Highlights:
- Manchester United beat West Ham 3-1, securing their spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals thanks to late goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Fred.
- Sheffield United eliminated Tottenham from the competition with a 1-0 victory, while Grimsby pulled off a surprise victory against Southampton 2-1.
- In the quarter-finals, Manchester City will face Burnley, Manchester United will host Fulham, Grimsby will travel to Brighton, and Sheffield United will welcome Blackburn.
Manchester United secured their spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a come-from-behind 3-1 win against West Ham, thanks to late goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Fred. Despite making six changes from their League Cup final win, United lacked fluidity in front of their home crowd, with goalkeeper David de Gea making crucial saves to keep them in the game.
West Ham took the lead in the 54th minute through Said Benrahma, but United equalized five minutes later when Nayef Aguerd headed in Bruno Fernandes’ corner for an own goal. United pushed forward aggressively, and their persistence paid off with Garnacho’s remarkable right-footed curler in the 90th minute, followed by a stoppage-time strike from Fred.
Meanwhile, Championship side Sheffield United surprised Tottenham and eliminated them from the competition with a 1-0 victory at Bramall Lane. Even with Harry Kane on the bench, Spurs failed to score and conceded a goal in the 79th minute from Iliman Ndiaye.
In another shock result, fourth-tier team Grimsby pulled off a surprise victory against Premier League strugglers Southampton 2-1. New Southampton manager Ruben Selles made nine changes to his team, and two penalties from Gavan Holohan put Grimsby ahead 2-0, with Duje Caleta-Car scoring for Southampton, but Grimsby held on for the win.
Championship leaders Burnley required a late goal from Connor Roberts to overcome the 10-man squad from League One Fleetwood, while Manchester City beat Bristol City 3-0. In Tuesday’s games, Leicester City suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers from the second tier, Fulham won 2-0 against Premier League strugglers Leeds, and Brighton secured a 1-0 victory over Stoke City from the Championship.
In the quarter-finals, City will face Burnley, Manchester United will host Fulham, Grimsby will travel to Brighton, and Sheffield United will welcome Blackburn.
After the game, United captain Harry Maguire stated, “The best teams never stop believing. Although I wouldn’t say that we are one of the best teams yet, we have a lot to do, but we are getting there and taking steps forward. It felt like the Stretford End was pulling the ball towards the goal in the end there.” Tottenham assistant manager Cristian Stellini apologized to the fans and acknowledged that the team’s energy levels were insufficient to create problems for the opposition.
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Grimsby manager Paul Hurst told ITV, “It’s just a fantastic day, and we’re in the quarter-finals is incredible. We showed up hoping for a miracle, and now we’ve gone down in history.” With some unexpected results in the FA Cup fifth round, fans and pundits alike are eagerly anticipating the quarter-finals.