The magic of the FA Cup is alive and well this Saturday, as clubs ranging from the sixth tier of English football all the way up to the Premier League compete for the same thing: the 150-year-old FA Cup trophy.
[ MORE: Full FA Cup 3rd round schedule ]
- Tottenham hammer 8th-tier Marine; Brighton survive in PKs
- Chelsea, Man City dominant in 3rd round; Crawley smash Leeds
- Man United beat Watford; Arsenal outlast Newcastle
- Liverpool see off scrappy Villa youngsters; Wolves handle Palace
Chorley 2-0 Derby County
The weekend’s first FA Cupset occurred in the earliest round of fixtures on Saturday, as sixth-tier Chorley hosted and defeated EFL Championship side Derby County, though the Rams were without interim manager Wayne Rooney and his entire first-team squad due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the club. Chorley got goals from Connor Hall and Mike Calveley to secure a 2-0 victory at the aptly named Victory Park.
The scenes inside the National League North side’s locker room will live on in the memories of everyone involved with Chorley for quite some time. The song — Adele’s “Someone Like You — has become the unofficial anthem of Chorley’s journey from the first round of the FA Cup, now into the fourth round.
Here we go, then - @Adele 🙌 pic.twitter.com/jPhuIvu6dZ
— Chorley FC (@chorleyfc) January 9, 2021
Everton 2-1 Rotherham United
Elsewhere, Everton required extra-time to see off Championship side Rotherham at Goodison Park. Cenk Tosun got the Toffees off to a flying start with a 9th-minute goal, before 22-year-old American right back Matthew Olosunde (formerly of the Manchester United academy) equalized in the 56th minute. Abdoulaye Doucoure wasted little time during the additional period, as he slotted home from James Rodriguez’s through ball in the 93rd minute to send Carlo Ancelotti’s side through to the fourth round.
⚽️ @abdoudoucoure16
— Everton (@Everton) January 9, 2021
🅰️ @jamesdrodriguez #EmiratesFACuppic.twitter.com/EgapLDzNpy
[ FA CUP: Liverpool see off scrappy Villa youngsters; Wolves handle Palace ]
Stoke City 0-4 Leicester City
Few sides will have an easier time this weekend than Leicester, who went away to Stoke and walked out of the bet365 Stadium with a 4-0 victory. James Justin opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark, scoring what might just go down as the goal of the round. Marc Albrighton added the Foxes’ second on 59 minutes, followed by an 79th-minute tally from Ayoze Perez and another from Harvey Barnes in the 81st minute.
WHAT. A. GOAL. 🤯#EmiratesFACup @LCFC pic.twitter.com/E2QZKXuey6
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 9, 2021
Burnley 1-1 (4-3 PKs) MK Dons
Burnley were mere seconds from being eliminated by League One side MK Dons, but Matej Vydra slid in to poke home a loose ball in the box in the 93rd minute and send the game to extra-time. Goalkeeper Will Norris made a pair of saves in the penalty shootout and Phil Bardsley converted the Clarets’ fifth attempt from the spot.
Vydra squeezes in a late, late equaliser ⏰#EmiratesFACup @BurnleyOfficial pic.twitter.com/iqB0nJBdwh
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 9, 2021
Queens Park Rangers 0-2 (AET) Fulham
Fulham also needed extra-time to knock off QPR in a west London derby at Loftus Road. The game was scoreless after 90 minutes before Fulham broke through twice at the tail end of the first period of extra time. Bobby De Cordova-Reid placed a low, curled strike into the bottom corner in the 104th minute and Neeskens Kebano put the game to bed in the second minute of stoppage.
The perfect set & @bobbyreid93 sweeps home 🔥#EmiratesFACup @FulhamFC pic.twitter.com/HFHQAHn3Xl
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 9, 2021
Blackpool 2-2 (3-2 PKs) West Bromwich Albion
West Brom came back from a goal down twice in the second half, only to fall to League One side Blackpool in a penalty shootout. Semi Ajayi (52nd minute) and Matheus Pereira (80th) pulled the Premier League side level to send the game to extra-time, where neither side scored. Pereira, who had earlier converted from the penalty spot, was denied by Chris Maxwell in the fifth round, sending the Tangerines through to the fourth round.
Lots of time for the high-pitched 'wooooo' celebrations at the end of this team goal 😂#EmiratesFACup @BlackpoolFC pic.twitter.com/DJqIyS35dT
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 9, 2021
Bristol Rovers 2-3 Sheffield United
For the first time (in any competition) since the start of the 2020-21 season, Sheffield United celebrated victory as the full-time whistle was blown — they even scored two of their three goals themselves as they knocked off League One side Bristol Rovers.
Joe Day’s own goal put the Blades ahead in the 9th minute, but it was 1-1 after 21 minutes. Oliver Burke restored Sheffield United’s lead in the 59th minute, but the score was again quickly leveled in the 62nd. Barely a minute later, Jayden Bogle finished a free-flowing sequence to make it 3-2 and send the Blades through to the fourth round.
What a move this is.
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 9, 2021
👏 @SheffieldUnited 👏#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/nKkenzUfdX
Other FA Cup results
Aston Villa 1-4 Liverpool
Wolves 1-0 Crystal Palace
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Cardiff City
Luton Town 1-0 Reading
Norwich City 2-0 Coventry City
Boreham Wood 0-2 Millwall
Stevenage 0-2 Swansea City
Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Doncaster
Wycombe Wanderers 4-1 Preston North End
Exeter 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Huddersfield Town 2-3 Plymouth Argyle