FA Cup Fourth Round Replays Review

After a fairly straightforward set of results in the FA Cup fourth round saw no real surprises, there were only two ties forced into a replays with the duo taking place on the 9th/10th Feb.

Tuesday 9th saw West Ham United host Liverpool for the right to face Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round. Both sides fielded mixed sides not too dissimilar to the original tie but this time around there were goals to be had as the Hammers struck an opener just before the interval. Michail Antonio fired in for 1-0 in added time before his effort was cancelled out within three minutes of the restart as Philippe Coutinho swept in a superb free-kick to level at 1-1. The sides remained level until the end of the 90 minutes forcing extra time but with penalties looming for the sides, Angelo Ogbonna headed in to seal a 2-1 win for the hosts and dump the Reds out of the competition.

Wednesday 10th saw League One side Peterborough United host top flight West Bromwich Albion with the plum tie of Reading away awaiting the winners. A tight first half saw the sides remain level past the half-time break before Jon Taylor gave the hosts a surprise lead in the 55th minute. Darren Fletcher fired in a superb equaliser in the 71st minute which let to the sides playing extra time but that failed to separate them. The resulting penalty shoot-out saw two misses from Peterborough which was enough to give the Baggies a win at 4-3.

Foxes Five Clear While Reds Held By Black Cats

The Premier League season seems to be flying by with the first two thirds of the season now complete after gameweek 25 this weekend. A low scoring programme saw just six sides score two or more while just six teams claimed a shut-out.

Saturday's early kick-off saw a battle at the top as title hopefuls Manchester City hosted current league leaders Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium with the Foxes having the chance to open up a five point.gap with a win. Their pursuit of success started with rapid pace as Robert Huth fired them in front inside three minutes and they were in control just three minutes into the second half as the in-form Riyad Mahrez doubled the lead in style. City's day got even worse on the hour mark as Huth headed the Foxes into a stunning 3-0 lead.A perfect afternoon for the table toppers was only dented by an 87th minute strike from Sergio Aguero for 3-1.

In the first of six 3pm games, Aston Villa hosted fellow strugglers Norwich City at Villa Park looking to secure only their third win of the season while the Canaries hoped to end a run of four defeats. The sides looked to be heading into the half-time break on level terms after a tight first 45 minutes but Villa struck in the final seconds as Joleon Lescott put them 1-0 ahead. The Villa faithful had cause to celebrate again just six minutes after the restart as Gabriel Agbonlahor ended a long scoring drought to make it 2-0. Norwich battled to try and cut the deficit but were left to rue on missed chances and slip to a firth loss in a row while Villa cut the gap to safety.

Liverpool hosted struggling Sunderland at Anfield looking to bounce back from their midweek defeat while the Black Cats hoped to close the gap to safety. The build-up to the game included talk of a protest from the home fans in the 77th minute in reference to the reveal of next year's price rises to £77 in the main stand.

The sides remained level into the half-time interval before two goals in 11 minutes either side of the hour put the Reds in control at 2-0 as Roberto Firmino fired in on 59 minutes before a 70th minute effort from Adam Lallana. The proposed protest saw thousands of home fans walk out on 77 minutes and they missed a capitulation from their side as Adam Johnson made it 2-1 on 82 minutes before Jermain Defoe salvaged a 2-2 draw with a minute left of the 90.

Newcastle United hosted West Bromwich Albion at St James Park knowing a win would move them out of the bottom three while the Baggies had the chance to close on the top ten with a victory. The Magpies opened the scoring in the 32nd minute as Aleksandar Mitrovic made it 1-0 and the single goal proved to be enough to secure all three points and move them out of the drop zone.

Stoke City hosted Everton at the Britannia Stadium looking to close on the top half with a first win in four games while the Toffees hoped secure back-to-back wins. The Potters suffered an early blow as they conceded a penalty in the 11th minute which Romelu Lukaku slotted in to open the scoring and the visitors were two goals to the good in the 28th minute as Seamus Coleman out them in control at 2-0. The points were wrapped up just before half-time as Aaron Lennon made it three goals in as many games in the 42nd minute for 3-0.

Swansea City welcomed Crystal Palace to the Liberty Stadium hoping to extend their gap above the bottom three with a win while the Eagles had their eyes on a place in the top half.  Gylfi Sigurdsson put the Swans ahead after just 13 minutes but the visitors drew level just two minutes after half-time as Scott Dann made it two goals in the space of a week as he salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw.

High flying Tottenham Hotspur hosted Watford at White Hart Lane looking to move into second spot while the Hornets looked to remain unbeaten for a third game in a row. The sides played out a tight first half which ended goalless and the score remained 0-0 until just after the hour mark when Kieran Trippier sealed all three points with a 64th minute winner to claim a 1-0 success.

The evening kick-off saw Southampton host West Ham United at St Mary's Stadium with both sides hoping to close up on the top five with a win. The Saints started superbly by taking the lead inside nine minutes with a rare strike from Maya Yoshida before suffering blow nine minutes into the second half with the dismissal of Victor Wanyama. The Hammers battled to draw level but despite having an extra man for over half an hour they were unable to avoid a 1-0 defeat.

Super Sunday began with Bournemouth's hosting of Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium with the Cherries looking to claim back-to-back wins while the Gunners had the chance to move level with Spurs in second. The Cherries were hit by two goals in as many minutes after the 20 minute mark as Mesut Ozil opened the scoring in the 23rd minute before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made it 2-0 within a minute. The Cherries battled to cut the deficit and came close in the second half but were unable to avoid a defeat that left them just five points clear of the drop zone.

The final game of the weekend saw Chelsea host Manchester United at Stamford Bridge with the sides sitting 13th and fifth, a long way from the traditional title challenge that comes with this game. The sides remained level into the half-time interval before United struck an opener just after the hour mark as Jesse Lingard made it 1-0 on 61 minutes. Chelsea left it late to salvage a draw with Diego Costa levelling in the first minute of added time to claim a 1-1 draw.

Foxes Clear On Top After Defeating Reds

After an FA Cup weekend, it was strange to have a full midweek programme in the Premier League but the hectic schedule didn't dampen the results as six sides scored two or more while half the league kept a clean sheet in gameweek 24. Due to a busy week myself, an out of date review is a bit pointless so I will just post the results.

FA Cup Fourth Round Review

After a number of 'cupsets' in the third round, the fourth round draw created the potential for a few more as eight top flight sides faced lower division opponents across a three day weekend.

Friday night saw Championship promotion hopefuls Derby County host top flight Manchester United at the iPro Stadium with the Rams hoping to stage an upset. However, the visitors put a dent in the hosts' hope as they took the lead on 16 minutes through Wayne Rooney but it was all square on 37 minutes as George Thorne made it 1-1 ahead of the interval. United regained the lead through Daley Blind on 65 minutes before sealing a 3-1 win and a place in the fifth round with Juan Mata's 83rd minute effort.

Saturday's early game saw League One side Colchester United hosting top flight Tottenham Hotspur with the hosts hoping to secure a huge 'cupset' that would boost their struggling season so far. They remained level until the 27th minute when Nacer Chadli fired Spurs ahead and the hosts did well to keep the score to just 1-0 long into the second half. However, two goals in 14 minutes put the visitors in complete control with Eric Dier (64) doubling the lead before Chadli's second made it 3-0 on 78 minutes. Colchester claimed a consolation just two minutes later but it came via an own goal from Ben Davies but the goal spree was to be completed a further two minutes later as Tom Carroll sealed a 4-1 win.

Holders Arsenal played host to Championship side Burnley looking to continue their pursuit retaining the trophy for a third season while the Clarets hoped to end the Gunners' streak. A superb opener from Callum Chambers set the Gunners on their way on 19 minutes only for the visitors to draw level through Sam Vokes on the half hour mark for 1-1. The tie was sealed just eight minutes after the restart as fit-again Alexis Sanchez fired in for 2-1.

In a battle between two tof flight sides at opposite ends of the table, Aston Villa hosted Manchester City with Villa looking to take away the focus from the league while City looked for back-to-back cup wins having sealed a League Cup final spot. Villa's afternoon turned bad inside the first four minutes as Kelechi Ihenacho made it 1-0 to City before he added a second from the penalty spot to make it 2-0 in the 24th minute. Villa's only real positive from the game so far was that they kept City out for the next 50 minutes until Ihenacho completed his hat-trick on 74 minutes before Raheem Sterling completed a 4-0 rout just two minutes later.

A Championship face-off saw Bolton Wanderers host Leeds United at the Macron Stadium with both sides eager to extend their cup run to take the the focus of struggling league campaigns. The visitors struck an early opener as Souleymane Doukara made it 1-0 in the eight minute before Toumani Diagouraga doubled the lead on 39 minutes. Bolton struck back late in the second with Darren Pratley's 80th minute strike but it proved to be just a consolation as Leeds reached the next round with a 2-1 win.

League One side Bury played host to Championship side Hull looking to stage a shock against the 2013 runners-up who had there eyes on a potential repeat of their famous run to Wembley. Chuba Akpom put the Tigers ahead in the 14th minute and he doubled the lead in the 57th minute via the penalty spot to leave the hosts with a huge task to avoid defeat but their chase was made even harder as Akpom completed his hat-trick on 69 minutes for 3-0. Bury claimed a consolation via Craig Jones' 86th minute effort for 3-1.

An all-top flight battle took place at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace hosted Stoke City with both looking to extend their cup run after mixed league seasons so far. The tie proved to be a close one with just one goal separating the sides as Wilfred Zaha struck a 19th minute winner to seal a 1-0 success.

Championship side Nottingham Forest hosted top flight Watford hoping to claim a scalp against a side going well in the Premier League. The hosts did well to keep the tie goalless not only into half-time but as the end of the 90 minutes neared, a replay looked on the cards. However, the Hornets had other ideas as Odion Ighalo continued his superb scoring streak with late winner in the 89th minute.

League two side Oxford United hosted Blackburn Rovers hoping to secure back-to-back giant killings after dumping out Swansea City in round three. However, Blackburn took control in the first half with two goals in the final nine minutes of the half as Ben Marshall slotted in a 36th minute penalty before Tony Watt made it 2-0 just before the break. Oxford's hopes of a comeback were dashed midway through the second half as Marshall hit his second to complete a 3-0 win in the 76th minute.

League Two side Portsmouth hosted top flight Bournemouth looking to extend their cup run one step further with a giant killing that would edge them closer to adding to the memories of two finals in the 2000's. However, the Premier League side had other ideas as they sealed a 2-0 win but their place in the next round was not clear as the sides remained at 0-0 long past the hour mark. Josh King put the Cherries ahead in the 71st minute before Marc Pugh confirmed the win seven minutes from the end.

Championship side Reading hosted League One high-fliers Walsall with the Saddlers looking to claim a scalp over their higher placed hosts. The hopes of a 'cupset' were dented late in the first half as Hal Robson-Kanu made it 1-0 in the 37th minute before a Matej Vydra strike on 40 minutes gave the Royals a 2-0 advantage.

Walsall remained in the hunt despite the deficit but were cut adrift on the scoreboard by two goals in the final 15 minutes as Daniel Williams made it 3-0 on 75 minutes before a second from Vydra completed a 4-0 rout.

League One side Shrewsbury Town hosted Sheffield Wednesday hoping to secure back-to-back upsets after dispatching Cardiff City in round three.  Lewis McGugan put the Owls ahead with a 19th minute opener before a leveller from Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro came in the 57th minute. McGugan regained the lead for the visitors on 76 minutes before a late show from the Shrews sealed a famous 3-2 triumph as Shaun Whalley levelled on 87 minutes before an added time winner came from Jack Grimmer.

Top flight West Bromwich Albion hosted League One side Peterborough United at the Hawthorns wary of a potential upset but with hopes of extending their run in the competition. The Baggies struck first with an opener from Saido Berahino in the 14th minute and had to settle for just a single goal lead deep into the second half until Shaquile Coulthirst levelled on 79 minutes. Berahino struck his second goal on 84 minutes to make it 2-1 but the visitors forced a replay just two minutes later as Jon Taylor made it 2-2 and put them into the bag for the fifth round draw.

Saturday's evening game saw a top flight battle between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield with both sides meeting in the competition for the first time since the famous 2006 final. Both managers fielded weakened sides due to the league resuming in midweek but the fringe players brought in did well as they cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw.

Sunday saw a double header of lower league sides hosting top flight sides starting with League Two side Carlisle United hosting Everton in the first game at Brunton Park since the December flood which drowned the stadium under 12ft of water. The Toffees wasted no time in taking control with two goals in the opening 14 minutes with a second minute strike from Arouna Kone added to on 14 minutes by Aaron Lennon's effort.  The tie was wrapped up just after the hour mark as Ross Barkley made it 3-0 in the 65th minute.

The final tie of the weekend saw Championship side Milton Keynes Dons host Chelsea hoping to take advantage of the Blues mixed season so far. The Blues opened the scoring with a strike from Oscar on 15 minutes before a leveller for the hosts came just six minutes later from Darren Potter for 1-1. Chelsea regained the lead with a second from Oscar on 32 minutes before he completed a first half hat-trick in the 44th minute for 3-1. Eden Hazard added a penalty on 55 minutes before Bertrand Traore completed a 5-1 rout in the 62nd minute. 

Capital One Cup Semi Finals Review

After the first legs were both settled by a single goal advantage, the 'Road to Wembley' was far from completed as the four sides faced off in the second legs across Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday night saw Liverpool host Stoke City at Anfield with the Reds looking to reach a 12th League Cup final while the Potters needed to overturn a 1-0 deficit to avoid an exit at the penultimate stage. The Reds look to have completed the first half still ahead in the tie but Stoke had other ideas as Marko Arnautovic put the visitors ahead on the night and levelled the tie at 1-1 on aggregate. The 1-0 lead for Stoke lasted until the end of the 90 minutes meaning a period of extra time which saw the sides remain level going into a penalty shootout.

Both sides made mixed starts but Jon Walters, Glenn Whelan, Ibrahim Affelay, Xherdan Shaqiri and Marco van Ginkel were all on target for Stoke, while Adam Lallana, Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, James Milner and Lucas were successful for Liverpool but the crucial spot kick came from Joe Allen who sealed a 6-5 win in sudden death. 

Wednesday night saw Manchester City host Everton at the Etihad Stadium with City hoping to overturn the Blues' 2-1 advantage from the first leg. The Toffees doubled their aggregate advantage as early as the 18th minute as Ross Barkley bemused the home defence to slot in for 1-0 and 3-1 overall. Fernandinho levelled the score on the night just six minutes later to make it 3-2 overall. The visitors were looking good as their advantage continued deep into the second half but they were soon behind on the night and controversially as Kevin De Bruyne scored from a cross that had come from the ball being out of play and City wrapped a 3-1 win and 4-3 aggregate success in the 76th minute with a Sergio Aguero strike.

Foxes Clear At The Top While Reds Edge Canaries

Ahead of the double resuming of cup action in the form of the Capital One Cup semis and the FA Cup fourth round, Premier League gameweek 23 saw a nine-goal thriller with three other sides scoring three times while just three teams claimed a clean sheet.

Saturday's early game saw Norwich City host Liverpool at Carrow Road with the Canaries hoping to avoid a trilogy of losses while the Reds looked for their first league win of 2016. The Reds made the first breakthrough in the 18th minutes as Roberto Firmino put them one goal to the good but they were soon pegged back by a clever back-heeled effort from Dieumerci Mbokani who equalised on 29 minutes for 1-1.

The Canaries stunned the visitors with two goals either side of the interval with Steven Naismith continuing his scoring streak against the Reds with a debut goal on 41 minutes before Wes Hoolahan tucked away a 54th minute penalty for a 3-1 lead. Liverpool hit back with two strikes in eight minutes from Jordan Henderson (55) and a second for Firmino (63) to level at 3-3. James Milner made it 4-3 to the visitors before an added time leveller from Seb Bassong looked to have salvaged a draw at 4-4. However, Liverpool sealed a stunning win as Adam Lallana fired in with just seconds left of added time to seal a 5-4 win.

In the first of six 3pm's, Crystal Palace hosted Tottenham Hotspur in a London derby at Selhurst Park with the Eagles searching for a first win in five games while Spurs looked for back-to-back successes. The hosts took the lead on the 30 minute mark as Jan Vertonghen deflected into his own net for 1-0 but Harry Kane levelled for the visitors on 63 minutes before a stunning effort from Dele Alli on 84 minutes and a late strike from Nacer Chadli sealed a 3-1 win.


Leicester City hosted Stoke City at the King Power Stadium knowing a win would send them three points clear at the top while the Potters hoped for a second win in three games. The sides looked to be going into half-time all square only for Danny Drinkwater to fire the Foxes in front three minutes before the interval. Jamie Vardy doubled the lead as he ended a barren run in front of goal in the 66th minute and the Foxes wrapped up a comfortable 3-0 win with an 87th minute effort from Leonardo Ulloa.

Manchester United hosted Southampton at Old Trafford looking to close on the top four and also end a run of 10 home games without scoring in the first half while the Saints hoped to claim a third consecutive win. The sides played out a goalless first half meaning United's shocking run of 0-0's at home extended to an 11th game and the home fans were even more upset when Charlie Austin marked his Saints début with the winning goal in the 87th minute to seal a 1-0 success.

Sunderland hosted Bournemouth at the Stadium of Light looking to cut the gap from safety while the Cherries hoped to claim consecutive wins. A great start from the visitors saw them take an early lead with a goal from recent signing Benik Afobe in the 13th minute but the hosts ensured a level score going into the interval with a 45th minute leveller from the in-form Patrick Van Aanholt for 1-1. Both sides pushed for a winner in the second half but had to settle for a share of the points which leaves the hosts four points from safety.

Watford hosted Newcastle United at Vicarage Road desperate to end a run of four defeats while the Magpies harboured hopes of consecutive victories. A tight first half saw the sides remain level into the interval but just seconds after the restart, Watford were ahead as Odion Ighalo fired in for a 1-0 advantage. Craig Cathcart doubled the lead with a rare goal in the 58th minute before Jamaal Lascelles scored his first goal for the Magpies to cut the gap to 2-1 on 71 minutes but the Hornets held on to claim a first win in six.

West Bromwich Albion played host to local rivals Aston Villa in a derby game at The Hawthorns hoping to avoid consecutive losses while Villa had the chance to remain unbeaten for a third game. The sides were hard to part in both the first half and second half as they were evenly matched on the score front, sharing the points in a 0-0 draw.

The evening game saw West Ham United host Manchester City at Upton Park with the chance to move into fifth with a win while for City, a win would close the gap at the top. A perfect start for the hosts saw Enner Valencia fire them into the lead inside the first minute before Sergio Aguero made it 1-1 just eight minutes later from the penalty spot. Valencia regained the Hammers' lead in the 56th minute before a second strike from Aguero sealed a 2-2 draw in the 81st minute. 

Super Sunday began with Everton's hosting of struggling Swansea City at Goodison Park with the Toffees looking for their first win of 2016 while the Swans had hopes of securing consecutive victories. The visitors took the lead with a penalty from Gylfi Sigurdsson in the 17th minute before gifting the hosts a leveller on 26 minutes as Jack Cork deflected into his own net to make it 1-1. The winning goal came on 34 minutes as André Ayew made it 2-1 to the visitors and they held on to move clear of the bottom three.

The final game of the weekend saw a London derby at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal hosted Chelsea hoping to draw level with Leicester at the top while the Blues looked to register a second win in four games. Arsenal were dealt an early blow with the dismissal of defender Per Mertesacker in the 19th minute and were quickly made to pay as Diego Costa fired the visitors into a 1-0 lead within four minutes. The Gunners ten men pushed to draw level but to no avail as they slipped to a first loss in five games leaving them in third spot.

FA Cup Third Round Replays Review

After an weekend of surprises and huge wins in the FA Cup third round earlier in the month, this week saw the replays of ten ties following the rearranged tie between Newport County and Blackburn Rovers.

The aforementioned tie between the League Two and Championship sides took place on Monday night after a waterlogged pitch saw the original postponed, the tie was settled in the 90 minutes as Rovers claimed a 2-1 victory in a game which saw both sides reduced to ten men. Marshall put the visitors ahead with a ninth minute penalty before Brown was sent off just a minute later and County used the extra man in the 30 minute mark as Byrne levelled for 1-1.

Jordan Rhodes sealed the win for the visitors on 75 minutes before County's night ended on a further downer with the late dismissal of Day in the final minutes.

Tuesday night saw eight ties replayed starting with top flight basement boys Aston Villa hosting League Two side Wycombe Wanderers at Villa Park. Alike the original game, the sides were hard to part on the scoreboard in the first hour but Villa showed their superiority in the final 15 minutes with strikes from Ciaran Clark and Idrissa Gueye completing a 2-0 win.

An all League One meeting saw Bradford City host Bury with the sides battling to secure a home tie against Championship side Hull City. A tight game saw the sides remain level at 0-0 at the end both the 90 minutes and the end of 30 minutes of extra time meaning the lucrative fourth round place would be settled in a penalty shoot-out which the visitors won 4-2.

Championship side Bristol City hosted top flight West Bromwich Albion in a battle to secure a home tie against League One side Peterborough United. The sides were separated by just a single goal across the 90 minutes as Baggies record signing Salomon Rondon secured a 1-0 win with a strike in the 52nd minute.

A huge home tie against Premier League champions Chelsea was the prize as Championship side Milton Keynes Dons hosted League Two side Northampton Town. The sides remained level at 0-0 at the end of the first half before two goals in eight minutes put the hosts in control, Reeves converted a 53rd minute penalty ahead of a 61st minute effort from Murphy for 2-0. The win and the chance to welcome Chelsea was confirmed late on as Church converted the Dons second penalty on 89 minutes for 3-0.

League Two side Portsmouth hosted Championship side Ipswich Town with a plum tie at home to top flight Bournemouth at stake. The 2008 winners took the lead in the 32nd minute with a penalty from Roberts before McNulty doubled the lead on 37 minutes to set up a potential 'cupset'. Ipswich pulled one back through Maitland-Niles on the hour but were unable to avoid a surprise exit from the competition with a 2-1 defeat.

Yeovil Town hosted fellow League Two side Carlisle United in a battle to secure a lucrative home tie against top flight Everton. Compton put the hosts ahead in the 31st minute before an equaliser from Sweeney in the 77th minute ensured the sides would continue the battle into extra time. The tie remained at 1-1 meaning the sides would face a penalty shoot-out which saw Carlisle win 5-4.

The lowest ranked and only non-league side left in the competition was Eastleigh and as they travelled to face Championship strugglers Bolton Wanderers,a home tie against Leeds United was just 90 minutes away. Alike the original tie, Eastleigh struck first and this time around it was Partington with an 11th minute strike before two goals in six minutes before half time saw the sides go into the break at 2-2. Bolton levelled through Madine on 39 minutes before a 43rd minute effort from Moxey put the hosts ahead only for Mohamed to level in the final seconds. The tie was settled just before the hour mark as Pratley backed up his late leveller from the 1-1 draw with a 58th minute strike for 3-2.

Tuesday's final tie saw a battle between two Championship sides as Reading hosted Huddersfield Town for the right to host League One promotion hopefuls Walsall.

Huddersfield raced into a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes with strikes from Paterson (8) and Smith (15) before they were reduced to ten men as Hogg as dismissed on 27 minutes before Piazon cut the deficit on 29 minutes.

A brace from Vydra in the 57th and 61st minutes put Reading 3-2 ahead and the tie was wrapped up by two late goals for the home side as Vydra completed his hat-trick ahead of a strike from Iglesias to complete a 5-2 rout.

Wednesday saw two ties starting with the all top flight battle between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur with a trip to League One side Colchester United awaiting in the next round. Tottenham struck an opener in the 39th minute through Son Heung-Min before Nacer Chadli sealed a 2-0 win with a 66th minute strike.

The second tie of the evening saw top flight Liverpool host League Two side Exeter City at Anfield with a home tie against West Ham United, the impetus for the League two side while the Reds would hope to avenge a league double suffered to the Hammers. The Reds fielded a mix of youth and experience which was a bit stronger than the original tie and it was clear early on as Joe Allen made it two goals in three games in the tenth minute. Exeter did well to keep the gap to a single goal long into the second half but were unable to take their chances and Liverpool wrapped up the win with two goals in the final 16 minutes. Academy starlet Sheyi Ojo curled in a superb second on 74 minutes before Joao Teixeira made it 3-0 with six minutes left of the 90.