FA Cup
Man United fight back to win, Spurs and Southampton out
Manchester United are to face Fullham in the FA Cup quarter-finals as they continue their quest for at least three trophies this season.
They already won the Carabao Cup last Sunday and still have both The FA Cup and the Europa League in sight.
But they had to fight back on Wednesday to put their dreams on course. Manchester United fought back to overpower West Ham United 3-1 and reach the FA Cup quarter-finals as Premier League Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton suffered shock defeats on Wednesday.
Three days after they won the League Cup, Manchester United trailed to Said Benrahma’s 54th-minute goal at Old Trafford but an own goal by West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd and late strikes from Alejandro Garnacho and Fred sent the hosts into the last eight.
Manchester manager Erik Ten Hag was delighted with his players.
“The resilience from this team and the belief they’re going to win it was magnificent,” the Dutchman told ITV.
West Ham, who have won only once at Old Trafford in their last 22 visits, took advantage of sloppy defending to open the scoring.
Tomas Soucek kept the ball in play on the left touchline and as Manchester United players appealed for a throw-in, the Czech played the ball to Benrahma who fired a shot past David De Gea into the top corner.
United thought they had equalised when Bruno Fernandes found Casemiro with a pin-point free kick, but his headed effort was disallowed for offside.
The game looked set for extra time until Argentine forward Garnacho controlled the ball inside West Ham’s penalty area before curling a shot past keeper Alphonse Areola.
Brazilian Fred added a third and the 12-times FA Cup winners advanced to a sixth-round home tie against Fulham.
“I had a strong feeling that we still could win the game, you saw the belief, there was composure, there was never a moment of panic,” Ten Hag said.
Tottenham suffered a 1-0 loss at Championship side Sheffield United after Iliman Ndiaye scored 11 minutes from time to stun the visitors.
“The performance from all the players was first class and the experienced boys at the back were class too,” Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom told the BBC.
Grimsby Town, 16th in League Two, continued their dream FA Cup run as two penalties by Gavan Holohan knocked out Southampton 2-1 on their own ground and sent the fourth-tier side into the last eight for the first time in 84 years.
Grimsby led 2-0 soon after halftime but Southampton pulled one back through Duje Caleta-Car to ensure a tense finale.
“Just delighted for the players. We kept disciplined. Look at what that means to the support. We turned up, hoping for a miracle and to be in the quarter-final is incredible. It is just a fantastic day,” Grimsby manager Paul Hurst told ITV.
Grimsby are only the sixth team from the fourth tier or below to reach the last eight of the FA Cup since the introduction of the division in 1958-59.
Championship leaders Burnley beat Fleetwood Town 1-0 in the other tie to set up a quarter-final trip to champions Manchester City.
-Reuters
FA Cup quarter-final draw made on Wednesday
- Manchester City v Burnley
- Manchester United v Fulham
- Brighton and Hove Albion v Grimsby Town
- Sheffield United v Blackburn Rovers
Ties to be played between March 17-19
Arsenal survived a genuine scare in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday as they edged past spirited third-tier Mansfield Town 2-1, with Eberechi Eze’s thunderbolt sending the Premier League leaders into the quarter-finals.
Noni Madueke gave Arsenal the lead going into halftime at Field Mill, but Will Evans equalised for Nigel Clough’s Mansfield before Eze scored in the 66th minute to ensure the top-flight side progressed to the last eight.
“Happy to score. I had the space and the opportunity to shoot. So I took it,” Eze told TNT Sports.
“It was a difficult environment to play in. But we did what we had to do and we are through to the next round, which is the important thing.”
Mikel Arteta named a much-changed side, starting teenagers Max Dowman and Marli Salmon, as Arsenal became the first Premier League side to start a competitive game with two players aged 16 or under in any competition.
However, Arteta’s changes nearly backfired as the hosts, feeding off a raucous home crowd, gave Arsenal a genuine fright with aggressive pressing and infectious energy that clearly unsettled the visitors.
“Before the game, the gaffer said, ‘Have a go. We were not expected to win the game, so have a go and enjoy it,” Mansfield forward Rhys Oates said.
“We created more chances than we thought we could, and we have given them a game.”
Dowman, Arsenal’s youngest-ever FA Cup player at 16, emerged as a lively attacking threat as the top-flight side gradually found their rhythm before Madueke broke the deadlock in the 41st minute.
Madueke, who had an initial shot saved, curled a powerful finish into the far corner to give Arsenal their 100th goal of the season in all competitions.
Clough brought on Evans for the second half, and the Welsh striker made an immediate impact, netting five minutes after coming on.
The 28-year-old wrong-footed a second-guessing Cristhian Mosquera before finishing past Kepa Arrizabalaga in Arsenal’s goal.
“It’s typical, isn’t it? For me to have a league goal drought and then come on for a half against Arsenal and have a goal against them,” Evans said.
Arsenal were rattled but recovered and found the winner when substitute Eze made space for himself and fired a powerful shot from the edge of the box to silence the crowd at Field Mill and keep Arsenal’s quadruple bid on track.
-Reuters
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Chelsea’s Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro struck in extra time to secure a nervy 4–2 win over second‑tier Wrexham and reach the FA Cup quarter‑finals on Saturday as the Premier League giants escaped from the Racecourse Ground after a tough battle.
Garnacho volleyed home from close range in the 97th minute with such force that the ball ricocheted off the back stanchion to give Chelsea the lead for the first time on the night.
Wrexham — who lost George Dobson to a 93rd-minute red card — thought they had equalised deep into added time in the extra period when Lewis Brunt headed home, but he was offside. Pedro then sealed Chelsea’s win with a fine goal in the 125th minute.
Sam Smith had put the Championship side ahead in the 18th when he sprinted onto Callum Doyle’s long pass, took a touch and fired past Robert Sanchez. Chelsea equalised with a huge slice of luck when George Thomason’s attempt to clear Garnacho’s shot struck goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo and rolled in.
Wrexham went back in front after 78 minutes when Doyle diverted the ball past Sanchez after Ryan Longman fired it back into the area from a corner. But Josh Acheampong equalised soon after with a blistering shot into the roof of the net after Dobson slipped to send the game into extra time.
-Reuters
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Arsenal will visit League One Mansfield Town, while Manchester City travel to Newcastle United in a mouth-watering all-Premier League tie following the FA Cup fifth round draw on Monday.
Third-tier Mansfield stunned top-flight strugglers Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor on Saturday and have been rewarded with a clash against 14-time winners and Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola’s City face Newcastle in a repeat of one of this season’s League Cup semi-finals, while Premier League bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers host Liverpool.
Brentford head to West Ham United after an own goal away to sixth-tier Macclesfield, who stunned holders Crystal Palace in the last round, giving them a 1-0 win on Monday.
Championship side Wrexham welcome eight-time winners Chelsea, while Fulham entertain Southampton and Leeds United host another second-tier side in Norwich City.
Sunderland face a second successive away trip after being drawn against Port Vale or Bristol City, whose fourth-round tie has been postponed until March 3 due to a waterlogged pitch.
FA Cup fifth round draw
- Fulham v Southampton
- Port Vale or Bristol City v Sunderland
- Newcastle United v Manchester City
- Leeds United v Norwich City
- Mansfield Town v Arsenal
- Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool
- Wrexham v Chelsea
- West Ham United v Brentford
Matches to be played over the weekend of March 7–8
-Reuters
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