FA Cup
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS, ARSENAL KNOCKED OUT OF FA CUP
Holders Arsenal bowed out of the FA Cup in the fourth round as Gabriel’s first-half own goal condemned them to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Southampton on Saturday (Jan 23).
The Gunners’ defence of the trophy they won by beating Chelsea last August ended with something of a whimper as Mikel Arteta’s side struggled with repeatedly sloppy defending.
Southampton deservedly took the lead in the 24th minute when Kyle Walker-Peters drilled a low cross into the area and Gabriel inadvertently touched it past keeper Bernd Leno.
Arsenal could have fallen further behind with home striker Danny Ings going close for the hosts on several occasions.
The visitors did apply some second-half pressure but Southampton were comfortable as they held on to set up a fifth-round clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It was Southampton’s first FA Cup win over Arsenal, and the first time they had beaten Cup holders since 1902. “We had in the first half more punch and more power,” Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said. “In the second half it’s normal they have a lift. We must make the second goal. We made one or two chances – Shane Long should have got a penalty.
“It was a good team performance today.”
With a busy Premier League spell coming up, including another trip to Southampton in midweek, Arteta made some changes with the likes of Alexander Lacazette, Bukayo Saka and Thomas Partey among those on the bench.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was also missing from the squad for personal reasons.
But that was no excuse for a lacklustre first half in which Southampton’s pressing game proved too much for the visitors.
Southampton’s goal was a case in point. Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny was hounded into conceding possession, Southampton then switched play to the right with James Ward-Prowse feeding Walker-Peters whose cross was diverted in by a sliding Gabriel.
It was the first goal the Gunners had conceded since Boxing Day.
Ings hit the woodwork shortly after the break, although his effort would have been offside, before Arsenal finally began to offer some attacking threat.
Arteta sent on Partey and Saka and shortly afterwards they had their best chance when Rob Holding side-footed over the bar when a cross from Hector Bellerin fell kindly for him.
Eddie Nketiah blazed a late chance wide for Arsenal to leave Arteta frustrated at a first loss in seven games. “Really sad to be out of the competition. Disappointed to be out and the way we conceded,” the Spaniard said.
-Reuters
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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