FA Cup
MANCHESTER UNITED FACES FIXTURE CONGESTION AFTER DRAW WITH WOLVES
Manchester United are facing a fixture pile-up with a possible eight matches to be played between now and Feb 1, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is just thankful to be still in contention for silverware.
The goal-less draw at Wolves on Saturday night means their FA Cup third-round replay will have to take place on Jan 14.
But before that Old Trafford meeting, United will have to navigate the first leg of their League Cup semi-final with crosstown rivals City.
They also need to contend with subsequent Premier League games against Norwich, runaway leaders Liverpool and Burnley.
Should United get past Wolves, the fourth round of the FA Cup will take place between Jan 25 and Jan 28, before they round off the month with the second leg against City, followed by another clash with Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.
Having now failed to beat Wolves in five games since their return to the English top flight last season, Solskjaer is full of respect for the Midlands side, who knocked the Red Devils out of the competition at the quarter-final stage last March.
Insisting Molineux was “a tough place to come”, the United manager, whose side failed to record a shot on target for the first time in five years, said: “I’m happier to be in the replay than going out.
“We were hoping to go through tonight, but we’re still in it. We’re still in the hat and at home, (where) there’s a little bit more of a chance of going through.
“Wolves are a good team, a strong team, very physical. I thought we played well in the first half and dominated the possession.
“But then they took over in the second half which made it an even tougher game.
“Of course, we got off the hook when he (Matt Doherty) mistimed his header and it hit his arm (resulting in a disallowed goal). But it was an even game and a draw is a fair result.”
Victor Lindelof agreed with that assessment, claiming they “did a great job” by holding Wolves at bay despite making eight changes from the 2-0 loss to Arsenal for just their third clean sheet in domestic competition since September.
Solskjaer also chose to start academy products Brandon Williams, 19, Tahith Chong, 20, and Mason Greenwood, 18, to preserve others for the City game.
But the Norwegian opted against resting Harry Maguire and the defender is a doubt to play against Pep Guardiola’s men.
On whether Maguire would be fit, he told BT Sport: “I don’t know. We were close to taking him off, but he battled through.
“Let’s see how he recovers. We hope so. It’s not many days and then we go again Tuesday.”
The improved defensive display did not impress Rio Ferdinand, who blasted his former team for blowing hot and cold this term .
The pundit told BT Sport: “It’s still a work in progress. With the young players and the players he’s got out, the inconsistency is not understandable.”
Reuters
The first weekend of semi-automated offside decisions in English soccer descended into confusion on Saturday as Bournemouth had a goal ruled out after a record eight-minute VAR check.
Bournemouth, who eventually beat Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties in the FA Cup fifth round after a 1-1 draw, thought they had doubled their lead when defender Milos Kerkez scored in the 35th-minute goal.
However, new technology could not be used because the six-yard area was too crowded and VAR officials had to revert to manually drawing lines before disallowing the goal.
Fellow defender Dean Huijsen was adjudged to have been in an offside position as Kerkez’s effort brushed his shoulder before going in to the net.
The VAR check was further complicated as VAR officials Timothy Wood and Darren England also had to also examine the possibility of hand balls prior to the tight offside call.
Both sets of fans voiced their disapproval at the interminable wait, chanting “it’s not football any more” and “this is embarrassing”.
Referee Sam Barrott, who eventually announced the decision to the crowd via a microphone, had to explain to the respective managers and players what was happening during the delay.
-Reuters
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FA Cup giant-killers Plymouth Argyle drew Premier League champions Manchester City on Monday as the second-tier side’s fifth-round reward for a shock defeat of Liverpool at the weekend.
Holders Manchester United will host Fulham at Old Trafford in one of at least three all-Premier League clashes, with League Cup finalists Newcastle United at home to top-tier rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.
Bournemouth will host Wolverhampton Wanderers in another all-top-flight encounter.
Struggling Plymouth caused one of the great upsets of the FA Cup on Sunday when they beat a second-string Liverpool 1-0, ending the Premier League leaders’ hopes of a quartet of trophies this season.
The Pilgrims are bottom of the Championship but City, who reached the fifth round with a 2-1 win at third-tier Leyton Orient on Saturday after going behind early on, have been misfiring this season.
There will be a fourth all-Premier League clash if Nottingham Forest avoid trouble at League One (third tier) Exeter City on Tuesday, with Ipswich Town awaiting the winners.
Aston Villa, who ended Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes on Sunday, host second tier Cardiff City.
The fifth round matches will be played on the weekend of March 1 and 2.
Last 16 draw:
- Preston North End v Burnley
- Aston Villa v Cardiff City
- Doncaster Rovers or Crystal Palace v Millwall
- Manchester United v Fulham
- Newcastle United v Brighton & Hove Albion
- Bournemouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle
-Reuters
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A much-changed Liverpool were dumped out of the FA Cup by struggling second-tier side Plymouth Argyle, who pulled off a stunning 1-0 fourth-round win at Home Park on Sunday that put an end to the visitors’ hopes of a quadruple.
The hosts took the lead in the 53rd minute after they were awarded a penalty for a handball by midfielder Harvey Elliott and Ryan Hardie stepped up to send Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher the wrong way.
Premier League leaders Liverpool were bereft of ideas and had just one shot on target in the opening half, with Plymouth keeper Conor Hazard making a diving save in the 36th minute to keep out James McConnell’s long-range shot.
Ahead of the Merseyside derby against Everton on Wednesday, Liverpool made wholesale changes with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Alexis Mac Allister among the big-names rested and left at home.
Liverpool, who were also forced into an early change when defender Joe Gomez went down injured, failed to create many chances in a scrappy encounter as Plymouth, who sit bottom of the second-tier Championship, gradually grew in confidence.
Arne Slot’s side switched gears after going down but Hazard proved to be the hero for Plymouth as the Northern Irishman brilliantly kept out Diogo Jota’s volley in added time, as well as a header from Darwin Nunez.
With Liverpool top of the Premier League, having strolled into the Champions League’s last 16 and reached the League Cup final, some fans and pundits had begun to speculate about a potential quadruple.
Plymouth’s remarkable victory, however, brought a shuddering halt to talk of clean sweep of silverware for Slot’s side, who had only lost three games all season, prior to Sunday.
Meanwhile, there was no surprise in the other FA Cup fourth-round tie with Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers beating second-tier Championship side Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at Ewood Park.
There was little to separate the two teams in the opening minutes before Wolves hit Blackburn with two rapid-fire goals through midfielder Joao Gomes in the 33rd minute and seconds later via forward Matheus Cunha.
Blackburn defender Dominic Hyam had the ball in the back of the net in the 19th minute, but his celebrations were cut short when the linesman’s flag went up for offside.
-Reuters
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