( CNN ) -- Two of Europe 's biggest clubs staged dramatic comebacks on Tuesday as Arsenal rallied from 4-0 down to beat Reading 7-5 in the English League Cup while struggling Italian heavyweights AC Milan drew 2-2 at Palermo in Serie A . The results will have different impacts for both coaches , with manager Arsene Wenger 's position seemingly safe at Arsenal while Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri will continue to face pressure as his side 's indifferent form goes on . In Tuesday 's only top-flight league game in Italy , Palermo led 2-0 shortly after halftime whereupon the under-fire Allegri changed his tactical plan to good effect , switching from his favored 3-5-2 to a 4-2-3-1 while also introducing Bojan Krkic as a substitute . The former Barcelona player had an instant impact , teeing up a goal for Riccardo Montolivo before Stephan El Shaarawy leveled the game 10 minutes from time , with the 20-year-old 's seventh league goal of the season taking him to the top of the scoring charts . The point bought Allegri a little more breathing space as the seven-time European champions moved into the top half of the table , yet they still trail league leaders and old rivals Juventus by 14 points with just a quarter of the season gone . With Allegri 's position under constant scrutiny and club president -- and former Italian Prime Minister -- Silvio Berlusconi having been sentenced to four years in prison for tax evasion , the start to Milan 's season has been anything but easy . Wenger has also been criticized after mixed recent results , and his team -- featuring 11 changes from Saturday 's hard-fought win over lowly Queens Park Rangers -- went 4-0 down after just 37 minutes against another team stuck in the Premier League 's relegation zone . Seconds before halftime , Theo Walcott scored the first goal of a special hat-trick , with his second coming six minutes into stoppage time to force extra-time . The England international 's his 120th-minute goal gave Arsenal a 6-5 lead , which was later extended by Morocco striker Marouane Chamakh 's second of the match . `` The first set is for us , it was a tennis game today , '' joked Wenger afterwards . `` There were so many turning points . The goal to make it 4-1 just before halftime was important , as was the miracle goal in the ( 90th ) minute . '' Wenger was forced to face disgruntled supporters at a stormy annual general meeting last week , where many fans were unhappy to hear him place qualification for the UEFA Champions League above winning a trophy . The Gunners have failed to pick up any silverware since 2005 but they have now made it into the quarterfinals of the League Cup , on a night when fellow Premier League sides Sunderland , Wigan and Southampton all exited the competition . Meanwhile , Reading became the first team to score five goals in a non-qualifying round of either the League Cup or FA Cup and lose a game . Meanwhile , Spanish league leaders Barcelona began the defense of their Copa del Rey title with a 3-0 victory at third division team Deportivo Alaves . Regular first-teamers David Villa , Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas scored in the first-leg tie , while fellow La Liga side Valencia won 2-0 at Llagostera . German Cup holders Borussia Dortmund reached the third round with a 4-1 win at second division Aalen , while fellow Bundesliga sides Schalke , Freiburg and Mainz also went through .
Arsenal stage stunning rally as they come from 4 - 0 down to beat Reading 7 - 5 in League Cup . Milan trail 1 - 0 at home before drawing 2 - 2 as coach Ferguson continues to feel confident . Stephan El Shaarawy 's late strike takes him to top of Serie A scoring charts with 7 goals . Barcelona and Dortmund win opening games of their Spanish and German Cup campaigns .