We’ve just reached the 5th round of this year’s FA Cup and things have been far from predictable – with numerous big clubs already eliminated and a lot of surprise results.
The 4th round of the FA Cup was highlighted by:
- Current league leaders Manchester United and Premier League Champions Liverpool went head-to-head in what was the weekend’s most anticipated game.
- The underdogs, National League North club Chorley FC, taking on the Wolverhampton Wanderers in an effort to continue their Cinderella story
- Arsenal continuing their push towards winning the trophy for a second consecutive year, despite Premiere League struggles.
United on the move
United would come away victorious in this installment of the North-West Derby, defeating rivals Liverpool 3-2. Mo Salah would open the scoring in the 18th minute, before a lovely ball from Marcus Rashford was met and put away by Mason Greenwood to level the game at 1.
Three minutes after the break, United would take the lead when Liverpool’s centre-back Rhys Williams completely missed his clearing attempt and that led to Rashford one on one with Alisson and the Englishman made no mistake making it 2-1 United.
Mo Salah would be Liverpool’s answer once again, when 10 minutes later Roberto Firmino played a pass into the center of United’s box and Salah would do the rest, finding the net past Dean Henderson to tie the game once more.
Henderson would come up big making 2 crucial saves before the Red Devils were awarded a free kick on the edge of Liverpool’s 18-yard box. Bruno Fernandes would give United the lead for good when he stepped up to take the set piece, and rifled it pass the Liverpool keeper in the 78th minute. Manchester United are moving on with the 3-2 win at Old Trafford.
Tough Season for Arsenal Continue
Arsenal’s season so far has not gone to plan whatsoever, and things didn’t get any better for them in this round of the FA Cup.
There will be a new champion this season as Arsenal was eliminated from the FA Cup by fellow Premier League side, Southampton. Southampton took the lead when former Spurs man, Kyle Walker-Peters, sent in a driven low cross that was deflected past Bernd Leno by Arsenal defender Gabriel for an own goal. The Gunners had chances in this game, but it was the finishing that let them down. This match summed up Arsenal’s season so far.
Clock Strikes Midnight on Cinderella Story
When Chorley FC beat Championship side Derby County in the 3rd round of the Cup, not only was it a massive upset, but it also led to this amazing team celebration that went instantly viral.
Chorley FC, who plays in the National League North of England (5 leagues lower than the Premier League), have been on a magical run so far this year. In addition to beating Derby, they have also gotten big wins over Peterborough and Wigan (both clubs are 3 division higher than Chorley).
Unfortunately, the Cinderella story ended in the 4th round when Wolverhampton Wanderers visited Victory Park on Friday evening. In yet another close game for the National League North side, they would be knocked out of the tournament when 20-year-old Vitor Ferreira scored the lone goal of the match in the 12th minute.
With the last remaining true underdog out of the competition, Chorley FC reminded us that nothing is ever a sure thing in sports, and that’s what makes this tournament so fun to watch.
Other Winners
Along with Manchester United, Southampton and Wolves, other Premier League sides that are through to the next round are:
- Manchester City
- Chelsea
- Tottenham
- Everton
- Leicester
- West Ham
- Sheffield United
- Brighton
- Burnley
The rest of sides are from the English leagues, and these teams include:
- Bristol City
- Barnsley
- Swansea
- Bournemouth
Also don’t forget to head over to our Youtube channel and check out the latest Not Sauce For Work episode featuring Ryan Phillips.