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
The first weekend of semi-automated offside decisions in English soccer descended into confusion on Saturday as Bournemouth had a goal ruled out after a record eight-minute VAR check.
Bournemouth, who eventually beat Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties in the FA Cup fifth round after a 1-1 draw, thought they had doubled their lead when defender Milos Kerkez scored in the 35th-minute goal.
However, new technology could not be used because the six-yard area was too crowded and VAR officials had to revert to manually drawing lines before disallowing the goal.
Fellow defender Dean Huijsen was adjudged to have been in an offside position as Kerkez’s effort brushed his shoulder before going in to the net.
The VAR check was further complicated as VAR officials Timothy Wood and Darren England also had to also examine the possibility of hand balls prior to the tight offside call.
Both sets of fans voiced their disapproval at the interminable wait, chanting “it’s not football any more” and “this is embarrassing”.
Referee Sam Barrott, who eventually announced the decision to the crowd via a microphone, had to explain to the respective managers and players what was happening during the delay.
-Reuters
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FA Cup giant-killers Plymouth Argyle drew Premier League champions Manchester City on Monday as the second-tier side’s fifth-round reward for a shock defeat of Liverpool at the weekend.
Holders Manchester United will host Fulham at Old Trafford in one of at least three all-Premier League clashes, with League Cup finalists Newcastle United at home to top-tier rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.
Bournemouth will host Wolverhampton Wanderers in another all-top-flight encounter.
Struggling Plymouth caused one of the great upsets of the FA Cup on Sunday when they beat a second-string Liverpool 1-0, ending the Premier League leaders’ hopes of a quartet of trophies this season.
The Pilgrims are bottom of the Championship but City, who reached the fifth round with a 2-1 win at third-tier Leyton Orient on Saturday after going behind early on, have been misfiring this season.
There will be a fourth all-Premier League clash if Nottingham Forest avoid trouble at League One (third tier) Exeter City on Tuesday, with Ipswich Town awaiting the winners.
Aston Villa, who ended Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes on Sunday, host second tier Cardiff City.
The fifth round matches will be played on the weekend of March 1 and 2.
Last 16 draw:
- Preston North End v Burnley
- Aston Villa v Cardiff City
- Doncaster Rovers or Crystal Palace v Millwall
- Manchester United v Fulham
- Newcastle United v Brighton & Hove Albion
- Bournemouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle
-Reuters
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A much-changed Liverpool were dumped out of the FA Cup by struggling second-tier side Plymouth Argyle, who pulled off a stunning 1-0 fourth-round win at Home Park on Sunday that put an end to the visitors’ hopes of a quadruple.
The hosts took the lead in the 53rd minute after they were awarded a penalty for a handball by midfielder Harvey Elliott and Ryan Hardie stepped up to send Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher the wrong way.
Premier League leaders Liverpool were bereft of ideas and had just one shot on target in the opening half, with Plymouth keeper Conor Hazard making a diving save in the 36th minute to keep out James McConnell’s long-range shot.
Ahead of the Merseyside derby against Everton on Wednesday, Liverpool made wholesale changes with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Alexis Mac Allister among the big-names rested and left at home.
Liverpool, who were also forced into an early change when defender Joe Gomez went down injured, failed to create many chances in a scrappy encounter as Plymouth, who sit bottom of the second-tier Championship, gradually grew in confidence.
Arne Slot’s side switched gears after going down but Hazard proved to be the hero for Plymouth as the Northern Irishman brilliantly kept out Diogo Jota’s volley in added time, as well as a header from Darwin Nunez.
With Liverpool top of the Premier League, having strolled into the Champions League’s last 16 and reached the League Cup final, some fans and pundits had begun to speculate about a potential quadruple.
Plymouth’s remarkable victory, however, brought a shuddering halt to talk of clean sweep of silverware for Slot’s side, who had only lost three games all season, prior to Sunday.
Meanwhile, there was no surprise in the other FA Cup fourth-round tie with Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers beating second-tier Championship side Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at Ewood Park.
There was little to separate the two teams in the opening minutes before Wolves hit Blackburn with two rapid-fire goals through midfielder Joao Gomes in the 33rd minute and seconds later via forward Matheus Cunha.
Blackburn defender Dominic Hyam had the ball in the back of the net in the 19th minute, but his celebrations were cut short when the linesman’s flag went up for offside.
-Reuters
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