London, Jan 20 - Leeds United pushed Arsenal to the limits, but it was the Premier League side who ran out 3-1 winners in the FA Cup third-round replay.

Arsenal seemed to be cruising after goals from Samir Nasri and Bacary Sagna, but a thunderbolt from Bradley Johnson reawakened Leeds's hopes.

Robin van Persie sealed Arsenal's passage to the fourth round with quarter of an hour remaining.

Arsenal were ahead inside five minutes. Laurent Koscielny won possession about 10 yards inside his own half, and nudged the ball left for Keiron Gibbs.

The left-back swept a low pass forward for Marouane Chamakh, who spread the ball to Andrey Arshavin.

The Moroccan forward then allowed the return pass to roll under his foot, opening space for Nasri, who ran on, held off two challenges and slipped a low finish past Kasper Schmeichel in the Leeds goal.

They could easily have been 2-0 up four minutes later, and Schmeichel made a superb reflex save to keep out a Chamakh header.

From then on, it merely seemed a matter of how many Arsenal would score. Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner both just failed to get the finishing touch to crosses driven across the six-yard box.

The second did arrive on 34 minutes, Sagna thrashing a shot from the angle of the box that Schmeichel got a hand to but couldn't keep out.

If anything, the strike that followed three minutes later was even better, Bradley Johnson rifling the ball into the top corner from 25 yards.

There were chances at either end in an engrossing second half, but Robin Van Persie settled the tie with 15 minutes remaining, rising unmarked to head in Bendtner's cross.

Arsenal face Huddersfield Town in the fourth round. (dpa)