FA Cup Weekend Highlights
In a weekend filled with FA Cup action, four teams from the Premier League — Fulham, Leeds United, Sunderland, and Wolverhampton Wanderers — managed to secure their spots in the fifth round without facing unexpected defeats. On Sunday, the spotlight was also on Arsenal as they prepared to take on Wigan, a team struggling in the lower tiers.
Match Summaries
Fulham‘s journey saw them claim a dramatic 2-1 victory over Stoke City, a team playing in the Championship. The match turned pivotal when Harrison Reed scored the decisive goal by capitalizing on a blunder from Stoke’s goalkeeper, Tommy Simkin, late in the match. Earlier in the game, Fulham’s Brazilian winger, Kevin, had leveled the score after Bae Jun-ho opened the scoring for Stoke shortly after half-time.
Meanwhile, Sunderland triumphed with a narrow 1-0 win at Oxford United, thanks to a penalty conversion by midfielder Habib Diarra. Wolverhampton secured their own 1-0 victory, courtesy of a goal from Santiago Bueno against Grimsby Town, enduring challenging weather conditions at Blundell Park.
Leeds United advanced through an intense match against Birmingham City, which saw the teams finish at a 1-1 draw after extra time. Lukas Nmecha scored first for Leeds early in the second half, only for Patrick Roberts to equalize dramatically just before the end of regulation time. In the penalty shootout, Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri emerged as a hero, denying Tommy Doyle, while Roberts missed for Birmingham, allowing Sean Longstaff to convert and propel Leeds to a 4-2 shootout victory.
Surprises in the FA Cup
The FA Cup has not been without its surprises, however. Just the day prior, Mansfield Town knocked out Premier League side Burnley, increasing the pressure on their coach, Scott Parker. Additionally, non-league Macclesfield delivered a stunning upset last month by defeating Crystal Palace, the reigning champions, in what is now regarded as one of the competition’s most shocking moments. Looking ahead, Macclesfield is set to face Brentford, another Premier League team, in the upcoming round.
