Another exciting round of FA Cup action has come to an end, and now we’re down to the final 16.
It was a thrilling set of fixtures, which brought everything we’ve come to expect from the competition. We saw goals, drama, and several upsets.
Here are the biggest stories from the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Manchester United fall short again
The first game of the fourth round came on Friday night, as Manchester United hosted Middlesbrough. And with that came our first shock of the weekend.
It was a game packed with incidents. Cristiano Ronaldo missed an early penalty, Jadon Sancho netted a deflected opener, and Matt Crooks hit a controversial equaliser.
The full-time whistle went with the scores level at 1-1, taking the game to a penalty shootout. Swedish youngster Anthony Elanga was the only one to miss, meaning the Red Devils were eliminated.
On another day, Man Utd would have progressed comfortably. Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Marcus Rashford were all guilty of wasting clear-cut chances, while Middlesbrough’s equaliser probably shouldn’t have stood. They were the victims of fine margins.
But that will come as little consolation to them. Unless they win the Champions League, it will be five years without a trophy for the 20-time English champions. The glory days are well and truly over at Old Trafford.
Non-league well represented
Kidderminster Harriers and Boreham Wood both caused major upsets in the third round, knocking out sides who were several tiers above them. This time around, they had even tougher tasks at hand.
Kidderminster welcomed West Ham United to Aggborough, and were just minutes away from a memorable victory. Alex Penny gave them the lead in the first half, but Declan Rice struck an equaliser in injury time.
With a penalty shootout looming, they were dealt a cruel blow right at the death, as Jarrod Bowen tapped in from close range. It was late heartbreak for the sixth-tier side, but they can take immense pride in their performance.
Then on Sunday evening, Boreham Wood travelled to Bournemouth. The home side are competing for promotion to the Premier League, while the visitors are fifth in the National League.
But the non-league club managed to pull off another shock. Mark Ricketts bagged the only goal of the game, striking in off the post in the first half to eliminate the Cherries.
When people talk about the ‘magic of the FA Cup’, this is what they mean. Non-league clubs punching well above their weight. Boreham Wood will face Everton in the next round.
Kepa’s road to redemption
Kepa Arrizabalaga has been widely viewed as one of the worst signings in recent years. He became the most expensive goalkeeper of all time in 2018, arriving from Athletic Bilbao for an estimated £72 million to replace the Madrid-bound Thibaut Courtois.
In his first two seasons at Chelsea, he came under intense scrutiny. Several poor performances – as well as an infamous on-pitch feud with former manager Maurizio Sarri at Wembley – led to the Spain international getting demoted to second choice in 2020 following the arrival of Edouard Mendy.
Since then, he has begun making strikes towards redeeming himself at Stamford Bridge. He kept out two penalties in the UEFA Super Cup final shootout back in August and was vital in the Blues’ FA Cup victory over Plymouth Argyle.
The Pilgrims gave Chelsea a scare, taking the lead early on through Macauley Gillesphey. That lead lasted until first-half injury time when Cesar Azpilicueta flicked in Mason Mount’s low cross.
When Marcos Alonso gave Thomas Tuchel’s men the lead in extra time, it seemed like the end of the road for Plymouth. But they were handed a lifeline late on, as an error from Malang Sarr gave them a penalty.
Ryan Hardie stepped up, but Kepa guessed correctly and kept his spot-kick out. Chelsea held out for the victory.
Kepa will probably never justify his transfer fee – £72m on a back-up goalkeeper is obscene. However, he has managed to regain favour with the Chelsea fans.
Frank Lampard’s dream debut
Frank Lampard’s short managerial career has had several ups and downs. He began at Derby County, where he reached the play-off final but ultimately failed to achieve promotion to the Premier League.
He later made his return to Chelsea. The Englishman’s first season in charge at Stamford Bridge was encouraging, but his second was a total failure, and he was replaced by Thomas Tuchel.
Now, after a year out, he’s back in the dugout, this time in charge of Everton following the sacking of Rafa Benitez. His debut at Goodison Park couldn’t have been much better.
The Toffees resoundingly defeated fellow Premier League side Brentford 4-1, with Yerry Mina, Richarlison, Mason Holgate, and Andros Townsend getting on the scoresheet. They hadn’t scored four in one game since the 5-4 FA Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur just under a year ago.
It’s very early days for Lampard at Everton. Nonetheless, the former midfielder will be buzzing with the result.
Nottingham Forest – giant killers
In the previous round, Nottingham Forest faced the FA Cup’s most successful club – Arsenal. And, against the odds, they knocked them out thanks to a late Lewis Grabban goal.
In the fourth round, they were drawn against holders and Midlands rivals Leicester City. Could they pull off another upset?
Not only did they topple the Foxes, they demolished them. Philip Zinckernagel put Steve Cooper’s men in front, and Brennan Johnson added a second just moments later. Joe Worrall added a third from a corner to put the home side comfortably in front.
Kelechi Iheanacho pulled one back for Leicester, taking advantage of an error by goalkeeper Brice Samba. But any fears of a comeback were put to an end in the 61st minute when Djed Spence finished into the far corner to make it 4-1.
Nottingham Forest will have the seemingly easier task of facing Huddersfield Town in the fifth round. But even then, they’re arguably underdogs – the Terriers are fifth in the Championship, while Forest are eighth. It should be an interesting match.
