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Eduardo scored a brace almost a year since breaking his leg to help Arsenal cruise past a lacklustre Cardiff in their FA Cup fourth-round replay.
The Croatia striker missed a header and a cheeky lob before grabbing the opener, nodding in Carlos Vela's cross.
Nicklas Bendtner doubled the lead when he headed in Samri Nasri's corner, before Eduardo scored from the spot after he was felled by Gavin Rae.
Robin Van Persie fired a fourth past the impressive goalkeeper Tom Heaton.
The Gunners will now face Burnley at the Emirates on the weekend of 7/8 March with the winner of that tie at home to Sheffield United or Hull in the quarter-finals.
It was three weeks since Cardiff produced a fantastic display to hold Arsenal to a goalless draw at Ninian Park, but despite being undefeated in 13 league and cup games before tonight, they lacked composure and belief in all departments on Monday.
With the Gunners unbeaten in 11 games but having scored once in four games before tonight's Cup tie, manager Arsene Wenger will have been delighted to see striker Eduardo da Silva in action again.
The 25-year-old Croat made his long-awaited comeback since fracturing his left fibula and dislocating his ankle after a tackle by Birmingham's Martin Taylor in February 2008.
The hosts were in full flow from the first whistle and came close to scoring three times in the opening eight minutes.
An unmarked Nicklas Bendtner headed a Bakarin Sagna cross narrowly wide and then Cardiff had their on-loan keeper from Manchester United Heaton - in for Peter Enckelman - to thank for thwarting the rampant Arsenal attack.
Heaton palmed away a Vela pile-driver from 30 yards, before saving the follow-up from Bendtner. One minute later the keeper's gloves were in action again as they pushed away a William Gallas header.
Five minutes after a missed header and a cheeky lob from the halfway line, Eduardo grabbed the opener on 19 minutes after starting and finishing a fine move.
Eduardo poked the ball through to Vela, a real menace down the left throughout, who crossed into the box for his Brazilian-born team-mate to nod into the top corner.
Nasri almost doubled the lead after steaming through to the edge of the box and firing in a swerving shot that Heaton nearly mis-read but he was eventually able to smother the ball.
The Emirates crowd did not have to wait long for the second. An in-swinging corner from Nasri found Bendtner rising at the front post who glanced his header inside the left post.
It was a miracle last year's FA Cup runners-up were not three behind at the interval with Bendtner guilty of a shocking miss.
Seconds after Heaton denied Vela, the ball fell to Bendtner who could only hit the post, but still he had a chance to tuck in the rebound but Heaton's heroic arms denied him brilliantly.
Lukasz Fabianski had his first work to do in the Arsenal goal just before the hour after saving comfortably a 25-yard blast from Jay Bothroyd.
Two minutes later Eduardo was celebrating his team's third, converting a penalty he himself had earned after being clumsily bundled over by Rae. Eduardo's ensuing hugs with the Arsenal medical staff was a touching moment.
Eduardo's efforts were rewarded with an early breather 25 minutes from the end, replaced by Van Persie.
Apart from a free-kick by top scorer Ross McCormack deflected over the bar, Cardiff continued to be devoid of ideas and manager Dave Jones threw on Darcy Blake, Peter Whittingham and Riccardo Scimeca to inject some creativity.
Van Persie completed the demolition two minutes from the end, blasting in from the edge of the box after a pass from Bendtner, and the Dutchman headed against the post with the final action of the game.
The Croatia striker missed a header and a cheeky lob before grabbing the opener, nodding in Carlos Vela's cross.
Nicklas Bendtner doubled the lead when he headed in Samri Nasri's corner, before Eduardo scored from the spot after he was felled by Gavin Rae.
Robin Van Persie fired a fourth past the impressive goalkeeper Tom Heaton.
The Gunners will now face Burnley at the Emirates on the weekend of 7/8 March with the winner of that tie at home to Sheffield United or Hull in the quarter-finals.
It was three weeks since Cardiff produced a fantastic display to hold Arsenal to a goalless draw at Ninian Park, but despite being undefeated in 13 league and cup games before tonight, they lacked composure and belief in all departments on Monday.
With the Gunners unbeaten in 11 games but having scored once in four games before tonight's Cup tie, manager Arsene Wenger will have been delighted to see striker Eduardo da Silva in action again.
The 25-year-old Croat made his long-awaited comeback since fracturing his left fibula and dislocating his ankle after a tackle by Birmingham's Martin Taylor in February 2008.
The hosts were in full flow from the first whistle and came close to scoring three times in the opening eight minutes.
An unmarked Nicklas Bendtner headed a Bakarin Sagna cross narrowly wide and then Cardiff had their on-loan keeper from Manchester United Heaton - in for Peter Enckelman - to thank for thwarting the rampant Arsenal attack.
Heaton palmed away a Vela pile-driver from 30 yards, before saving the follow-up from Bendtner. One minute later the keeper's gloves were in action again as they pushed away a William Gallas header.
Five minutes after a missed header and a cheeky lob from the halfway line, Eduardo grabbed the opener on 19 minutes after starting and finishing a fine move.
Eduardo poked the ball through to Vela, a real menace down the left throughout, who crossed into the box for his Brazilian-born team-mate to nod into the top corner.
Nasri almost doubled the lead after steaming through to the edge of the box and firing in a swerving shot that Heaton nearly mis-read but he was eventually able to smother the ball.
The Emirates crowd did not have to wait long for the second. An in-swinging corner from Nasri found Bendtner rising at the front post who glanced his header inside the left post.
It was a miracle last year's FA Cup runners-up were not three behind at the interval with Bendtner guilty of a shocking miss.
Seconds after Heaton denied Vela, the ball fell to Bendtner who could only hit the post, but still he had a chance to tuck in the rebound but Heaton's heroic arms denied him brilliantly.
Lukasz Fabianski had his first work to do in the Arsenal goal just before the hour after saving comfortably a 25-yard blast from Jay Bothroyd.
Two minutes later Eduardo was celebrating his team's third, converting a penalty he himself had earned after being clumsily bundled over by Rae. Eduardo's ensuing hugs with the Arsenal medical staff was a touching moment.
Eduardo's efforts were rewarded with an early breather 25 minutes from the end, replaced by Van Persie.
Apart from a free-kick by top scorer Ross McCormack deflected over the bar, Cardiff continued to be devoid of ideas and manager Dave Jones threw on Darcy Blake, Peter Whittingham and Riccardo Scimeca to inject some creativity.
Van Persie completed the demolition two minutes from the end, blasting in from the edge of the box after a pass from Bendtner, and the Dutchman headed against the post with the final action of the game.
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