LONDON (AP)

Arsenal cruised into the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-0 victory over Villarreal yesterday, Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie all scoring to give the Gunners a 4-1 aggregate triumph and a chance to knock out defending champion Manchester United.

After the two teams went into the quarter-final second-leg level at 1-1, Walcott gave Arsenal a 10th-minute lead, Adebayor added the second in the 60th and Van Persie drove home a 69th-minute penalty for a one-sided victory.

Very exciting games

In the semi-final, Arsenal will face Man United for the right to go to the May 27 final in Rome. Man United beat FC Porto 1-0 and advanced 3-2 overall. The other semi-final is Chelsea against Barcelona which means, for the second season in a row, three Premier League teams are in the last four, again with Barcelona.

"It will be a big challenge (to face Manchester United) but we will fancy that," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. "We are excited and will give everything to win. I believe that both teams, Man United and Arsenal, make very exciting games. Both teams like to go forward. We will be up for the challenge and it will be very interesting.

Villarreal arrived at the Emirates without captain and star midfielder Marcos Senna, who scored in the first leg but was ruled out of the game with a hamstring injury."

But Arsenal's patched-up defence got even weaker when Bacary Sagna was ruled out with a virus on the day of the game to join goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and defenders William Gallas, Johan Djourou and Gael Clichy on the sidelines.

Arsenal struggled in the early stages of the second half but scored another fine goal to make it 2-0 in the 60th.

Fabregas' well-placed header found Van Persie unmarked in midfield and the Dutchman slid the ball diagonally to Adebayor who had only the goalkeeper to beat for his ninth goal in his last nine Champions League games.

Penalty kick

Arsenal made it 3-0 in the 69th when Godin upended Walcott just inside the area on the right. Eguren angrily disputed the decision and was sent off by German referee Wolfgang Stark for his second yellow card before Van Persie blasted the penalty kick past the 'keeper.

Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini admitted his team could not complain about the defeat.

"They were better than us. At 2-0 we still had a chance but it was very difficult to come back," the Chilean coach said.