WHEN Sunderland last knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup to set up a 1973 final with Leeds United, few gave the Second Division club a prayer. There is little danger of Everton underestimating Martin O'Neill's 2012 team after a brutal dismantling of the Gunners.

The Wearsiders would have preferred it had Peter Reid pulled out the club he managed with such distinction rather than the one he served most famously as a player for home advantage in yesterday’s quarter-final draw. But with Liverpool the only big beast booked into the sixth round, Sunderland are again outsiders, but confident, dangerous ones.

The home supporters waited until added time before taunting Arsenal’s with chants of “easy, easy” but the caution was unnecessary. In the timing of the game and even its goals, the Black Cats got the luck which runs through all good cup runs but there was nothing fortunate about Saturday’s result.

All silk but not much steel, Arsenal can be bullied at the best of times. Having endured a harrowing European Cup hammering in Milan, and with defenders dropping like flies, the wheels were starting to come loose on their season, as is becoming traditional at this time of year. Sunderland knew how to prise them off.

Lee Cattermole was drafted in to get in Arsenal faces. While he snarled away with controlled aggression and sensible passing, Arsenal played much of the second half with the cultured Tomáš Rosický and Mikel Arteta as possibly two of English football’s least intimidating holding midfielders. For the hosts, it was a mismatch made in heaven.

It was not the only one. Bringing back the fit-again captain meant asking diminutive playmaker Stéphane Sessègnon to do a job he looks ill-equipped for. Yet the lone centre-forward led the way as Sunderland’s pace scared the life out of a back four ravaged by injury.

When Francis Coquelin’s hamstring snapped within the first ten minutes, the loss of the emergency left-back was keenly felt. Having come to Wearside with their best pairing seven days earlier, Arsenal were down to fourth and fifth-choice centre-backs Johan Djourou and Sebastian Squillaci. Coquelin’s replacement Squillaci was limping as he was substituted in the 53rd minute but his pride looked more damaged than his body. Yet again, he had been found out of his depth in English football. With James McClean and Sebastian Larsson on the flanks, Sunderland exploited the Gunners’ uncertainty whether the ball was played to feet or into space. Djourou was fortunate the officials were on their mettle when he bundled Larsson down outside the area trying to retrieve a situation his hashed clearance caused. There would be numerous similar incidents.

Sunderland’s backline was as assured as Arsenal’s was hapless. Simon Mignolet saved well at his near post from Gervinho in the 28th minute, but was barely troubled for the rest of the evening.

Over the course of two Stadium of Light games in eight days, Robin van Persie did very little. It must be quite tiring carrying ten men for 90 minutes every week, but Sunderland’s defending was the main cause. The margins of John O’Shea’s brilliant penalty-area tackle on the prolific Dutchman were so fine he was a fraction away from conceding a spot kick.

Denied much-needed encouragement, Arsenal shrank and Sunderland soon took the lead.

Djourou belatedly made it into Howard Webb’s notebook for bringing down Craig Gardner having been harassed into conceding possession by the midfielder. A little more centrally and the card may have been a different colour.

A harsher punishment was inflicted, Larsson whipping a free-kick cleared only to Kieran Richardson. At first sight the left-back’s volley looked perfectly placed but the television cameras showed a deflection off Squillaci.

Had it happened when the teams met in October, as Sunderland were struggling and Arsenal finding their feet, the shot would probably have flown past the defender and the far post.

Referee Webb may have been uncharacteristically whistle-happy but he was still typically laissez-faire when it came to reaching for his pocket, Thomas Vermaelen escaping unpunished after kicking out at Sessègnon.

With Arsenal so obviously rattled, half-time appeared to have come to their rescue, but did nothing to change the flow of the game. Shortly after the restart McClean wriggled through Alex Song, Bacary Sagna and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain before the full-back brought him down.

Within minutes Wenger made his last, desperate substitutions. O’Neill did not turn to his bench until the 88th minute, wanting to waste time rather than turn tides.

When Colback retrieved the ball close to Richardson midway through the half he had the confidence on it to pick out Sessègnon.

Chasing in vain, Arteta tripped on a surface as crumbly as his team. Initially it seemed Sessègnon had messed up his pass as it evaded Gardner, but it ran perfectly for Larsson.

The former Gunner’s shot from a tight angle struck the base of the post, bounced into Oxlade-Chamberlain, haring back to cover, then the net.

It was another moment of utterly deserved fortune for Martin O’Neill’s Black Cats.