Arsenal, West Ham United and Aston Villa redressed the balance for English Premier League teams after a flow of upsets in the FA Cup, securing narrow wins over awkward lower-league opposition to advance to the fifth round on Sunday.
Chelsea and Manchester City were among five teams in the Premier League’s top nine to be eliminated on Saturday on one of the most astonishing days in the famous competition’s 144-year history.
The underdogs could not continue the shocks a day later, with Arsenal beating second-tier Brighton and Hove Abion 3-2 after being set on their way by early goals from Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil. Tomas Rosicky was the other scorer for Arsenal, who are looking to retain the trophy and, as the fifth-placed team in the top flight, are the highest-ranked side guaranteed a spot in the round-of-16.
Photo: Reuters
Senegal striker Diafra Sakho came off the bench and scored an 81st-minute header to earn West Ham a 1-0 victory at Bristol City, who are second in English soccer’s third tier.
Villa had the toughest assignment against second-tier leaders AFC Bournemouth, but came through with a 2-1 home win, with new signing Carles Gil — with his first goal since moving from Valencia — and Andreas Weimann scoring for the Premier League side.
The FA Cup was thrown wide open after Saturday’s remarkable events, when Premier League leaders Chelsea squandered a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 to third-tier Bradford City and English champions Manchester City were beaten 2-0 by second-tier Middlesbrough.
Photo: AFP
The fourth-round surprises began on Friday, with Manchester United held to a 0-0 draw by fourth-tier Cambridge United.
Any sense of another upset at Brighton’s Amex Stadium was snuffed out by the 24th minute, by which time Arsenal had sped into a 2-0 lead.
Walcott put Arsenal ahead in the second minute when he controlled a cross and drilled a low finish under the goalkeeper. Ozil, making his first start since October last year because of injury, was then found by a probing pass from Rosicky and placed a low finish into the corner.
“The results from yesterday maybe got us on our toes and we got off to a quick pace, and I think that surprised Brighton,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
Sloppy defending allowed Brighton to reduce the deficit through Chris O’Grady in the 50th minute, but Rosicky restored Arsenal’s two-goal lead by volleying in from the edge of the penalty area.
Sam Baldock lifted a neat finish over Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny in the 75th minute to set up a tense finish.
“As defending champions it is our cup at the moment,” England international Walcott said. “All those teams going out means it is a massive opportunity.”
West Ham toiled in the first half at Ashton Gate, clearing two headed attempts off the line, but improved after the break.
Sakho, who entered as a 57th-minute substitute, struck the bar with a fierce shot, before meeting Andy Carroll’s cross with a far-post header from close range.
With Villa struggling in the Premier League and Bournemouth flying in the Championship, their matchup had all the ingredients of another cup upset and the visitors had Villa at full stretch for much of the game.
However, Villa were clinical in front of goal, surprisingly given they are the lowest-scoring team in all four divisions in England, and Gil broke the deadlock by finding the top corner from long range in the 51st minute.
Weimann steered home Alan Hutton’s cross to make it 2-0 in the 71st minute, before Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time response for Bournemouth.
“After seeing yesterday’s results, we had nothing to gain,” Villa manager Paul Lambert said. “All credit to the team.”
It completed a positive day for Villa, with the club announcing that star midfielder Fabian Delph has signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract.
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