Arsenal, Manchester United through to FA Cup fourth round
Arsenal, which has lifted the FA Cup a record 14 times, has failed to progress to the fourth round just once in the last quarter of a century.
Published : Jan 10, 2021 08:31 IST
Arsenal and Everton required extra-time winners to reach the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, while sixth-tier side Chorley beat a Derby County team severely weakened by a COVID-19 outbreak.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal was held scoreless for 90 minutes by Newcastle United and it took a super finish from Emile Smith-Rowe to break the deadlock 19 minutes into extra time, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang adding a second eight minutes later.
Everton's Abdoulaye Doucoure also scored an extra-time winner as they edged second tier Rotherham United 2-1 in another absorbing tie.
After 90 minutes the score at Goodison Park was level at 1-1 with Cenk Tosun's first Everton goal since Nov. 2019 cancelled out by a 56th minute strike from lowly Championship (second-tier) side Rotherham's American right back Matthew Olosunde.
But three minutes into extra time the Premier League side got the decisive goal when substitute Doucoure latched onto Colombia playmaker James Rodriguez's precise through ball before sliding it past helpless goalkeeper Jamal Blackman.
Manchester United got off to a great start when Scott McTominay headed them into a fifth-minute lead against Watford but little else went its way as it hung on to win 1-0 at Old Trafford.
In the absence of first-team players and interim manager Wayne Rooney, a youthful Derby County side were defeated 2-0 at National League North outfit Chorley.
The COVID-19 outbreak at Derby meant nine of the starting 11 were making debuts and the visitors fell behind when Connor Hall put Chorley ahead in the first half before Mike Calveley added a second in the 84th to secure a maiden fourth round berth.
BLADES FINALLY WIN
Premier League basement side Sheffield United celebrated its first win in all competitions in six months by coming out on top in a five-goal thriller at Bristol Rovers.
League One's Bristol Rovers equalised for the second time through Max Ehmer in the 62nd minute at Memorial Stadium, only for United to make it 3-2 after 54 seconds through Jayden Bogle's second goal in three matches.
The result ended a dismal run of form for Chris Wilder's United, whose last win in a competitive game came on July 11 when they beat Chelsea in the Premier League.
Burnley striker Matej Vydra snatched a stoppage time equaliser to force extra time at Turf Moor before the hosts edged third-tier Milton Keynes Dons 4-3 in a penalty shootout. READ:
Fellow Premier League struggler West Bromwich Albion was also forced to the distance at Blackpool but Sam Allardyce's side went down 3-2 on penalties.
James Justin's sublime curling shot from the edge of the box found the top corner and set Leicester City on their way to an emphatic 4-0 victory over second-tier Stoke City.
Wycombe Wanderers, which is rooted to the bottom of the Championship, found the net three times in the opening 25 minutes and went on to claim a 4-1 win over fellow second division side Preston North End.
Millwall's Danish striker Kenneth Zohore and defender Shaun Hutchinson led the Championship side to a 2-0 win over fifth-tier third-round debutants Boreham Wood, while Nottingham Forest beat Cardiff City 1-0 with an early goal by striker Lyle Taylor.
Luton Town beat Reading 1-0 in another all-Championship clash to reach the fourth round for the first time since the 2012-13 season thanks to midfielder George Moncur.