Gary Neville was sent off in the second half at Oakwell, following on from fellow defender Nemanja Vidic in the defeat by Liverpool on Sunday.

Neville's dismissal was the only downside for United who secured their passage thanks to goals from Danny Welbeck and Michael Owen, his third of the season.

Tom Huddlestone and Robbie Keane got Tottenham dreaming of Cup glory again after reaching the quarter-finals thanks to a 2-0 win over Everton at White Hart Lane.

Spurs reached the final of the competition in the last two seasons, winning it in 2008, and they are two ties from Wembley again after Huddlestone's thunderbolt volley and Keane following up his own saved penalty.

They still needed saves from Heurelho Gomes at the start of each half to extend Everton's run of matches without a win to five.

Frederic Piquionne provided the inspiration as Portsmouth stormed into the quarter-finals by demolishing Stoke 4-0 at Fratton Park.

The worst scoring record in the Barclays Premier League may have left Pompey rooted to the foot of the table, but they have few problems hitting the target in the cup.

Piquionne struck twice and set up another for Danny Webber before Kanu completed the rout to make it 11 goals from their three matches in the competition this season.

Blackburn booked their place in the quarter-finals with a comfortable 5-2 win over 10-man Peterborough at Ewood Park.

Peterborough initially made life difficult as Chris Whelpdale equalised Martin Gamst Pedersen's early opener, but goalkeeper Joe Lewis was sent off just before half-time for clattering Pedersen and Steven Reid slotted home the spot-kick.

Posh managed a second equaliser through George Boyd just after half-time, but Rovers soon made the difference in numbers tell with Michel Salgado, a Benni McCarthy penalty and Nicola Kalinic completing a comprehensive victory.

Brad Guzan emerged as the Aston Villa hero as Martin O'Neill's men secured their place in the quarter-finals at Sunderland's expense.

The American, an understudy to Brad Friedel at club and international level, saved Kenwyne Jones' late penalty to take the game to extra-time and ultimately penalties.

And he maintained his excellence by saving three of Sunderland's four spot-kicks in the shoot-out with Ashley Young converting the clincher to send Villa into the last eight.

The Wearsiders will feel hard done by but they only have themselves to blame after squandering some gilt-edged chances, none more presentable than that which fell to Kieran Richardson in the closing minutes of the extra period.

Having burst clean through, the former Manchester United midfielder should have scored but hammered his shot straight into the chest of Guzan.

Manchester United 2 (Welbeck 6, Owen 59)
Barnsley 0

Portsmouth 4 (Piquionne 17, 59, Webber 55, Kanu 81)
Stoke 0

Blackburn 5 (Pederson 4, Reid 45pen, Salgado 57, McCarthy 72, Kalinic 74pen)
Peterborough 2 (Whelpdale 17, Boyd 50)

Tottenham 2 (Huddlestone 31, Keane 57)
Evertone 0

Sunderland 0
Aston Villa 0