TheNewsGuru

Tag: FA Cup

  • Chelsea must be ready to ‘fight’ in FA Cup semi-final – Conte

    Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte says the team must ‘be ready to fight’ in their FA Cup semi-final tie against Southampton on Sunday.

    Conte, whose side beat Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor in the league on Thursday, said he is not “listening to those who say Chelsea are already in the final”.

    “It won’t be easy,” said Conte, who hinted that he may start with two strikers in the semi.

    “Five days ago we were 2-0 down at Southampton, but I saw a fantastic spirit at Burnley. We must continue this way.”

    Against Burnley, Conte played two strikers – Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud – for the first time since taking over at Chelsea in 2016.

    “In the past it was very difficult for me to try this option with the two strikers,” he said.

    “But they showed a great link and a great combination, and at the same time they worked very hard for the team.

    “Our strikers created a lot of difficulties for the central defenders and we surprised Burnley.

    “To see Giroud and Morata play this way gives me satisfaction. It’s an option, for Sunday or maybe for the future.”

    Spaniard Morata, who missed a one-on-one opportunity with goalkeeper Nick Pope, showed his frustration after being replaced by Eden Hazard 19 minutes from time.

    “Alvaro must be angry,” said Conte. “He had a chance to score and if you score you change the confidence.

    “I thought he was angry he was substituted because of this miss but I am very pleased with him. I thought it was better to put fresh strength on with Hazard.”

    Chelsea lost 2-1 to Arsenal in the FA Cup final last season.

    “A second final in a row would be great for our fans,” said Conte.

    “It’s not my task to judge the season. I have to work and try to transfer my enthusiasm to the team.

    “Sometimes I am good, sometimes I am not so good.”

    BBC

  • Jose Mourinho set to drop players for United’s FA Cup semi-final

    Jose Mourinho set to drop players for United’s FA Cup semi-final

    Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is ready to drop established players for the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, after the Old Trafford club’s weekend defeat by Premier League bottom side West Bromwich Albion.

    United suffered a shock 1-0 home loss to West Brom on Sunday, handing the title to Manchester City, and Mourinho said his team were the “masters of complication”.

    They next visit Bournemouth on Wednesday before facing Spurs at Wembley.

    Mourinho indicated that some of those who played against West Brom would feature again at Bournemouth because they had lost their place for the semi-final.

    “Rotating is not the right word,” he was quoted as saying by The Independent. “If I play a player against Bournemouth and the player is phenomenal, he plays the semi-final.

    “So is not rotating, because rotating looks like a player plays against Bournemouth to give a rest to somebody that is going to play against Spurs in the semi-final.

    “So the word is not rotation, it is an opportunity for people, for some people, to play and to try to get a place in the team for Spurs.

    “Some of the guys that played (on Sunday) don’t have a place in that team.”

    Asked to clarify if he meant those who performed badly against West Brom would not play against Tottenham, Mourinho said: “Yeah.

    “What is the criteria for a manager to choose a team? I only know one criteria: (it) is the way you play.

    “Or do you want me to go for the price they cost, or their salary, or their beautiful face? The only way is to go with performance.”

    Ander Herrera was substituted at halftime against West Brom, while fellow midfielder Paul Pogba came off in the 58th minute, but Mourinho said that a yellow card had also been a factor in the Frenchman’s replacement.

    “It was not just him and he had a yellow card, so he was in a more difficult position than others,” Mourinho said.

    “And playing with only two midfield players, you cannot play with one player in risk of not being able to make a foul.

    “You can do it if your team is not losing the ball, but our team was losing the ball so easy with the complication, everything was complicated, so we were losing lots of balls.

    “Paul was out because of the yellow card, because in terms of the way he played, he was not worse than some others that were on the pitch for 90 minutes.”

  • League One Wigan shock Man City in FA Cup tie

    Wigan Athletic ended Manchester City’s hopes of a clean sweep of trophies with a stunning upset in their FA Cup fifth-round tie.

    The League One side survived virtually constant pressure from the Premier League leaders, eventually capitalising on Fabian Delph’s controversial first-half red card when Will Grigg struck 11 minutes from time.

    The striker’s low finish capped a night of drama at the DW Stadium, with City’s Fernandinho wasting a fine chance shortly before Delph was dismissed for a heavy challenge on Max Power.

    The incident led to a heated argument between City boss Pep Guardiola and opposite number Paul Cook in the tunnel at half-time.

    And there were unedifying scenes at full-time, too, with City striker Sergio Aguero involved in an altercation with one of the many home fans who invaded the pitch.

    City threw everything at their hosts both before and after Grigg’s goal – a guided shot from 20 yards – and Danilo’s header was gratefully held by Christian Walton in the game’s final attack.

  • Lukaku double sends Man United into FA Cup quarter-finals

    Romelu Lukaku extended his impressive FA Cup scoring record by netting twice in Manchester United’s 2-0 win at Huddersfield Town to send Jose Mourinho’s side through to the quarter-finals.

    The Belgian has scored in each of the three rounds United have played of this year’s competition and now has 11 goals from his past 10 FA Cup appearances.

    Lukaku’s first came after three minutes, and the striker scored again in the second half after United mounted a quick counter-attack against a side who beat them at the John Smith’s Stadium in the English Premier League last October.

    Saturday’s fifth-round late kickoff also featured English football’s latest video-assisted referee (VAR) decision when United’s Juan Mata had a goal disallowed after being ruled fractionally offside before the interval.

    United’s midfielder Paul Pogba missed the game due to illness.

  • FA CUP: Tottenham cruise into fifth round over League Two side Newport County

    Tottenham Hotspur cruised into the fifth round of the FA Cup with a comfortable 2-0 victory over League Two side Newport County at Wembley.

    Spurs needed a late Harry Kane goal to rescue a 1-1 draw in the first meeting, but never looked in danger in the replay once Moussa Sissoko’s cross diverted in off Newport’s Dan Butler.

    A fine finish from Erik Lamela gave Mauricio Pochettino’s side a comfortable advantage at the interval that they never looked like surrendering.

    There are 75 places between Spurs and the Welsh side but there were no scares for the hosts this time around with the gulf in class obvious as the Premier League side strolled through to a fifth-round visit to Rochdale.

    Newport showed tremendous resilience to keep the score down, but did not manage a shot on target until the final seconds when Padraig Amond shot straight at Spurs keeper Michel Vorm.

    The Premier League side made 10 changes for the match, with Toby Alderweireld and Danny Rose returning from injury to start.

    Pochettino praised Erik Lamela’s performance who scored his first goal since September 2016.

    He said, “It’s important, it’s a very good feeling for him and he is an important player.

  • Swansea record biggest-ever FA Cup win netting eight past Notts County

    Swansea record biggest-ever FA Cup win netting eight past Notts County

    Swansea recorded their biggest-ever FA Cup win as Notts County were demolished 8-1 in Tuesday night’s fourth-round replay at the Liberty Stadium.

    First-half braces from Tammy Abraham and Nathan Dyer, as well as second-half efforts from Kyle Naughton, Wayne Routledge, Tom Carroll and debutant Daniel James, saw Swansea cruise into a last-16 tie away to manager Carlos Carvalhal’s former club Sheffield Wednesday.

    Noor Husin gave County brief hope, making it 3-1 after 35 minutes, but the Sky Bet League Two promotion contenders were blown away on a freezing night in south Wales.

    It also gave County an unwanted spot in Swansea history, the margin of defeat bigger than the 7-2 and 6-1 FA Cup scorelines inflicted on Folkestone and Rhyl.

    Carvalhal had called for Abraham to show a marked improvement after going 14 games without scoring, and the England striker duly responded with his first goals for nearly four months.

    Swansea showed their intent in the opening exchanges when Adam Collin saved from Abraham and Dyer, but the County goalkeeper was beaten after 18 minutes.

    Naughton and Luciano Narsingh combined down the right and Abraham was picked out to sweep home his first goal since October 14.

    Abraham turned provider just 83 seconds later with a delightful pass which Dyer sidefooted home for his first Swansea goal since August 2015.Dyer’s next, however, took only 10 more minutes to arrive with the lively Narsingh again making a telling contribution.

    Mike van der Hoorn should have extended the lead from Carroll’s corner, rising above former Swan Richard Duffy but heading over from six yards.

    And County were given hope when Husin fired home from the edge of the box after Swansea had failed to clear their area.

    The goal was allowed to stand after Martin Atkinson had checked with the Video Assistant Referee to see whether a couple of County players, standing in offside positions, were obscuring the view of Swans goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt.

    Jorge Grant almost reduced the deficit further, but Nordfeldt pushed away his half-volley and Swansea restored their three-goal advantage in the second minute of stoppage time.

    Kyle Bartley’s raking pass sent Narsingh scampering down the right again and he fed Abraham, who converted with another firm finish.

    Jon Stead tested Nordfeldt after robbing Van der Hoorn, but the County defence continued to creak with Abraham close to a hat-trick and Collin blocking Narsingh’s near-post effort.

    Collin was not so competent dealing with Carroll’s 53rd-minute corner and the loose ball to Naughton, who lashed home only his second Swansea goal.

    Routledge grabbed the sixth – and his first of the season – four minutes later with a delightful curled finish from just inside the box.

    Carroll struck the goal of the night after 65 minutes when his 25-yard stunner left Collin grasping at thin air, before James’ strike secured Swansea their biggest home win since moving to the Liberty Stadium in 2005.

  • FA Cup: Iheanacho to emulate Okocha, Kanu with FA Cup goals

    Kelechi Iheanacho is looking to emulate his illustrious compatriots Austin Jay Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu as Leicester City face Peterborough United away in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

    Iheanacho scored twice, including the first goal to be validated by the Video Assistant Referee in English football history, as Leicester defeated Fleetwood Town in a third round replay.

    The Super Eagles striker has scored seven FA Cup goals in his professional career at both Manchester City and Leicester City.

    “I think it’s a great competition and it’s a great thing to be scoring in the FA Cup,” Iheanacho told LCFC TV. “I’m happy to be scoring in the FA Cup and I’m working hard every day, so it’s a great cup to be playing in.

    “I didn’t have the opportunity to watch all of the games [when I was younger] but I think playing in it now makes it more beautiful.”

    Many Nigerian stars – including 2008 winner with Portsmouth Kanu – have played in the FA Cup and Iheanacho insists that their exploits have inspired him to continue to chase goals and success in the competition.

    Nigerian stars Daniel Amokachi, Mikel Obi and Victor Moses have also starred in the prestigious competition.

    He said: “I think the FA Cup has great memories and I think there have been Nigerian legends that have played in it as well, like Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu.“They’ve played in it, so it’s a great thing to play in the FA Cup. I have great memories. I hope I’ll be in it and have one great memory, which is winning the FA Cup.”

    When asked about his favourite FA Cup goal so far in his time in England, Iheanacho said: “If there’s a favourite, it should be the two goals against Fleetwood the other day.

    “It was a great game and it’s going to be a memory that people are going to keep talking about, and I’m going to keep talking about it as well! It’s a great memory.”

  • Nottingham forest eliminates Arsenal from FA Cup third round

    Nottingham forest eliminates Arsenal from FA Cup third round

    Arsene Wenger lost an FA Cup third-round tie for the first time as holders Arsenal were stunned 4-2 by Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

    Wenger has lifted the famous trophy on seven occasions – including three of the last four years – but saw his much-changed side undone by two Eric Lichaj goals along with penalties from Ben Brereton and Kieran Dowell in a classic cup tie at the City Ground.

    The likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette were all rested as Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck were afforded rare starts in an unfamiliar Arsenal XI.

    But Wenger’s plan backfired against a Forest side who are still without a permanent manager following the sacking of Mark Warburton last month.

    Lichaj’s headed opener was swiftly cancelled out by Per Mertesacker but the American restored the hosts’ advantage with a stunning volley just before half-time.

    Forest had a cushion when 18-year-old Brereton showed composure beyond his years to beat David Ospina from the spot following a Rob Holding foul on Matty Cash, but a late Welbeck strike threatened to make it a tense last 10 minutes for the home side.

    However, Gary Brazil’s men were awarded a second penalty when Mathieu Debuchy brought down Armand Traore from behind, allowing Dowell to convert from the spot, and Joe Worrall’s red card mattered little as Forest held on for a famous win.

    The result represents Arsenal’s first third-round defeat since they lost in a replay to Sheffield United eight months prior to Wenger’s appointment in 1996.

     

     

  • Kane scores twice as Spurs advance to FA Cup fourth round

    Harry Kane scored his first two goals of 2018 as Tottenham advanced to the FA Cup fourth round with a 3-0 win over AFC Wimbledon.

    The League One side frustrated the hosts for over an hour at Wembley, but their resistance was broken when Kane, surprisingly picked from the start by Mauricio Pochettino, struck twice from close-range in the space of two minutes.

    Jan Vertonghen then wrapped up the scoring with a powerful long-range effort which took a slight deflection as it flew past AFC Wimbledon goalkeeper George Long.

    Tottenham now take their place in the draw for the next round, but for a long time it seemed they might be taken to replay by the side 58 league places below them.In fact, the visitors were only inches away from taking a shock lead when Jimmy Abdou’s shot was tipped onto the bar by Michel Vorm in the first half.

    Before that, the pattern of the game had quickly been set, with Spurs camped in Wimbledon’s half as they attempted to break the visitors down.

    Their first real opportunity fell to Erik Lamela, whose powerful volley from the edge of the box was parried by Long in the 18th minute, and soon after that Kane fired wastefully over from a Fernando Llorente knockdown.

  • BREAKING: Arsenal defeats Chelsea to win 13th FA Cup title

    Arsenal won the FA Cup for a record 13th time in a thrilling final by beating 10-man Chelsea, who were denied a league and cup double.

    The result means Arsene Wenger is the most successful manager in the competition’s history with seven victories.

    The Gunners had controversially taken the lead in the fifth minute through Alexis Sanchez, but the linesman had his flag up for Aaron Ramsey, who was stood in an offside position. Ramsey did not touch the ball, allowing Sanchez to run through and slot in.

    Arsenal dominated the first half and could have doubled their advantage but Danny Welbeck struck the woodwork with a header and Ramsey chested the ball against the same post on the follow-up.

    Victor Moses forced David Ospina into a fine save in the second period, before the Chelsea wing-back was given a second yellow card on 68 minutes for diving in the penalty area.

    With 14 minutes remaining, the Blues got back into the game through Diego Costa’s shot that bobbled in, but Ramsey headed in the winner just two minutes later. The Welshman had also scored the winning goal in the 2014 cup final against Hull.

    Arsenal could have had another late on, but Mesut Ozil struck the post from inside the area.

    Wenger had major selection issues with Laurent Koscielny suspended and both Shkodran Mustafi and Gabriel injured, so centre-back Per Mertesacker was given his first start of the season. The German defender put in a dominant display to keep Costa quiet.

    Chelsea failed to gain revenge for the 2002 final, which Arsenal won 2-0, and the result ends their run of four consecutive final victories.