LONDON (AFP) - Alvaro Morata scored twice as holders Chelsea began their FA Cup defence with a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in a match where a tearful Cesc Fabregas appeared to bid farewell to English football.
The third round is the stage where top-flight clubs enter the world’s oldest senior knockout football tournament and has traditionally been associated with upsets.
But there was only one "giant-killing" on Saturday (Jan 5) with third-tier Gillingham beating Premier League Cardiff 1-0.
Championship side Bristol City defeated top flight basement club Huddersfield by the same score thanks to Josh Brownhill’s 72nd-minute goal and Crystal Palace left it late to see off fourth-tier Grimsby 1-0.
Meanwhile, second division Derby, managed by former England midfielder Frank Lampard, came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Premier League strugglers Southampton.
Newcastle were also held to a draw, a Matt Ritchie penalty five minutes from time ensuring a 1-1 result against Championship club Blackburn.
But Arsenal, the record 13-times FA Cup winners, won 3-0 at Blackpool.
Both Morata and Fabregas have been linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window – the latter is reportedly set to join a Monaco side managed by former Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry.
Captain for the day Fabregas saw his poor 30th-minute penalty saved by Luke Steele but two goals in the space of 10 minutes in the second half from the previously misfiring Morata, settled the tie.
‘Fantastic Cesc’
Chelsea coach Carlo Cudicini, taking press questions instead of manager Mauricio Sarri, was uncertain when asked if Fabregas had played his last game for the Blues.
“I personally don’t know,†he said.
“He (Fabregas) has been fantastic for the teams he played for before us and the contribution he has given to this club and to this team has been amazing. Cesc is a top, top player.â€Â
Cardiff conceded eight minutes from time when midfielder Elliott List scored for south-east club Gillingham.
“We wouldn’t have scored in a million years,†admitted Neil Warnock, the Cardiff manager.
Delighted Gills boss Steve Lowell, born in Swansea – Cardiff’s arch Welsh rivals – added: “I haven’t played against many Premiership teams before so it’s got to be the best, hasn’t it? It’s a great result.â€
Southampton were cruising following Nathan Redmond goals early in each half but Derby hit back with two in quick succession after the hour mark through Jack Marriott and Tom Lawrence.
Everton eventually saw off fourth-tier Lincoln 2-1 at Goodison Park as Ademola Lookman and Bernard put the Toffees 2-0 up by the 14th minute but the hosts pulled a goal back in the 28th minute with Michael Bostwick’s effort.
Â
Â
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enjoyed a fifth successive win since becoming interim manager of Manchester United following the dismissal of Jose Mourinho with a 2-0 win over Reading.
United, last season’s losing finalists, scored twice before half-time, through Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku.
“You can’t ask for more than going through but the way we played wasn’t the best,†Solskjaer told the BBC.
Marko Arnautovic helped West Ham beat Championship club Birmingham 2-0 scoring in the second minute but was substituted after 19 minutes by manager Manuel Pellegrini.
“He felt a pain in his back at the beginning,†said Pellegrini. “He wanted to continue after that, but it was not good to take a risk.â€Â
Andy Carroll, the man who replaced Arnautovic, made it 2-0 in the 90th minute with his first goal since April.
Elsewhere, an all-Premier League clash saw Brighton win 3-1 away to south coast rivals Bournemouth.
Premier League strugglers Burnley needed a late penalty from Chris Wood to see off third-tier Barnsley 1-0.
Bizarre build up
Arsenal had a bizarre build-up to their tie when a Blackpool fan climbed onto the roof of the coach taking the squad to Bloomfield Road.
Eventually, after being spoken to by police officers, the man came down off the roof after some 40 minutes before he was arrested.
Joel Willock, one of four teenagers in Arsenal’s side, scored twice before half-time, with Alex Iwobi added a third goal late on.
“We imposed our quality on the game and it was good to see the young players do well today as well,†said Arsenal manager Unai Emery after his FA Cup debut.
League One leaders Portsmouth, the 2008 FA Cup winners, needed an Andre Green stoppage-time goal in a 1-0 victory away to Championship high-flyers Norwich, down to 10 men after Grant Haley’s early red card.
Liverpool, the Premier League leaders, play Wolves at Anfield on Monday.
Tottenham Hotspur became the first club into the fourth round this season with a 7-0 rout of fourth-tier Tranmere on Friday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is aiming to reintroduce the fearless football that Manchester United played under Sir Alex Ferguson. Solskjaer, who scored 91 goals in 235 Premier League appearances as a striker for United, has taken charge at Old Trafford until the end of the season. His first match on
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer aims cheeky dig at Liverpool - The
Football. Manchester United. Wolverhampton Wanderers. Hungry Wolves beat 10-man Manchester United 2-1, again. Wolves quickly settled down on a cold and raucous night at Molineux and began
Hungry Wolves beat 10-man Manchester United 2-1 - Football
Sichuan Jiuniu, its latest addition, are based in the western Chinese metropolis of Chengdu, and play their home games at the Chengdu Longquanyi Football Stadium. Chinese football was buoyed by an influx of funds and foreign stars after President Xi Jinping, who visited Manchester City in 2015, outlined ambitions to turn the world's most
Feisty encounter expected between Home United and Young Lions
Signs of Manchester United revival in loss to City: Wes Brown
The citizens groups are livid that despite all their lobbying for the past four years, the central government's decision on the Metro route has given their areas a miss.
Iran coach Carlos Queiroz barred from leaving country over
Reds must play own game: Klopp - straitstimes.com
Cornellà de Llobregat: Espanyol's Wu Lei became the first Chinese player to score in La Liga on Saturday as his goal helped his team to a 3-1 win over Real Valladolid. Wu Lei, who was named the Chinese Super League's player of the year in November, joined Espanyol in January and was making his
Wu Lei: How Espanyol forward is helping La Liga's attempt to
Watch: Qatar thrash UAE amid ugly scenes to reach Asian Cup final Qatar punished unwelcoming hosts United Arab Emirates 4-0 in a politically charged clash marred by disgraceful crowd behaviour on
Qatar Thrash UAE Amid Ugly Scenes To Reach Asian Cup Final
But on Friday, the United States women's national team resumed its protracted and righteous fight for equal pay with the men's national team by suing the United States Soccer Federation for
Women's national team files wage-discrimination action vs. US
Tampines Rovers Football Club (nicknamed the Stags) are a professional association football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that play in the S.League. Kadir Yahaya joins Tampines Rovers as an adviser. A guide to JSSL, the football academy which
Tampines | World News
A MAGAZINE has caused outrage after publishing a photo of a white editor perched on a black woman chair as the US remembered civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. New magazine Buro 247 has
Roman Abramovich and his wife Dasha Zhukova separate | Daily
Sadio Mane scored twice to hand Liverpool a 3-1 victory at Bayern Munich on Wednesday that sent them through to the Champions League quarter-finals. ease past Bayern 3-1 to reach last eight. 2
Liverpool ease past Bayern 3-1 to reach last eight - bdnews24.com
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen