Soccer News

Oldham’s Jose Baxter faces his old club Everton  this weekend hoping to help his side cause another FA Cup shock

The fifth round of the FA Cup takes place this weekend with a number of teams hoping to cause upsets and some looking to avoid shocks.

One of the teams that caused a shock in the fourth round were League One Oldham.

The Latics knocked out Premier League Liverpool in the last round and now host the Reds neighbours Everton at Boundary Park.

One of the key players for the League One in that clash was former-Everton youngster Jose Baxter and he will be hoping to come back to haunt his old club in this clash.

Liverpool fielded a slightly weakened team at Boundary Park, but the Toffee’s are unlikely to make the same mistake.

Everton boss David Moyes has been at the club for a decade, but has yet to win silverware and will be hoping to put that right this season.

Elsewhere, the lowest ranked club still left in the competition Luton host Championship Millwall at Kenilworth Road. The Hatters have already knocked out Championship Wolves and more recently won 1-0 at Premier League Norwich in the last round.

However, Luton’s form since winning at the Canaries has been poor, as the non-league side have lost three out of their last four games in all competitions.

Championship Millwall caused a slight shock in the fourth round by knocking out Premier League strugglers Aston Villa. Millwall’s form since that victory has been awful; the Lions have lost their last three games in the Championship. Both sides will be confident of progressing into the last eight, where far tough games lie ahead.

Arsenal will be hoping to progress to the quarter-finals with a home clash against Championship Blackburn. The Gunners haven’t won a trophy for nearly eight years and the FA Cup remains their best possible hope of a trophy this season.

Arsene Wenger’s side defeated another Championship side Brighton in the last round and are heavy favourites to defeat second tier Blackburn in this clash.

Blackburn have already defeated Championship rivals Derby and Bristol City to make it into the fifth round. Rovers’ form has improved in recent weeks and they have suffered just one defeat in their last eight outings.

League One MK Dons host in-form Championship outfit Barnsley at the Stadium:MK. The Dons caused a shock in the fourth round by winning 4-2 at Premier League QPR. However, they have failed to win in their last four games, losing three of them.

In contrast Barnsley have won three consecutive Championship games, including victories away at promotion chasing Blackpool and Middlesbrough. The Yorkshire outfit won 1-0 at Hull to make it through to face the League One side.

Weekend

The FA Cup games are spread over the whole weekend and tomorrow we will preview the other ties taking places in the fifth round.

Mixed

English clubs enjoyed mixed fortunes in the Europa League last night in the first legs of their ties. Tottenham claimed a 2-1 victory against French giants Lyon. Welsh wing wizard Gareth Bale struck with free-kicks at the end of each half, Lyon’s goal coming from a fantastic effort from Samuel Umtiti.

Newcastle were held to a goalless draw with Ukrainian side Metalist Kharkiv. Senegal international striker Papiss Cisse had a goal disallowed in each half, as the Magpies were frustrated by the visitors.

Chelsea claimed a 1-0 victory at Sparta Prague. The only goal of the game came on 82 minutes. Substitute Oscar was on the pitch less than a minute, before slotting home after a lovely one-two with Belgium international Eden Hazard.

Elsewhere, Liverpool suffered a 2-0 defeat at Zenit St. Petersburg. The game was an even affair, but the first goal came out of nowhere on 70 minutes, Brazilian international Hulk rocketing a superb long-range effort past Pepe Reina.

The home side extended their lead two minutes later, veteran midfielder Sergei Semak scoring from close-range at the far post. The Reds now face an uphill struggle to qualify for the next round.

Will there be any more FA Cup shocks on Saturday?

Wigan midfielder David Jones has spoken of his affection for the FA Cup ahead of his side’s fifth-round meeting with Huddersfield.

Wigan midfielder David Jones has spoken of his affection for the FA Cup ahead of his side’s fifth-round meeting with Huddersfield.

Wigan narrowly beat Blue Square Premier outfit Macclesfield in the last round, earning a 1-0 win thanks to a Jordi Gomez penalty.

And Jones believes that such fixtures highlight the ‘unpredictably’ of the world’s oldest cup competition, insisting that is why it so loved by fans.

“The FA Cup is a very exciting competition and we’ve got a great opportunity to go far in it,” he told the club’s official website.

“It’s going to be a hard tie, of course, but we feel that we can really make an impact in this competition. This competition is something I love being involved in because of the history and tradition and I’ve grown up with it being a major competition.

“What we witnessed against Macclesfield was exactly what the FA Cup is all about because it is a one off event for us to play against a Blue Square Premier side and it made for an exciting game for us as players and of course our fans who travelled.

“It was a very difficult place to go and it was a great result to prevent any upset, the whole game showed how special the FA Cup is and we’ll be looking to get as far as we can in it.

“The unpredictability of the FA Cup is what makes it so intriguing because we’ve faced a League One side and a non-league team, now we’ve got a Championship team and if we get through who knows what team we’re going to face.”

Sunday’s fixture marks Roberto Martinez’s side’s third consecutive away game in the FA Cup, but Jones is looking forward to making the trip to Yorkshire.

“Playing away from home in the cup does really add to the desire to win because our fans are then spending their time to travel around the country and you feel that extra sense of responsibility,” he said.

“We’ve been doing better away from home this season particularly in the cup competitions and our style of play seems to suit playing away.

“Huddersfield were flying at the start of the season and they’ve got some great players and they like to play in a similar style to ourselves with a lot of focus on the wide positions.

“I’ve seen a lot of Championship games this season and every team is capable of beating each other so it’s very hard to predict how games will play out against these teams and it will definitely be a tough game.”

Sunday’s FA Cup fourth round ties turned out to be a nightmare for the Premier League teams involved.

Chelsea were held by League Two side Brentford, Tottenham lost at Championship Leeds and Liverpool suffered a shock defeat at League One Oldham.

Late

Chelsea left it late to rescue a replay at Brentford. The Blues snatched a 2-2 draw with just seven minutes remaining at Griffin Park. The League Two struck first just before the break.

Chelsea keeper Ross Turnbull could only parry Harry Forrester’s effort and on-loan Fulham ace Marcello Trotta volleyed home the rebound.

The visitors were back on level terms early in the second period. Brazilian playmaker Oscar produced a touch of magic to beat the Bees defence before firing home. The home side was undeterred though and on 73 minutes regained the lead.

Chelsea keeper Ross Turnbull was adjudged to have brought down substitute Tom Adeyemi in the penalty area and former-Villa youngster Harry Forrester scored from the resulting spot-kick. Chelsea brought on striker Demba Ba to pep up the attack and the decision paid dividends in the 83^rd minute.

The Senegalese international striker nodded the ball down to strike-partner Fernando Torres and the Spaniard curled home a superb effort from 20 yards. Chelsea pushed for a winner in the latter stages, but their London neighbours held on for much-deserved replay.

Spurred

The second game of the day produced another surprise result, as Championship Leeds beat Tottenham 2-1 at Elland Road. The home side were in front on 15 minutes, Luke Varney with a cool finish after being put through on goal by veteran midfielder Michael Brown.

The Whites extended their lead on 50 minutes. El Hadji-Diouf’s through ball found Ross McCormack, who beat Steven Caulker before firing past Brad Friedel in the Spurs goal. The top flight side looked far more dangerous after the second goal went in and got a goal back on 58 minutes.

USA international Clint Dempsey had just missed a glorious opportunity, but found the net with another effort glancing home Gareth Bale’s cross. Spurs had chances near the end to equalise, with substitute John Obika having the best of them blocked by Leeds defender Lee Peltier.

Leeds held on to secure their place in the fifth round, where they will travel to Premier League champions Manchester City.

Battle

Liverpool suffered the biggest shock defeat of the day, suffering a 3-2 defeat at League One strugglers Oldham. The game was a throwback to the old-fashioned cup tie, all blood and thunder.

Oldham won the battle and the war in the end. The Latics were ahead after just three minutes. Giant striker Matt Smith got above Sebastian Coates to head home Youssouf M’Changama’s delivery.

Liverpool equalised in the 17^th minute, Luis Suarez getting a fortunate rebound off Cliff Byrne before firing past Dean Bouzanis in the Oldham goal. It then looked like the top flight team were going to take the game by the scruff of the neck, but both Fabio Borini and Raheem Sterling missed good chances to give the Reds the lead.

Those misses came back to haunt the Merseysider’s in first half stoppage-time. Liverpool keeper Brad Jones made a hash of Reece Wabara’s cross and Lee Croft found Smith, who scored with a close-range tap-in.

Oldham extended their lead just after half-time. Carl Winchester took on the Liverpool defence and produced a superb far post cross for full-back Reece Wabara to score with a towering header.

Liverpool brought captain Steven Gerrard off the bench and looked far more dangerous going forward and the Reds got a goal back with ten minutes left on the clock. Joe Allen struck that a volley that took a heavy deflection off former-Everton youngster Jose Baxter and found its way past Bouzanis in the Oldham goal.

So often Liverpool’s saviour in recent times Gerrard nearly saved the Reds late-on, as the England midfielder saw a fierce effort hit the bar and bounce clear. Liverpool pushed for an equaliser, but the Oldham defence held out resolutely to earn themselves a home tie with Liverpool’s arch-rivals Everton in the fifth round.

Can Oldham make it a Merseyside double by defeating Everton in the fifth round?

Manchester United will host Reading in the only all-Premier League FA Cup fifth-round fixture, following Sunday’s draw.

The final 18 teams – two fourth-round replays to be played – learned their fate after a day of upset results in the illustrious cup competition, as Oldham Athletic knocked out Liverpool, Leeds United eliminated Tottenham and Brentford earned a replay against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal will face Championship club Blackburn at the Emirates Stadium, while Manchester City will welcome Leeds to the Etihad Stadium.

Liverpool’s conquerors Oldham will host another Merseyside club next, Everton.

If they can beat Brentford at the second attempt, Chelsea will face a trip to Middlesbrough in the last 16, while giant killers Luton Town – who knocked out Norwich – will play Millwall at Kenilworth Road.

Draw for the FA Cup fifth round in full:
Huddersfield/Leicester v Wigan
MK Dons v Barnsley
Oldham v Everton
Luton Town v Millwall
Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers
Manchester City v Leeds
Manchester United v Reading
Middlesbrough v Brentford/Chelsea

Oldham completed a memorable FA Cup weekend as they dumped Liverpool out in the fourth round at Boundary Park on Sunday.

Matt Smith had given the League One side an unexpected lead after two minutes only for Liverpool’s captain for the day Luis Suarez to equalise 15 minutes later.

But Smith scored again on the stroke of half-time, before Reece Wabara extended his side’s lead two minutes after the break.

Joe Allen pulled a goal back for the Reds on 80 minutes, but the Premier League side were ultimately powerless to stop Oldham from progressing to the fifth round for the first time in 19 years with a 3-2 victory.

Prior to Sunday’s game, Oldham had played Liverpool four times in the FA Cup and lost on each occasion, but an apparent gulf in class didn’t show as Smith gave the hosts a shock lead in only the second minute, meeting Youssuf M’Changama’s cross to unleash a fine header.

But Liverpool hit back on 17 minutes with their first chance of the game as Suarez eased his way into the Oldham penalty area and slotted the ball comfortably past Dean Bouzanis.

The simplicity with which the visitors scored didn’t bode well for the hosts and Suarez seemed to have grabbed a second after 23 minutes but his header was ruled offside.

Sterling was then denied by Bouzanis from inside the box, but there seemed to be a distinct lack of urgency about the Reds – and they duly paid the price before half-time.

Robbie Simpson had been a constant thorn in the visitors’ side but it was goalscorer Smith who once again made the difference. First, the forward had another header denied by a fingertip save from Brad Jones before he doubled his tally on the stroke of half-time, pouncing on a loose ball after Jones went from hero to villain by spilling a straightforward cross.

Liverpool got things underway after the break and crafted an opportunity straight away, but Fabio Borini sent his shot high over the bar.

And Oldham wasted no time in capitalising as Wabara met a looping cross from substitute Carl Winchester to grab the game’s fourth goal, sending an unstoppable header into the far corner.

Steven Gerrard and Stewart Downing were introduced by Brendan Rodgers on 55 minutes in an attempt to salvage the situation, but the visitors offered little incisiveness as the hosts defended for their lives.

But Liverpool persisted and pulled a goal back through a deflected strike from Allen on 80 minutes.

A frantic finish ensued, with Gerrard hitting the crossbar from long-distance, but the League One minnows held on to secure a famous cup victory and end Liverpool’s hopes of reclaiming the trophy for the first time since 2006.

Luton players celebrate their 1-0 victory at Premier League Norwich

The FA Cup fourth round produced two major shocks in yesterday’s ties.

The biggest shock of the day came at Carrow Road, where Premier League Norwich were defeated 1-0 by non-league Luton Town.

It was hard to tell which team was the Premier League side and which side was the non-league side, as the game was an even contest.

The only goal of the game came in the 80^th minute. Substitute Scott Rendell was found by JJ O’Donnell’s cross and fired home. It was the first time that a non-league side have beaten a top tier team since 1989.

One of the other surprise results of the day came at QPR’s Loftus Road, where the home side were defeated 4-2 by League One outfit MK Dons. The MK Dons were four goals up by the 56^th minute, through goals from an Armand Traore own goal, Ryan Lowe, Ryan Harley and Darren Potter.

The home side put more of a favourable tint on the result late-on through goals from Bobby Zamora and Fabio Da Silva. Hoops boss Harry Redknapp will be absolutely furious with his team’s performance.

Elsewhere, Manchester City progressed into the fifth round with a 1-0 win at Premier League rivals Stoke, the only goal of the game coming from full-back Pablo Zabaleta.

Arch-rivals Manchester United coasted through to the fifth round with a 4-1 win over Fulham at Old Trafford. Ryan Giggs gave United the lead from the penalty spot early in the game.

United came out strongly in the second half and early goals from Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez gave the home side a comfortable lead. Hernandez added a second, before Fulham centre-back Aaron Hughes got a late consolation for the visitors.

Another Premier League side through to the fifth round are Everton, who won 2-1 at Championship Bolton. The Toffee’s took the lead through a Steven Pienaar goal. Bolton hit back through in-form striker Marvin Sordell.

Just as the game was heading for a replay substitute Johnny Heitinga fired home a long-range screamer in stoppage-time.

Arsenal are also in the fifth round after winning 3-2 at Championship Brighton. Olivier Giroud opened the scoring early on for the Gunners, before Ashley Barnes equalised for the Championship side.

Giroud put the Gunners back into the lead early in the second half. However, the home side were back on level terms soon afterwards through an effort from Jose Ulloa. The winner came with just five minutes left on the clock, Theo Walcott finding the back of the net.

Premier League Wigan scraped past non-league Macclesfield 1-0 at Moss Rose. The only goal of the game came after seven minutes through a Jordi Gomez spot-kick.

Reading defeated League One Sheffield United 4-0 at the Madejski Stadium. Noel Hunt opened the scoring, before Mikele Leigertwood made it two. Hunt was on hand to make it three and Gareth McCleary completed the rout.

Championship Middlesbrough defeated League Two Aldershot 2-1 at the Riverside Stadium. Lukas Jutkiewicz opened the scoring after 83 minutes. The League Two team equalised in the 89^th minute through Danny Hylton.

The game looked to be heading for a replay, before Jutkiewicz popped up in injury-time to send Boro into the fifth round.

Championship rivals Huddersfield and Leicester drew 1-1 at the John Smith’s Stadium. The home side took the lead through a 74^th minute Lee Novak penalty. In-form striker Chris Wood earned the Foxes a replay with an equaliser eight minutes later.

Barnsley won 1-0 at Championship rivals Hull. The visitors scored the only goal of the game after 20 minutes through striker Chris Dagnall.

In another all-Championship tie Blackburn won 3-0 at Derby. Rovers took the lead just before the break through a Colin Kazim-Richards effort. Centre-back Scott Dann scored the second and Jordan Rhodes rounded off the victory with a third.

Could Luton progress into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup?

Leeds United have progressed to the FA Cup fifth round after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Tottenham at Elland Road on Sunday.

Neil Warnock’s side took the lead in the first half thanks to a goal from Luke Varney after poor defending from Spurs and they doubled their lead just into the second half.

Ross McCormack got the goal in spectacular fashion in the 51st minute, and although Spurs pulled one back through Clint Dempsey seven minutes later, the hosts held on for a famous win.

The hosts started well as they pressed and hassled Spurs in midfield, but it was the visitors who should have opened the scoring in the first few minutes as Gylfi Sigurdsson headed Jan Vertonghen’s cross straight into the arms of Jamie Ashdown.

If Spurs did not already regret that miss, they did a few minutes later as Kyle Naughton and Steven Caulker both failed to clear Michael Brown’s hit-and-hope pass, allowing Varney to march towards goal and place the ball in the bottom far corner of the net.

The visitors were struggling to create chances throughout the first half but Gareth Bale should have done better when he got in behind Aidan White and shot at Jamie Ashdown, with the opportunity to chip the ball over the on-rushing goalkeeper presenting itself on a plate.

Goal-scorer Varney soon had another chance as he linked up well with El-Hadji Diouf down the left and then cut inside to shoot, but his effort sailed well over as Leeds took a 1-0 lead into half-time.

Things started familiarly in the second half as Spurs looked the more likely to score the next goal, but Leeds soon caught their visitors on the counterattack as Diouf and McCormack linked up well, with the Scot latching on to a ball over the defence before cutting inside Caulker and placing a marvellous shot into the top far corner of the goal.

Leeds’ two-goal lead lasted no more than seven minutes as the quiet Bale burst to life down the left, keeping the ball from Paul Green and Sam Bryam before crossing, and Dempsey glanced the ball into the far side of the goal with an excellent header.

A few minutes later, the hosts really should have re-opened the two-goal lead as Diouf and McCormack combined again and a slip from Vertonghen saw the Scot break free again, but when one-on-one with Brad Friedel, the goalkeeper palmed the shot round the far post.

A fantastic long-ball from Benoit Assou-Ekotto played substitute Jordan Obika through in the dying minutes, but the youngster under pressure from Lees and Peltier put his shot well over from a great position and Leeds held on for the win.

Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez hopes the club can emulate their historic treble won in 1999.

The Mexico international netted two goals to seal Saturday’s 4-1 fourth-round victory over Fulham, in a competition Sir Alex Ferguson’s team have not won since the 2003-04 season.

United face a Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid and sit in first place in the Premier League, and Hernandez insisted the club are eyeing all three trophies.

“We want to win all three,” he told the Manchester Evening News.

“We want to win the treble.

“It is in our minds. We need to think game by game, get the points in the league and get through in both cup competitions.”

Despite bagging another double, Hernandez is still searching for his first hat-trick as a United player but claims team accolades are of more importance to him.

“I am always looking for the famous hat-trick,” he admitted.

“But the most important thing for me right now is to win the treble.

“Next we have two games in the league. After that there is the international break, we play another league game and then Real Madrid, so the calendar is busy and we are looking forward to it.”

Fulham winger Alexander Kacaniklic was disappointed with his side’s below-par offering during their 4-1 defeat at Manchester United.

A Javier Hernandez double as well as goals from Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney proved too much for Martin Jol’s side, despite Aaron Hughes’ late consolation for the visitors in the FA Cup fourth round.

Kacaniklic says that conceding a third-minute penalty made it very difficult for Fulham to recover against a near-full-strength Manchester United.

“When you come to Old Trafford, the last thing you want to do is concede so early,” Kacaniklic told the club’s website.

“It was the same last weekend at the Etihad Stadium when we faced Manchester City. At this level and against such high-quality opponents, it’s very difficult to recover.

“OK, it’s a tough place to play and United will always be the favourites at home, no matter who they play, but 4-1 was still a disappointing scoreline.

“My honest assessment is that we were just not good enough today. As a result, we’re now out of the cup – it’s a sad moment for us.

“We wanted to put a good run together, when you start out you always have faith that you can do well and go as far as possible. Yes, this was a tricky tie, but we still hoped to do better.”

Fulham must now turn their attention to English Premier League matters in the form of a midweek clash against West Ham at Craven Cottage.

Kacaniklic said his side need to raise their game in order to bounce back from a string of poor results.

“January has been a strange month for us,” he said.

“It started well with a win at West Bromwich Albion, and then of course, we went through against Blackpool in the previous round of the cup. There was the draw with Wigan Athletic also, but now we have lost our last two games.

“We know that we need to raise our game and a win against West Ham would put things back on track.”

26th January 2013

While Leeds United are attempting to return to the Premier League, they will get a taste of Premiership football when they welcome in-form Tottenham to Elland Road. With both sides doing really well at the moment, there is every chance we will see an enthralling encounter in Yorkshire.

Despite plying their trade in the Championship, Leeds United are still regarded as one of the most famous clubs in the UK, with the Whites enjoying a lot of success in the past on both domestic and European stage. However, the last decade hasn’t given the fans a lot to cheer about, with the team unable to return to the top flight since getting relegated in 2004. Leeds United have shown a lot of improvement since Neil Warnock took over the reigns at Elland Road, but they still remain five points adrift of play-off places. Once again, the Whites are enjoying their FA Cup campaign, with 2-1 victory over Birmingham in the 3rd round replay earning them a clash with high-flying Tottenham. The game against Spurs does not come in a good time for the hosts given that their star player Luciano Becchio has just handed in a transfer request, so he could be left out of the starting line-up. Neil Warnock is set to make some changes to the starting line-up, with Jamie Ashdown, Michael Tonge and Paul Green all expected to feature.

At the time when top Premier League sides are being eliminated by lower division teams in both Cup competitions, Tottenham look a safe bet to avoid any embarrassments. Spurs appear to be on top of their game at the moment, as witnessed by the excellent performance against Premier League leaders Manchester United, while they seem to be taking every competition seriously under Andre Villas-Boas. With several first team players missing out through various reasons, the Portuguese manager doesn’t have such a big squad to choose from, but that is unlikely to make Leeds’ job any easier, seeing that most of the first team regulars will be starting at Elland Road. Emmanuel Adebayor, Sandro, William Gallas and Younes Kaboul are all unavailable, while Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Tom Huddlestone will be hoping to get some much needed match practice.

Conclusion

While the hosts can be expected to produce a decent performance in front of their own fans even if Neil Warnock opts to rest some of his starters, I seriously doubt the Whites have what it takes to stop Tottenham from winning. Spurs are flying high at the moment and it is important to note their showings on the road have improved a great deal this term.

Verdict: Away win

Best Odds: 7/10

Bookmaker: Paddy Power

The FA are investigating after bottles were thrown at officials during Millwall’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Friday night.

Assistant referee Mark Scholes was the target from some of the home supporters, who appeared to launch bottles at him after a foul was awarded against Millwall.

Referee Neil Swarbrick temporarily stopped play in response to the actions in the second half, with John Marquis later grabbing a headed winner in the 89th minute, which saw the Premier League side crash out.

Three people have been arrested so far and the Football Association are also set to take matters in their hands, with a spokesman revealing: “We will be looking into it. We are awaiting the referee’s report plus details from an FA crowd advisor who was present.”

Millwall manager Kenny Jackett has responded to the incident by stating that there is no room for actions of that manner in the stands.

“We can’t condone people throwing bottles on to the pitch. That doesn’t help us,” he told reporters.

“There’s a line between supporting your club and creating a passionate atmosphere but we don’t want to step over that line.”

Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta has hailed his side’s ‘massive’ FA Cup fourth-round victory against Stoke on Saturday afternoon.

City produced a dominant display and pressured the home side throughout the 90 minutes, duly being rewarded when Zabaleta’s 84th-minute strike from inside the box gave them a late win.

The Argentine defender believes his side were ‘fantastic’ on the day and was delighted to progress to the fifth round at such an intimidating venue.

“Today was a massive win on a tough pitch and it’s difficult to win here,” Zabaleta told ITV Sport.

“Three goals this season is not bad for a full-back but I need to keep working.

“Today we were fantastic and very solid at the back, and up front we were very aggressive so it was a great game for us.

“The Stoke crowd push the team a lot and we knew it was going to be difficult for us. The set pieces were very solid for us today so it’s great for the team.”

Zabaleta also expressed his side’s desire to repeat their feat of two years ago and win the trophy outright, although he did suggest that their focus remains on catching Manchester United in the Premier League for now.

He explained: “We won the cup two years ago and we know how important it is in England. We want to win the FA Cup again.

“Now that we’re through to the next round we have to wait for the draw. We focus now on Tuesday, QPR away and we have to keep winning to try to catch Man United.”

Tottenham defender Michael Dawson is eyeing off a trip to Wembley, ahead of their FA Cup fourth-round fixture with Leeds United.

During the 29-year-old’s Spurs career, he has been on the end of three defeats at the coveted ground – FA Cup semi-final defeats to Portsmouth and Chelsea in 2010 and 2012, and a penalty shoot-out loss in the League Cup final against Manchester United in 2009.

Dawson missed the 2008 League Cup final win against Chelsea through injury, so he is hopeful of experiencing success in this season’s FA Cup campaign.

“We spoke to the gaffer at the start of the season and we said we want to win trophies, as players and as a team,” he told Spurs TV Online.

“That’s what you look back on at the end of your career. We have had two Wembley trips in the League Cup – one win and one loss.

“Wembley is a special place. To go up those steps and lift that cup would be special. And every player will say the same as me – the FA Cup is massive for us.

“We’ve had some good runs in it, we have been to Wembley twice, but had both unfortunate experiences against Portsmouth and Chelsea for different reasons. We want to go all the way and it would be a dream come true to do that.”

The England international continued to state that his side must be at their best if they are to avoid a fourth-round exit against Leeds at Elland Road.

“It’s a one-off game. If we are not at the races we will come unstuck,” added Dawson.

“Leeds have some good players. It will be a sell-out, the fans will be right behind them and the atmosphere will be rocking so we have to be ready. Neil Warnock always gets his teams up for them so we have to be ready and we certainly will be.”

Tottenham assistant Steffen Freund has praised winger Aaron Lennon ahead of his homecoming to Leeds United.

The midfielder has been a fans’ favourite at White Hart Lane, and with Gareth Bale on the opposite flank, the duo have been known to destroy opposing defences with their lightning-quick pace.

Lennon was sold from Leeds to the north London club for one million pounds in 2005.

Since the arrival of Andre Villas-Boas as Spurs manager, the England international has blossomed.

This season, he has managed three goals and six assists in comparison to last season’s three goals and five assists in 23 games.

But what has impressed Freund the most this season, is the total number of chances he has created, even the ones which are not finished off by his team-mates.

He told the Daily Star: “For me as a coach, it’s great to see Aaron at that level.

“We created 10 chances against (Manchester) United and he was involved in seven. That means that we have one of the best wingers in England.

“What I can say is that Aaron has always had the talent to be one of the best wingers and now he is playing well every game.

“I’m sure Aaron is happy to read about this in the paper but the most important thing is that we finish in the top four and maybe we could win some silverware again for Spurs.”

Manchester United defender Patrice Evra said manager Sir Alex Ferguson is prioritising winning the FA Cup.

The left-back has been at the club for seven years but is still waiting to win the illustrious trophy, despite having collected medals from the Premier League, Champions League and Capital One Cup during his time at Old Trafford.

“The boss has given a big message this season – he really wants to win the FA Cup,” Evra told United Review ahead of Saturday’s fourth-round clash with Fulham.

“He really wants it and so do we (the squad).”

Ferguson has steered United to FA Cup glory on five previous occasions (1990, 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2004) but it is nine years since the Red Devils last won the competition, though they were beaten finalists in 2005 and 2007.

“It is the only trophy that I have not won at Manchester United,” Evra added.

“That seems impossible given that I am now in my seventh year here. The FA Cup means so much and, one day, I hope I will win it. Hopefully this year.”

The defender believes there is enough depth in the squad to enable them to compete for the trophy while maintaining their form in the Premier League and Champions League.

“Manchester United is the only team that can make 10 changes and still win,” he claimed.

“You might hear people call it a ‘second team’ but it’s not.

“Everyone is a United player and you trust each one of your team-mates. The manager makes those changes because he trusts that we are going to win. He’s not crazy, he knows exactly what he is doing.”

25th January 2013

One of the two all-Premier League ties in the FA Cup fourth round will see league leaders Manchester United take on Fulham, with the match marked by Dimitar Berbatov’s return to Old Trafford. It remains to be seen whether the Bulgarian can help the Cottagers pull off a shock here.

While impressing in both Premier League and Champions Leagie, the Red Devils have experienced all sorts of problems on domestic Cup competitions. After crashing out of the Capitol One Cup at the hands of Chelsea, United looked to be on their way out of the FA Cup as well. However, Robin van Persie scored an injury time goal at Boleyn Ground to earn a replay against West Ham, before Wayne Rooney scored the winner to earn the Red Devils a clash with Fulham. Sir Alex Ferguson will certainly be demanding a response from his players following a 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane, with his side having been on the back foot for much of the clash against Tottenham. The Red Devils flew to a training camp in Qatar immediately after the weekend’s match and they will be hoping the bonding trip helps them return to winning ways against Fulham. Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to make some changes to the starting line-up, but Jonny Evans and Ashley Young are definitely out.

Many expected Fulham to join the race for European places after they signed Dimitar Berbatov and few more exciting attacking players, but the Cottagers haven’t quite lived up to the billing. While the attacking department has been in full working order, even if the Bulgarian was often not at his best, the transition to a more attacking style of play has seen the team concede no less than 40 goals in 23 Premier League matches, which is a bit too much in my opinion. As Martin Jol struggles to find the right balance in the side, the Cottagers sit dangerously close to the relegation zone, so they might not be able to fully focus on their FA Cup clash against United. Although, a good performance at Old Trafford would certainly keep them in good stead for the home game against Fulham. Martin Jol is again tipped to field an under-strength side in the FA Cup, although there is every chance Dimitar Berbatov will be in the starting line-up. Kieran Richardson, Mahamadou Diarra and Kerim Frei are all ruled out.

Conclusion

Manchester United should have an easy job against weakened Fulham, even if Sir Alex Ferguson decides to rest some of his star players. With the Cottagers also dangerous up front and Berbatov keen to prove his former employers wrong, there is every chance we will see a high-scoring match at Old Trafford.

Verdict: Over 3.5 goals

Best Odds: 6/5

Bookmaker: William Hill

Leighton Baines has claimed Everton have every chance of winning the FA Cup this season.

The Toffees face Championship side Bolton Wanderers in their fourth-round clash on Saturday as they look to edge closer to ending their 18-year trophy drought.

Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside, Baines said: “It’s the best route for us to win something, as you can see from the line-up in the last round. The manager played a strong team (at Cheltenham).

“The Cup runs were great for us and something we thoroughly enjoyed. It was just disappointing that we didn’t end up with some silverware.

“It’s there for the taking if you can keep winning. That’s all you’ve got to do in the Cup. It’s not always about the performance – it’s all about winning.”

The 28-year-old believes that his side escaped a potential banana-peel tie against Cheltenham, but he is aware that shock results come hand-in-hand with cup runs, referring in particular to the unexpected Capital One Cup final between League Two Bradford City and Premier League side Swansea.

The full-back continued: “Cheltenham was a potential banana skin but we dealt with it. Bolton are just out of the Premier League so it’s going to be more of a level playing field.

“It’s still going to be a very tricky game. Cup games are tough and we’ve seen that in the last few nights in the other cup competition.”

Baines also emphasised the importance of renewing key first team players’ contracts, with Sylvain Distin signing a one-year contract as well as Phil Jagielka and Seamus Coleman also securing long term deals.

The England international added: “He (Distin) is one of the best professionals I’ve worked with, he’s still playing at the top of his game when some people would be starting to fall away.

“It’s good for the club to get people signed up, especially such important players. Jags (Jagielka) and Seamus Coleman have signed long-term contracts and they’re all as good as new signings.”

Can non-league Luton cause another shock in the FA Cup this weekend?

This weekend sees the fourth round of the FA Cup take place. One of the ties of the round sees non-league club Macclesfield host Premier League strugglers Wigan at the Moss Rose Ground.

The Blue Square Premier League side disposed of Championship leaders Cardiff in the third round and will be looking for another big scalp.

The minnows are in decent form having won four games out of their last six games in all competitions.

The visitors are currently second from bottom in the top flight and have won just twice in their last six games. This tie could be a major banana skin for Roberto Martinez’s side.

Another non-league side hoping to cause a shock in the fourth round are Luton Town, who visit Premier League outfit Norwich this weekend. The home side have struggled in the top flight this season and their only victory in their last six games came in the last round at Championship Peterborough.

The Hatters are on a patchy run of form, but got through to the fourth round of the cup with a 1-0 victory over Championship side Wolves. Luton are sixth in the Blue Square Premier league after starting their campaign brightly, but recent inconsistency has hampered their challenge for promotion.

Premier League Reading host promotion chasing League One team Sheffield United at the Madejski Stadium. The Royals are on a really good run of form which has seen Brian McDermott’s side win their last three games in all competitions.

The visitors early season form has tailed off slightly in recent weeks, as the Blades have claimed just one victory in their last six games. However, boss Danny Wilson will be confident that his side can cause a shock in Berkshire.

One of the all Premier League ties sees Manchester United host out-of-form Fulham at Old Trafford. The league leaders were stunned as Tottenham scored an injury-time equaliser to claim a point last weekend.

However this weekend’s visitors are on a poor run of form that has saw the Cottagers drop down to 14^th place in the top flight. Martin Jol’s team have claimed just three wins in their last 16 games in all competitions. The visitors may see this game as a welcome break from their league campaign.

In one of the early kick-offs on Sunday Championship Leeds host Premier League Tottenham at Elland Road. The Whites are currently in midtable in the second tier and knocked out fellow Championship side Birmingham in the last round.

Tottenham have enjoyed a superb season under Portuguese boss Andre Villas-Boas and will travel to Yorkshire in good heart after rescuing a last-gasp point against Manchester United last weekend. Spurs will be confident of progression against their Championship opponents.

Elsewhere, League One Oldham host Premier League Liverpool at Boundary Park on Sunday. The home side are struggling in League One this season and are close to the relegation zone. Their only win in their last six games came at Championship Nottingham Forest in the third round.

In contrast the Reds are one of the form teams in the top flight. Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez are already looking like a good strike partnership and the pair will be hoping to score the goals that help their team avoid an upset.

Busy

These are just some of the ties taking place in the fourth round this weekend. We will have a review of all the best action from Saturday’s games on Sunday.

What is the biggest tie in the fourth round of the FA Cup?

Alex Ferguson has praised the performance of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling following Manchester United’s 1-0 FA Cup win over West Ham.

With Jonny Evans struggling with a hamstring injury and Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand rested after the win over Liverpool on Sunday, the youngsters started a game together for the first time since the 3-1 win over Sunderland on December 15.

The match on Wednesday saw several players, including the pair, come into the side after spells out and although he rued profligacy up the other end, Ferguson was impressed with his side’s defence.

Speaking to MUTV, he said: “Jones and Smalling were fantastic, absolutely brilliant. The two of them were absolutely marvellous and I couldn’t be more pleased.

“They have been injured for a while and needed games, so today would only help them. We have several other players who needed a game like Nani, Wayne Rooney, Anderson and Alex Buttner.

“So we had six players who had a run-out at a crucial time of the season with Real Madrid coming up and Tottenham on Sunday, so that is good news for us tonight. We missed a lot of chances tonight really and we played some good football at times.

“The 15 minute period after half-time was the hardest for us because they just knocked that ball into the box, there were so many bodies all shoving all over the place. You really have to handle that and thankfully our two centre-halves were absolutely magnificent in how they dealt with it.

“It was a physical contest to be under and you have to stand up to it.”

In-demand Pep Guardiola will become the new boss of German giants Bayern Munich in the summer

Last night saw action in both the FA Cup and Premier League. Arsenal defeated Swansea 1-0 in their third round replay and Manchester United beat West Ham 1-0 at Old Trafford.

Arsenal dominated possession against Swansea, but found it difficult to break down their resilient defence.

The Gunners had 26 shots on goal and the visitors had fortune on their side at times. However the Gunners did make a breakthrough on 86 minutes.

Striker Oliver Giroud laid the ball off to midfielder Jack Wilshere on the edge of the penalty box and the England international fired home a powerful effort past Michel Vorm in the Swansea goal.

Wilshere was the outstanding player for Arsenal and deserved his goal. The Gunners now face a trip to Championship side Brighton in the fourth round.

Manchester United progressed into the fourth round with a hard-fought victory over West Ham. United came out the traps quicker than the visitors and took just nine minutes to take the lead. Javier Hernandez raced away from the Hammers defence and squared the ball for Wayne Rooney to tap-in from close-range.

United wasn’t their best and West Ham got back into the game slightly in the second period. The visitors couldn’t capitalise on their lively spell though and United were handed a chance to double their lead in the closing stages.

Jordan Spence was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty box and referee Mark Clattenburg pointed to the spot. Rooney stepped up to take the resulting penalty and blazed it over the bar. However that miss didn’t matter as United progressed with relative ease.

Slip

Meanwhile in the Premier League Chelsea threw away a two goal lead to draw 2-2 with Southampton at Stamford Bridge. The Blues took the lead in the 25^th minute. Oscar and Jos Hooiveld challenged for a Cesar Azpilicueta cross, only for the ball to deflect to Demba Ba, who volleyed past Artur Boruc.

Chelsea were two goals up on the stroke of half-time. Brazilian midfielder Ramires smashed an effort against the post and Eden Hazard fired home the rebound from just outside the penalty area.

The game changed in the 55^th minute with the introduction of Saints talisman Rickie Lambert from the substitute’s bench. The 31 year-old took just three minutes to get his team back into the game.

Full-back Nathaniel Clyne swung in a cross and Lambert beat three Chelsea defenders to head the ball past Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal. The goal was Lambert’s 10th of the season, making him the top scoring English marksman in the top flight.

The visitors came into the game more and got an equaliser in the 75^th minute. Youngster Luke Shaw ran half of the length of the pitch before producing a cross that found Jason Puncheon, who controlled and volleyed home a superb effort past Petr Cech.

Chelsea pushed forward looking for the winner and threw on much-maligned striker Fernando Torres, to the annoyance of Blues fans as he came on for fans hero Frank Lampard.

The Spaniard toiled up front, but couldn’t find a goal and neither could anybody else in a blue shirt as the game ended all square. Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez will be disappointed with the point, after his team took a two goal lead.

Saints boss Nigel Adkins on the other hand will be delighted with his teams’ spirit and performance in the second half. It is very much a point gained for the Saints.

Surprise

There was also a surprise announcement yesterday that former-Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola will become the Bayern Munich boss in the summer. The Spaniard has signed a three-year contract with the German giants.

Current Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes is retiring this summer and Bayern have acted fast to secure one of the most highly-rated bosses in the game. Guardiola has been linked with a move to various English clubs including Chelsea, Manchester City and even Manchester United.

However, despite Guardiola’s apparent love of the English game he won’t be managing in the English top flight in the near future. I have no doubts that he will eventually head to the Premier League though.

Guardiola won countless trophies at Barcelona, but this is his chance to prove that he can manage outside the fishbowl that is the Catalan giants. Bayern Munich is a massive club with world-class players, so I think that Guardiola has probably made a very wise choice.

Has Pep Guardiola made the right decision agreeing to become Bayern boss?

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is looking forward to facing his former side West Ham in an FA Cup third-round replay at Old Trafford.

The centre-back was an unused substitute when United grabbed a dramatic equaliser to draw 2-2 at Upton Park and is keen to face the Hammers this time around.

“West Ham is special for me,” he told United’s official website. “I look at West Ham as being a similar club to Manchester United in terms of their history and the way they keep all their people for so many years.

“Here, you see Cath on reception who has been here 30-odd years. It is similar at West Ham with Jimmy Frith and people like that.

“It is a club that is close to my heart because I came through the ranks there. I look out for their results, after Manchester United’s results. I am sure it will always be that way.”

The 34-year-old played alongside a number of England stars during his spell at West Ham, including Frank Lampard and Joe Cole – the latter of whom recently rejoined the London club.

And while Ferdinand is keen for the ex-Liverpool midfielder to shine, he is hoping that the his old colleague’s best performances start after their Wednesday match-up.

“That will be part of West Ham’s history forever now, the era we had there, with so many players who went on to play for England and win league titles with other clubs,” he said.

“It is unfortunate for West Ham that those players did not stay there and get built upon. That is all history now. Joe Cole has gone there to rewrite a bit of his own history in the coming months.

“It would be good to see him do something good but not on Wednesday. We want to get through this round.”

Marvin Sordell scored a brace in Bolton’s surprise 2-0 FA Cup victory at Sunderland

There were a host of FA Cup third round replays played on Tuesday night and the games certainly didn’t disappoint.

The biggest shock of the night came at the Stadium of Light were struggling Championship outfit Bolton defeated Premier League Sunderland 2-0.

The Trotters took the lead on 64 minutes. Darren Pratley was brought down in the penalty area by Jack Colback and striker Marvin Sordell fired home the resulting spot kick past Simon Mignolet in the Black Cats goal.

Sordell slotted home his and Wanderers second in the 73^rd minute, after the Sunderland defence struggled to clear a Tyrone Mears cross. The victory set up a fourth round home tie with Premier League Everton.

QPR defeated Premier League rivals West Brom 1-0 at the Hawthorns. The only goal of the game came from Hoops striker Jay Bothroyd. However, it was QPR keeper Robert Green who was the hero of the night producing some top-class stops to deny the home side.

Stoke City defeated Crystal Palace 4-1 after extra-time at the Britannia Stadium. Midfielder Jonathan Walters atoned for his two own goals by scoring two in the right end in extra-time. Kenwyne Jones had fired the home side into the lead on 69 minutes, only to see his goal cancelled out by an 87^th minute penalty from Palace’s prolific Glen Murray.

Walters scored his double before striker Cameron Jerome put the tarnish on a slightly harsh score line for the visitors. The Potters now face Manchester City in the fourth round.

Wigan avoided a shock by winning 1-0 at League One Bournemouth. The only goal of the game came after 18 minutes, Latics forgotten man Mauro Boselli producing a superb effort. Roberto Martinez’s side will now make the short trip to non-league Macclesfield in the fourth round.

Fulham were slightly fortunate to defeat Championship outfit Blackpool 2-1 after extra-time at Bloomfield Road. The Tangerines took the lead on 82 minutes, on-loan striker Nathan Delfouneso scoring from close-range.

Fulham’s equaliser arrived deep into stoppage-time. Former-Sunderland ace Kieran Richardson struck an effort from just outside the box that beat Blackpool keeper Matt Gilks all ends up. Fulham’s winner arrived in 116^th minute.

Damien Duff’s corner from the right was headed home by Brede Hangeland, after a slight deflection. Fulham will now face either Manchester United or West Ham, with the pair set to face each other on Wednesday night.

Elsewhere, Leeds won 2-1 at Birmingham to set up a clash with Premier League Tottenham in the next round. The home side took the lead on 36 minutes through midfielder Wade Elliott. Leeds equalised with 20 minutes left on the clock, former-Cardiff star Ross McCormack with the goal. The winning strike arrived in the 76^th minute through an El-Hadji Diouf penalty kick.

Brentford defeated Southend 2-1 at Griffin Park to set up a tie with London rivals Chelsea. Paul Hayes gave the home side the lead on 29 minutes, only for Barry Corr to head home an equaliser for Southend in the 69^th minute.

Brentford had an incredible 30 shots on target in this clash and the winner arrived on 76 minutes, Clayton Donaldson’s low drive took a deft deflection and found a way past Paul Smith in the Southend goal.

League One MK Dons upset Championship side Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 at Stadium:MK. Shaun Williams opened the scoring for the home side in the 29^th minute from the penalty spot and Dean Bowditch confirmed a home victory with a second goal in the 75^th  minute.

Hull City won 2-1 at Leyton Orient after extra-time. The Tigers took the lead on 41 minutes through a superb strike from Nick Proschwitz. Orient equalised late-on through a freakish effort from Dean Cox to send the game into extra-time.

With just three minutes left in extra-time Hull youngster Tom Cairney struck the winner from the edge of the penalty area.  Hull now face Barnsley in the fourth round.

Can Bolton win against Everton in the fourth round of the FA Cup?

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was again at the heart of controversy in his sides 2-1 win at Mansfield

Yesterday’s third round FA Cup third round ties produced some superb action and also controversy.

Premier League Liverpool scraped a 2-1 victory at non-league Mansfield.

Liverpool were ahead on seven minutes. Jonjo Shelvey found new boy Daniel Sturridge, who fired past Alan Marriott on his debut.

Liverpool had other chances, but were denied by the Mansfield keeper on numerous occasions in the first half.

Mansfield came out fired up in the second half and dominated possession for the opening period of the second period. The Stags had a number of claims for penalties turned down early in the second period.

Despite Mansfield early second half domination Liverpool scored the second goal in the 59^th minute. Substitute Luis Suarez had a near instant effect on the game. The Uruguayan broke through on goal only to see his initial effort saved by Alan Marriott; the striker then handled the ball and fired home from close-range.

He almost looked like he expected the referee to rule the goal out, but despite protests the goal was allowed to stand, another controversial incident to add to the rap-sheet of Suarez.

Mansfield didn’t give up though and got their reward in the 79^th minute. Substitute Colin Daniel produced a cross that was knocked back to Matthew Green who fired past Brad Jones in the Liverpool goal.

The home side gave the visitors a few late scares, but couldn’t find an equaliser. I can’t help thinking that the non-leaguers will feel very really aggrieved by the manner of their defeat.

Dignified

I have to applaud Mansfield boss Paul Cox for his dignified response to the Suarez handled goal. Cox refused to criticise the Uruguayan and instead praised his quality. The comments showed real class on the part of Cox, when he had every right to lambast the controversial striker, he didn’t.

Draw

Elsewhere, Swansea and Arsenal drew 2-2 at the Liberty Stadium. The two teams sounded each other out in the first half and produced very little notable action. However, the second half produced far more action.

Swansea’s star player Michu was rested due to a slight back injury, but the Spaniard stepped off the bench in the 56^th minute. The Swans star player took just two minutes to open the scoring.

The attacker broke through the Arsenal defence far too easily, before firing low past Wojciech Szczesny. It was another substitute Lukas Podolski that struck the Gunners equaliser in the 81^st minute, the German scoring with a low shot past Michel Vorm.

The Gunners took the lead in the 83^rd minute. England international Kieran Gibbs played a lovely one-two with French international Olivier Giroud and the full-back smashed a fantastic volley past Vorm.

The home side equalised with just three minutes remaining. Kemy Agustien’s corner found Ki Sung-Yueng at back post and the South Korean found in-demand striker Danny Graham who beat Szczesny in the Arsenal goal.

There was still time for the Gunners to nearly snatch the victory. Michel Vorm produced a superb one-handed save from a Laurent Koscielny header, after Theo Walcott found the French defender with a corner kick.

The two teams will have to meet each other in a replay in a bid to face Championship Brighton in the fourth round, after the Seagulls defeated Newcastle 2-0 in the third round.

Shock

League Two Cheltenham host Premier League Everton this evening looking to cause a major shock. Everton boss David Moyes is likely to field a slightly weakened side, but is unlikely to make wholesale changes after experiencing a number of defeats in cup competitions by lower league opposition.

Cheltenham are fourth in League Two and are in decent form going into the fixture. On paper this should be a simple victory for the Toffee’s, but this is the FA Cup and anything can happen. Just ask Luton and Macclesfield.

Is Luis Suarez now the most controversial player in football?

Fulham manager Martin Jol has spoken of his love for the FA Cup following his side’s 1-1 third round draw with Blackpool.

The Cottagers fell behind to Ludovic Sylvestre’s opener but secured a replay thanks to Giorgos Karagounis’ stunning late strike on Saturday.

And the Dutchman, who reached the semi-final of the FA Cup as a player with West Brom, insisted a disappointing turnout on Saturday did not detract from the ‘magic’ of the competition.

“We had 14, 15 thousand here today and that is good, but I would like to have sell outs all the time because that is what I tell people abroad: in the early stages (of the cup) we have sell-outs,” Jol said.

“It was such a good competition and an unbelievable cup to win. I love the FA Cup. When I played in England they were always special games.

“For a lot of teams, it’s a reason to put the sparkle back into the season and do something nice.

“It’s special. There is a tradition here about it. I know some people think it has lost some of its magic but it hasn’t for me.”

Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto is ready to fight to regain his place in manager Andre Villas-Boas’ starting XI.

After spending four months on the sidelines with a knee injury, the left-back made his return during Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Coventry in the FA Cup third round.

Although Jan Vertonghen and Kyle Naughton have impressed in his position in his absence, Assou-Ekotto is confident he can make the role his own once again after facing competition for starts when he first arrived at White Hart Lane.

“It’s not a problem,” he told the club’s official website. “When I came here six years ago I was in competition with Gilberto, Lee Young-Pyo and Gareth Bale and it ended up being my place so it’s not a problem.”

Assou-Ekotto was initially expected to be out for only a few weeks but after being reassessed, the recovery time was extended.

The 28-year-old said that his comeback had been made easier, however, by the strong run of form Spurs have enjoyed in recent weeks.

“It was not difficult because it is more easy to come back in to a team who are playing well,” he said.

“It was easy to play. I am cool to come back and to have a win at the end of the game so it’s cool for us, for the team and for me.”

Manchester City will meet either Crystal Palace or Stoke while holders Chelsea face a trip to either Southend or Brentford in the FA Cup fourth round.

Roberto Mancini’s side avoided an upset in the third round as they beat Watford 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium, with Carlos Tevez and Gareth Barry among the scorers, while Chelsea smashed Southampton 5-1 as Demba Ba – on his Blues debut – netted twice to help his side come from behind to claim victory.

Current Premier League leaders Manchester United,
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who, courtesy of a late Robin van Persie strike, rescued a draw against West Ham on Saturday, will take on Fulham or Blackpool, should they get the better of the Hammers in the third-round replay at Old Trafford on January 16.

The winner of the replay between Swansea and Arsenal, who played out a 2-2 draw at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday, will head to the Amex stadium to take on Gus Poyet’s Brighton, who comfortably defeated a below-par Newcastle in the early kick-off on Saturday.

Andre Villas-Boas’ Tottenham, who defeated Coventry at White Hart Lane on Saturday with Clint Dempsey grabbing two goals in the 3-0 win, face a tricky trip to either Birmingham or Leeds while struggling Aston Villa take on Millwall.

Everton, who visit Cheltenham Town on Monday, will face either Bolton or Sunderland if they come out victorious against the League Two side.

Conference outfit Macclesfield Town have been rewarded for their heroics in beating Championship table-toppers Cardiff City with a potential home tie against Premier League outfit Wigan Athletic, should Roberto Martinez’s men see off Bournemouth in their third-round replay on January 13.

Manchester City will meet either Crystal Palace or Stoke while holders Chelsea face a trip to either Southend or Brentford in the FA Cup fourth round.

Roberto Mancini’s side avoided an upset in the third round as they beat Watford 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium, with Carlos Tevez and Gareth Barry among the scorers, while Chelsea smashed Southampton 5-1 as Demba Ba – on his Blues debut – netted twice to help his side come from behind to claim victory.

Current Premier League leaders Manchester United, who, courtesy of a late Robin van Persie strike, rescued a draw against West Ham on Saturday, will take on Fulham or Blackpool, should they get the better of the Hammers in the third-round replay at Old Trafford on January 16.

The winner of the replay between Swansea and Arsenal, who played out a 2-2 draw at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday, will head to the Amex stadium to take on Gus Poyet’s Brighton, who comfortably defeated a below-par Newcastle in the early kick-off on Saturday.

Andre Villas-Boas’ Tottenham, who defeated Coventry at White Hart Lane on Saturday with Clint Dempsey grabbing two goals in the 3-0 win, face a tricky trip to either Birmingham or Leeds while struggling Aston Villa take on Millwall.

Everton, who visit Cheltenham Town on Monday, will face either Bolton or Sunderland if they come out victorious against the League Two side.

Conference outfit Macclesfield Town have been rewarded for their heroics in beating Championship table-toppers Cardiff City with a potential home tie against Premier League outfit Wigan Athletic, should Roberto Martinez’s men see off Bournemouth in their third-round replay on January 13.

Luton’s Alex Lawless is mobbed by teammates after scoring the winning goal in the Hatters 1-0 FA Cup victory against Wolves

Non-leaguers Luton and Macclesfield caused the biggest shocks of round three in the FA Cup.

Luton Town defeated Championship Wolves 1-0 at Kenilworth Road and cost Stale Solbakken his job in the Midlands.

The only goal of the game came in the 46^th minute, Alex Lawless scoring with a superbly taken volley.

It was a deserved victory for the Hatters, who are 59 places below Wolves in the football pyramid.

The other major surprise in the third round was Macclesfield beating Championship Cardiff 2-1 at the Moss Rose Ground.

The visitors are top of the Championship, but decided to field a weakened side in the North West.

And it looked like Malky Mackay’s decision was correct as the Bluebirds took the lead in the 57^th minute, Nathaniel Jarvis with a scrambled effort to give the Welsh side the lead. Cardiff seemed to be heading to victory until the 85^th minute.

Jack Mackreth found in-form Matthew Barnes-Homer and the striker scored from six yards with a left-footed effort. It got even better for the home side with just two minutes remaining. Cardiff goalscorer Nathaniel Jarvis brought down Homer in the penalty box and Barnes-Homer scored from the resulting spot-kick.

Championship side Brighton defeated Premier League Newcastle 2-0 at the Amex Stadium, to cause a slight shock in the early kick-off. Newcastle are currently in the midst of an injury-crisis and the Seagulls took full advantage.

The home side were in front on 33 minutes. Wayne Bridge produced a superb cross which found Andrea Orlandi, who somehow flicked the ball past Rob Elliot with his back to goal. It was a cleverly taken effort by the midfielder.

Newcastle’s afternoon got even worse in the 63^rd minute, as captain and striker Shola Ameobi was dismissed, after a second yellow card for a challenge on Brighton’s David Lopez. Newcastle looked more of a threat to Brighton with ten men, but couldn’t find a breakthrough.

The home side sealed the victory in the 87^th minute. Lopez played a superb ball through the Magpies defence to find substitute Will Hoskins who fired a low effort past Elliot in the visitors goal. The defeat completed a nightmare week for Newcastle.

Chelsea defeated Southampton 5-1 at St Marys, with Demba Ba claiming a brace on his debut. The Saints took the lead through striker Jay Rodriguez. Ba equalised, before Victor Moses put the visitors into the lead prior to half-time.

Defender Branislav Ivanovic extended the Blues lead. Ba then added his second and veteran midfielder Frank Lampard completed the victory in the 83^rd minute from the penalty spot.

League One Bournemouth drew 1-1 at Premier League Wigan. The Cherries took the lead just before half-time, former-Everton trainee Eunan O’Kane firing home from the edge of the penalty area past Mike Pollitt in the Latics goal.

Wigan brought on on-loan Manchester United youngster Angelo Henriquez at half-time and the change nearly paid instant dividends, the striker heading against the crossbar from David Jones’ cross.

The home side did equalise in the 70^th minute though. Full-back Maynor Figueroa being pulled back in the penalty area and winning a penalty. Spanish midfielder Jordi Gomez saw his spot-kick saved by Shawn Jalal in the Bournemouth goal, only for the mercurial star to score from the rebound.

Neither side could find a winning goal, so Bournemouth now have the chance to cause an upset back at Dean Court.

Premier League champions Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 victory against Championship Watford at the Etihad Stadium. City took the lead on 24 minutes, striker Carlos Tevez smashing home a superb free-kick from the edge of the penalty area.

The Citizens extended their lead on the stroke of half-time, midfielder Gareth Barry heading home from James Milner’s cross. City were three goals up in injury-time, as youngster Marcos Lopes scored his first goal from inside the penalty area.

Who caused the biggest shock of the third round of the FA Cup?

Danny Graham took advantage of hesitant Arsenal defending to force a replay for Swansea in an entertaining 2-2 draw in the FA Cup on Sunday.

After a lacklustre opening 45 minutes, second-half substitute Michu took mere minutes to break the deadlock and give the hosts the lead.

However, two goals in three minutes from Lukas Podolski and Kieran Gibbs turned the tie on its head, only for Graham to lash home from inside the area after Arsenal failed to clear a late corner.

Arsene Wenger made three changes to the side who drew 1-1 with Southampton, with Olivier Giroud, Per Mertesacker and Aaron Ramsey coming in for Podolski, Thomas Vermaelen and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain respectively.

Michu – who scored twice at the Emirates Stadium earlier in the season – had to make do with a place on the Swansea bench after failing to fully overcome a back injury.

The opening 10 minutes saw the hosts more than happy to soak up a dominance of possession that Arsenal has rarely enjoyed against Swansea in recent league encounters, without showing any cutting edge in attack.

But threatening on the counter, the Welsh side carved open the first real chance when Graham stung the palms of Wojciech Szczesny with a fine half-volley from the edge of the area.

While the hosts were frustrating Arsenal with a solid defensive display, Chico Flores in particular impressing, the Gunners were not doing themselves any favours with aimless runs down the flanks and shots from distance.

Again, Swansea nearly sprung a surprise when Kyle Bartley, in only his second appearance for the club since his move from north London, out-jumped Mertesacker and guided a header against the bar, with Szczesny beaten.

Arsenal came out in the second half with more dynamism about their attacking play, with Giroud going close three times inside the opening seven minutes, only to be thwarted by Michel Vorm on each occasion.

Loud shouts for a penalty to the visitors then followed when the Frenchman appeared to be felled by Bartley, but replays showed he tripped over his own heels.

As an instant reaction to Arsenal’s rediscovered flair, Michu was introduced by Michael Laudrup and rewarded his manager within seconds by controlling Graham’s flick-on, gliding past Mertesacker with ease and holding off Laurent Koscielny to slot home his 15th goal of the season.

Arsenal could, and perhaps should, have restored parity soon after when Ramsey found Giroud seven yards out, but the striker failed to hit the target with a header, before Theo Walcott dragged a shot past the far post with Vorm beaten.

As the match entered the final 10 minutes, Swansea were being pushed further and further back by their opponents, and Arsenal’s own second-half saviour Podolski spun smartly inside the area to convert Koscielny’s flick into the area to level the scores.

And the visitors were not done there. Just two minutes later Gibbs played a neat one-two with Mikel Arteta to dart into the area and smash a close-range volley into the roof of Vorm’s net.

But Swansea were not done there. With less than four minutes left to play, Arsenal failed to deal with a Swansea corner and allow Graham to beat Szczesny on the angle from close range and give his side a second bite of the apple.

Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham won well in the FA Cup on Saturday while Macclesfield Town and Luton Town notched famous triumphs.

FA Cup holders Chelsea came from behind to thrash Southampton 5-1 at St Mary’s Stadium as Senegalese forward Demba Ba netted a double on debut.

Ba – who joined the European champions on Friday from Newcastle – cancelled out Jay Rodriguez’s opener on the goal-line before Nigeria international Victor Moses gave Chelsea the lead on the stroke of half-time.

Branislav Ivanovic headed Chelsea’s third before Ba’s instinctive finish and a Frank Lampard penalty sealed a huge win for Rafael Benitez’s side.

Manchester City produced a routine 3-0 home win over Watford, with Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry and Marcos Lopes scoring for the winners.

Gianfranco Zola’s side started well and put City reserve goalkeeper Costel Pantillimon under some early pressure.

But the 2011 FA Cup champions took the lead thanks to Tevez’s excellent free-kick and never looked back, with Barry’s close-range header followed by a debut goal from the 17-year-old Portuguese attacker.

Tottenham also coasted to victory, defeating Coventry City 3-0 at White Hart Lane thanks to a Clint Dempsey double and another goal from the in-form Gareth Bale.

Championship leaders Cardiff City were stunned by non-league Macclesfield Town, who won 2-1 at Moss Rose.

Nathaniel Jarvis’ 57th-minute goal looked to have given Cardiff victory but two goals from Macclesfield forward Matthew Barnes Homer in the last five minutes gave the hosts – who sit 11th in the Conference – a famous victory.

Another non-league side, Luton, were also surprise winners with Paul Buckle’s side edging Wolves 1-0 at Kenilworth Road.

Luton, who were in the Championship as late as 2007, won the match thanks to Alex Lawless’ second-half strike.

Struggling Newcastle United were the only English Premier League side to be bundled out as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Goals from Andrea Orlandi and Will Hoskins helped Gus Poyet’s side to victory against a 10-man Newcastle, who have lost their past four matches.

Giorgos Karagounis bagged a late equaliser for Fulham in a 1-1 home draw against Blackpool while Jordi Gomez did the same for Wigan against League One Bournemouth.

Darren Bent and Andreas Weimann struck in the second half for Aston Villa, who beat Ipswich Town 2-1, Norwich City romped to a 3-0 success against Peterborough and Sunderland came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Bolton Wanderers.

Keiron Dyer’s 92nd-minute equaliser earned Queens Park Rangers a replay against West Bromwich Albion with the match finishing at 1-1, while Reading won 3-1 at Crawley Town.

In other matches, Derby County thumped Tranmere Rovers 5-0, Middlesbrough were 4-1 winners against Hastings United, Oldham Athletic beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 and Southend United and Brentford played out a 2-2 draw.

Huddersfield Town beat Charlton Athletic 1-0 while Barnsley and Millwall beat Burnley and Preston North End by the same scoreline respectively.

Leicester City toppled Burton Albion 2-0, Aldershot Town defeated Rotherham 3-1, Sheffield United cruised to a 3-0 success against Oxford United and Blackburn beat Bristol City 2-0.

Leeds United and Hull City drew 1-1 with Birmingham City and Leyton Orient respectively, while Crystal Palace and Stoke City, and Sheffield Wednesday and Milton Keynes Dons, played out goalless draws.