Arsenal shrugged off their disappointing Carling Cup final defeat with a routine 5-0 success over Leyton Orient at the Emirates Stadium to set up a visit to Manchester United in the sixth round. Arsenal are 53 places higher than Leyton Orient in the league standings and the scoreline simply reflected this difference in class.
Orient were the last League One side left in the competition and they did not disgrace themselves despite the heavy defeat. The visitor's had pledged to attack but in taking on the Gunners at their own passing game there was only going to be one winner.
Arsenal raced into a three goal lead by the break with Bendtner completing his hat-trick in the second half.
Any thoughts of an Orient shock were quickly dispelled as Arsenal took an early lead through Marouane Chamakh with an easy finish for his first goal since November.
Nicklas Bendtner got his first on the half-hour, heading home a Kieran Gibbs cross, then the game was effectively over as a spectacle with a third just before the break.
Bendtner took advantage of some sloppy Orient defending to curl home a delightful shot and leave the visitor's looking demoralised.
The Danish international earned himself the match ball when he converted from the penalty spot after Gibbs had been felled.
With the Gunners playing well within themselves and Orient looking shattered a fifth goal arrived 15 minutes from time courtesy of Gael Clichy and comprehensively ended the visitor's 13 game unbeaten run in cup and league games.
Referee: Lee Mason
Venue: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,361
Arsenal scorers: Chamakh 7, Bendtner 30, 43, 62 (pen), Clichy 75 Orient scorers:
ARSENAL 01 Almunia 18 Squillaci 27 Eboue 28 Gibbs 48 Miquel 02 Diaby (Clichy 66 (yellow card) 07 Rosicky (Nasri 62) 15 Denilson 44 Henderson 29 Chamakh 52 Bendtner (Wilshere 66)
Substitutes 53 Szczesny, 03 Sagna, 20 Djourou, 22 Clichy, 08 Nasri, 19 Wilshere, 23 Arshavin
ORIENT 01 Jones 03 Whing 04 Chorley (yellow card) 06 Forbes 17 Crowe (Spring 65) 07 Cox (yellow card) 08 Dawson 13 Daniels 25 Carroll 09 McGleish (Tehoue 65) 11 Revell (M'Poku 79)
Substitutes 12 Butcher, 02 Omozusi, 19 Mike, 10 Chambers, 16 Spring, 27 M'Poku, 18 Tehoue
