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This weekend we witnessed the 4th round of the FA Cup. And what a round it was! The oldest association football competition lived up to its billing as an uncompromising knockout tournament, with no less than five top-flight teams exiting the competition to lower league opponents. Not all these victories could be dubbed as ‘flukes’, for these teams from the lower echelons of English football displayed impressive grit and courage to pull off results which will be fondly remembered in these clubs’ history – a testament to the fact that the difference between the different stratum of English football is decreasing year on year. After most of the matches went according to script on Saturday (barring the odd upset or two), it was certainly ‘Shocking Sunday’ as three of the Premier League heavyweights were upstaged on their road to the Wembley.
In what was certainly one of the biggest upsets of the round, Liverpool succumbed to a 3-2 loss to Oldham, a team struggling in the 17th place in the third tier of English football, 56 places below their illustrious opponents. Defensive blunders cost Liverpool dear as a makeshift backline and a 2nd choice goalkeeper shipped in 3 goals. Despite goals from Suarez and Allen and a siege on the Latics penalty box in the second half, Liverpool could not save themselves the embarrassment of coming second best at a rain swept Boundary Park.
Once regarded a formidable opposition in English football, 2nd division Leeds United took another major scalp as they sent Spurs packing in the 4th round of the FA Cup. Goals from Luke Varney and Ross McCormack gave them a 2-0 lead before Clint Dempsey headed one back for the Lilywhites. The Yorkshire side hung on till the end to record a victory – a throwback to the old days when such a result would have been considered the norm rather than the exception.
Rafael Benitez would be thankful to Fernando Torres after the Spaniard slotted home an 83rd minute equaliser to level the match at 2 apiece. This was after Marcello Trotta had fired Brentford into the lead only to be pegged back by an Oscar curler. Harry Forrester had restored the lead with a 72nd minute penalty. Benitez was forced to call on the big guns in Mata and Ba in search for an equaliser. However, it was the much derided £50m acquisition who handed the Blues a lifeline with a superbly curled goal and took the tie into a rematch to be played at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester United continued their fine Premier League form as they cruised to a comfortable 4-1 victory versus Fulham at Old Trafford. Mark Clattenburg awarded a penalty after 70 seconds which Ryan Giggs duly buried in the bottom corner and the Red Devils never looked back. A 16-minute spell in the second half saw United rattle in 3 goals and put the result beyond any reasonable doubt.
In another pulsating encounter, Arsenal got the better of Championship side Brighton as Oliver Giroud struck a fine brace and did his bit to fill in a part of the Robin Van Persie sized hole in the final third for the Gunners. Arsene Wenger’s men took the lead twice through the Frenchman only to be pegged back by a fine attacking Brighton side, who, at times, outpassed and stretched their illustrious visitors. A Theo Walcott shot took a wicked deflection and ended in the back of the net in the 85th minute to settle the tie. Brighton can take heart from their impressive display and perhaps it won’t be long before we see them slugging it out in the top flight.
Pablo Zabaleta struck late in the second half as Manchester City overcame a resilient Stoke City side in a trick tie at the Britannia Stadium. The tale of two Cities was not as riveting as some would have hoped and it looked to be heading for a dull scoreless draw and a rematch before the Argentinean scored in the 84th minute.
Norwich City wrote their names into the history books of infamy with an ignominious 0-1 home defeat against non-league Luton Town. Scott Rendell’s 80th minute strike meant that Luton became the first non-league (fifth tier of English football) team to knock a top-flight side out of the FA Cup for the first time since the inception of the Premier League in 1992.
Third tier MK Dons recorded an impressive top flight scalp as they hammered a hapless QPR side in a 4th round clash at Loftus Road. At one point, MK Dons were up 4-0 before two goals in the last ten minutes for the Rangers put a semblance of respectability to the scoreline. The silver lining for Harry Redknapp is that he will have no distractions as his team battle to preserve their top flight status.
Seems like Tuesday’s Carling Cup defeat to Bradford City can no more be termed as an aberration as Villa slumped to yet another defeat to lower league opposition as they were unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup by championship side Millwall. A late John Marquis strike sealed the tie as the Lions came back from a goal down to record a memorable victory.
Bolton Wanderers 1-2 Everton
Derby County 0-3 Blackburn Rovers
Huddersfield Town 1-1 Leicester City
Hull City 0-1 Barnsley
Macclesfield Town 0-1 Wigan Athletic
Middlesbrough 2-1 Aldershot Town
Reading 4-0 Sheffield United
The draw for the 5th round of the FA Cup took place on Sunday right after the Oldham – Liverpool match got over. And here are the results of the draw which will take place over February 16 and 17:
