is the first lower-division club to score four goals against Arsenal in the tournament since Hull City did it in 1908.