New Delhi: The FA Cup third round saw thrilling action as Premier League giants cruised through, while some underdogs fought valiantly. Manchester City and Chelsea put on dominant displays, with City crushing Salford 8-0 and Chelsea dispatching Morecambe 5-0. Liverpool comfortably overcame Accrington Stanley, while Aston Villa staged a dramatic comeback to beat West Ham 2-1, handing Graham Potter a tough debut.
Elsewhere, teams from lower divisions sought to cause upsets, but the gulf in class was evident as top-flight clubs flexed their muscles. Here’s a wrap-up of all the key matches and results from a captivating weekend.
Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham United
Through to the fourth round of the FA Cup 💪 pic.twitter.com/pvebbZPoyY
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 10, 2025
Aston Villa staged a late comeback to beat West Ham 2-1 at Villa Park, sealing their spot in the FA Cup fourth round and spoiling Graham Potter’s debut as Hammers manager. Potter, appointed just two days earlier, saw Lucas Paquetá give his side the perfect start, but second-half goals from Amadou Onana and Morgan Rogers turned the match around.
West Ham began brightly, with Paquetá’s curling effort narrowly missing the target inside the first minute. The Brazilian opened the scoring in the ninth minute, calmly finishing Crysencio Summerville’s precise cross. However, their joy was short-lived as Niclas Füllkrug pulled up with a hamstring injury and had to be replaced. Villa suffered an injury blow too, with Ross Barkley limping off before half-time.
Villa found it difficult to create chances in the first half, managing just one attempt on goal. However, things changed dramatically after the break. Onana equalised in the 71st minute, poking home from a corner that West Ham disputed should not have been awarded. Rogers finished a swift counter-attack five minutes later, firing Ollie Watkins’ cutback past Lukasz Fabiański.
Villa could have added a third when Jacob Ramsey’s effort hit the post, but their two quick goals proved enough. West Ham pressed late, but Villa held firm to advance, leaving Potter with positives but plenty to ponder after his first game in charge.
Chelsea 5-0 Morecambe
Progressing to the fourth round of the #EmiratesFACup! 🏆#CFC pic.twitter.com/Eqw9mWrJdd
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 11, 2025
Chelsea cruised to a 5-0 win over Morecambe to secure their place in the FA Cup fourth round. The Blues dominated possession but struggled to break through early, with Christopher Nkunku missing a penalty and Harry Burgoyne making several key saves. Tosin Adarabioyo’s deflected strike finally gave Chelsea the lead just before halftime.
Nkunku doubled the advantage early in the second half, pouncing on a rebound. Tosin added a spectacular second goal from 25 yards, while Joao Felix stole the show with a stunning brace, including a brilliant curling effort into the top corner.
Morecambe showed resilience, but their limited chances were comfortably dealt with by Chelsea’s defence and goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen. The victory ensures Chelsea progress to the next round, with the draw set to follow Arsenal’s clash with Manchester United. Chelsea will be back in Premier League action against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Liverpool 4-0 Accrington Stanley
Victory in the #EmiratesFACup third round 🙌 #LIVACC pic.twitter.com/hMHW5I6cgX
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 11, 2025
Liverpool cruised to a 4-0 win over League Two side Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round at Anfield. First-half goals from Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold were followed by second-half strikes from Jayden Danns and Federico Chiesa, ensuring a straightforward win for the Premier League leaders.
The gap in class was evident despite Accrington’s spirited effort. Liverpool’s opener came after Darwin Núñez set up Jota with a pinpoint cross, while Alexander-Arnold doubled the lead with a sublime long-range effort before the break.
In the second half, Danns, an 18-year-old academy graduate, made an instant impact off the bench, scoring his third FA Cup goal in as many appearances. Federico Chiesa sealed the result in the dying moments, converting after hitting the woodwork earlier.
Accrington had brief moments, with Josh Woods hitting the crossbar and Donald Love missing a clear header. Still, they struggled to create meaningful chances, managing just 21% possession. Liverpool boss Arne Slot praised the visitors’ resilience but highlighted the gulf in quality as the decisive factor.
Manchester City 8-0 Salford
FULL-TIME | In the hat 🎩
🩵 8-0 🔴 #ManCity | @okx pic.twitter.com/uVvzcCGHIs
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 11, 2025
Manchester City stormed into the FA Cup fourth round with an emphatic 8-0 victory over Salford City. James McAtee stole the spotlight with his first senior hat-trick, while Jeremy Doku netted twice, alongside goals from Divin Mubama, Nico O’Reilly, and Jack Grealish.
City dominated from the outset, with Doku scoring the opener after just eight minutes. Matheus Nunes set up Mubama for a simple tap-in before O’Reilly made it 3-0 before half-time. Grealish ended his year-long goal drought early in the second half, converting from the penalty spot after being fouled. McAtee added a classy fifth goal, turning in Doku’s cross with a first-time finish.
Doku netted his second from the spot, McAtee completed his brace soon after, and capped the night with his hat-trick late on, finishing Grealish’s low cross. City’s ruthless performance marked their seventh straight FA Cup match scoring from the spot, extending their unbeaten run against lower-division teams in cup competitions.
Other results
- Wycombe 2-0 Portsmouth
- Bristol City 1-2 Wolves
- Middlesbrough 0-1 Blackburn Rovers
- Birmingham 2-1 Lincoln City
- Leicester City 6-2 QPR
- Nottingham Forest 2-0 Luton Town
- Brentford 0-1 Plymouth
- Bournemouth 5-1 West Brom
- Norwich City 0-4 Brighton
- Reading 1-3 Burnley
- Exeter City 3-1 Oxford United
- Sunderland 1-2 Stoke City
- Leeds 1-0 Harrogate Town
- Coventry 1(4)-1(3) Sheffield Wednesday
Aston Villa stunned West Ham with a dramatic 2-1 win in the FA Cup, while Chelsea and Manchester City cruised through with dominant victories. Liverpool dispatched Accrington Stanley 4-0, ensuring top-flight clubs advanced with ease in the third round. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
