Liverpool And Man City Capitalise On Rivals Stalemates

After the excitement of the last midweek programme at the turn of the year, this week not only lived up to its predecessor but went even further with six sendings off and a few controversies as the table narrowed.

Tuesday's early-kick offs began with Man United beating Cardiff 2-0 with the returning Van Persie putting them 1-0 up after only six minutes while Young completed the win just before the hour-mark. Swansea edged away from danger with a 2-0 win against struggling Fulham with Shelvey and Chico scoring in the 61st and 75th minutes to seal the win.

A tight game between Norwich and Newcastle ended 0-0 after a bad-tempered exchange between Remy and Johnson saw them both dismissed with nine minutes to go which dampened the chance of a winner as they ended level.

Arsenal travelled to Southampton in excellent form but when they went behind to a Fonte strike after 21 minutes, the worries of a drop in form crept in but a quick double from Giroud and Cazorla inside four minutes of the second half saw the Gunners go in front. Lallana levelled two minutes later to bring it to 2-2 and Arsenal's hopes of regaining the lead evaporated when Flamini saw red ten minutes from the end as Southampton secured a well earned point.

The first of the late-kick offs saw Crystal Palace move clear of the bottom three with a 1-0 win over Hull with Puncheon striking the winning goal after only 16 minutes but Hull's night got worse in the final minute as McGregor was dismissed leaving them with a long trip up north with no points gained and a goalkeeper now suspended to add to their woes.

The second saw Liverpool host rivals Everton in the Merseyside Derby but the result was one no one could have predicted as the Reds demolished the Blues in a 4-0 win which saw a stunning opener from Gerrard connecting to a Suarez corner after 21 minutes. Everton were dealt an instant blow as Lukaku was injured while defending the corner costing them their top scorer but their fate got worse before it got better as Sturridge struck twice in two minutes with a couple of superb lobbed finishes to put his side 3-0 up at the break.

The game was over as a contest five minutes into the second half as Suarez capitalised on poor defending from Jagielka to make it 4-0 and when Howard appeared to bring down Sterling, Sturridge was given the chance of a hat-trick from the spot after Gerrard passed over the duty but sadly he blazed over and continued the recent trend of poor spot kicks from England players but Liverpool celebrated a win that will live long as one of those 'special nights at Anfield'.

Wednesday night saw a seven goal thriller between Aston Villa and West Brom with the Baggies leading after only four minutes through Brunt and then by two when Delph hit into his own net in the ninth minute. Weimann struck to make it 2-1 in the 12th minute and Villa were level in the 24th minute as Bacuna struck. As if four goals inside 25 minutes wasn't spectacular enough, Delph completed the rare feat of scoring for both sides as he put Villa 3-2 in the 37th minute and Mulumbu made it 3-3 just before the break.

After such a packed first half, it was surprising that the seventh and final goal didn't come until the 64th minute when Benteke scored from the spot to give Villa a vital 4-3 win while another surprise came at Stamford Bridge as despite having 39 shots to West Ham's one, Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw which ended with Eto'o scoring as Adrian turned his back ahead of a goal kick only to see it chalked off.

Sunderland continued their good run of form with a 1-0 win over Stoke with man of the moment Adam Johnson putting them in front after 17 minutes and Stoke's hopes of a comeback looked slim when N'Zonzi was dismissed after 53 minutes as Sunderland held on to close the gap on Fulham.

The final game of the night saw Tottenham suffer a second successive hammering by Man City with the visitors going top of the league with a 5-1 rout meaning they have scored 11 past Spurs in two meetings this season. Aguero put them 1-0 up after 15 minutes but soon went off injured as City struggled to adjust with no further goals in the half. A ten minute period in the second half shaped the game's outcome beginning with the sending off of Rose in the 50th minute with Toure scoring the resulting penalty, Dzeko made it 3-0 withing two minutes with Capoue pulling one back on the hour.

Jovetic netted his first league goal with 12 minutes to go and Kompany completed the rout in the 89th minute to complete a stunning midweek programme.
 

Swansea and Man City Comeback To Avoid Upsets

FA Cup fourth round time and at 3.45 on Saturday it looked like a number of cupsets were on the cards but the magic of the cup deflated as the big guns came back to win.

Friday night saw Notts Forest and Preston draw 0-0 while Arsenal cruised to a 4-0 win over with a double from Podolski put them two up inside the half-hour but Coventry did well and held out Arseanl until the final minutes when Giroud and Cazorla sealed the win.

Saturday's early kick-off saw Liverpool travel to Bournemouth and despite a fielding a strong side they only managed a 2-0 win with goals from Moses and Sturridge as the Cherries showed why they are only a division apart with some good chances.

Birmingham looked to upset Swansea after they took a 15th minute lead through Novak but a second half double from Bony in the 67th and 69th minutes saw the Swans level and then complete their comeback as the booked a place in the next round.

Another Championship side looked to be on the way to dumping out a top flight side as Watford raced into a 2-0 lead away to Manchester City with goals from Forestieri and Deeney giving them s shock lead at half-time which held firm until the hour mark when Aguero pulled on back before levelling with 12 minutes to go. Kolarov put City in front with three minutes to go and Aguero completed a remarkable comeback by securing a 4-2 win with his hat-trick goal in the final minute.

 Cardiff secured a safe passage with a 1-0 win over Bolton thanks to a second half strike from Campbell while Charlton surprised Huddersfield with a 1-0 win as they advanced thanks to a winning goal from Church in the 54th minute.

Brighton dispatched with Port Vale in a 3-1 win which saw them lead through Ince after 27 minutes, Vale levelled in nine minutes later via Robertson but were behind at the break as March fired Albion in front and the win was sealed by Obika in the 78th minute. Sheffield Wednesday avoided an upset by beating Rochdale 2-1 with Mattock giving Wednesday the lead in the 51st minute with Onyewu adding a second six minutes later, Rose pulled one back for Rochdale on the hour and Mattock was sent off in the 64th minute giving the hosts 25 minutes to level and force a replay but to no avail as the ten men held on.

Southampton defeated Yeovil 2-0 with a penalty from Do Prado and a second from Gallagher granting them a place in the next round while Hull also advanced after Fryatt double gave them a 2-0 win away to Southend.

Sunderland ended Kidderminster's hopes of extending their good cup run with a 5th minute strike from Mavrias giving the League Cup finalists their second cup victory inside a week. 2013 winners Wigan kept up their hopes of retaining the trophy with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace with Watson opening the scoring against his former side, Wilbraham levelled in the 69th minute but McClean sealed the win for the Latics with a strike in the 78th minute.

Saturday's late kick-off saw both good and bad as Everton cruised to a 4-0 win over League One side Stevenage with Naismith capitalising in the early minutes to hand the visitors the lead but a horrific injury to Oviedo after blocking a shot led to a long delay and very upsetting scenes as he was stretchered off an sent straight to hospital with what would later be confirmed as a double leg break.

Everton soldiered on and made it two with Naismith's second just after the half-hour, Heitinga made it three after coming off the bench and the rout was completed late on with a fourth from Gueye.

Sunday saw Fulham comeback to force a replay against League One side Sheffield United who had taken the lead through Porter in the 31st minute but the dismissal of their captain, Doyle on 52 minutes gave them a hard task to hold on against a side two divisions above them and the equaliser came 15 minutes from the end as Rodallega made it 1-1 and ensured United would travel to Craven Cottage next week.

Chelsea made it 4/4 in round five for the Premier League's top four with a 1-0 win over Stoke which came from a superb free-kick from Oscar as they continued their good run of form at home in the competition.

The fifth round draw followed the final game and after criticism that the fourth round setup no glamour ties, the fifth round did so in the first pairing as Manchester City were drawn to host Chelsea and before the dust could settle another giant of a tie appeared as Liverpool were drawn away to Arsenal meaning the top four all face each other to surely claim the main TV slots for the round.

For the lower league sides, Sheffield Wednesday host Charlton ensuring at least one last eight place will feature a non-top flight side while holders Wigan travel to Cardiff and the winners of the replays between Sheffield United/Fulham and Notts Forest/Preston will meet each other.

Brighton will host Hull while the remaining two ties are both top-flight meetings as Sunderland host Southampton and Roberto Martinez's Everton host his former club Swansea.

City Cruise While Sunderland Stun

After a pair of surprising first legs in the Capital One Cup Semi Finals, there was a difference of hopes in the second legs with Man City all but through and city rivals United with a deficit to overturn.

Tuesday night saw no surprise as Man City continued where they left off in the first leg with a 3-0 win to had West Ham a humiliating 9-0 aggregate defeat after a double from Negredo sandwiched a goal from the returning Aguero to send them to the final and leave West Ham in tatters.

As City watched on their rivals Manchester United looked to setup a Manchester derby in the final but what transpired last night will be remembered for a long time as they hosted Sunderland who currently sit 19th in the Premier League.

United struck first as Evans snuck in for a header at the back post in the 37th minute but as away goals don't come into account until after extra time, United needed another to go through but despite coming close had to settle for a level aggregate of 2-2 after 90 minutes and went into extra time buoyant.

The impetus switched as it was Sunderland who now needed to score and avoid an exit on away goals but they came so close to conceding when Hernandez went clean through the defence only to slot wide. Two minutes remained of extra time and still the sides were level but then the game swung twice inside a minute as former United defender Bardsley hit for goal, the shot looked to be an easy save for De Gea but he fumbled and it flew into the net as the 9,000 visiting fans went wild.

Sunderland's joy lasted barely seconds as from the kick-off, United attacked and Januzaj swept in a cross that found Hernandez at the back post who tucked the ball past Mannone to put his side 2-1 up but level on aggregate at 3-3.

The final whistle went and a penalty shootout was on the cards, United's experience put them as favourites but Sunderland got off to terrible start as Gardner skied his spot kick. However, Welbeck repeated the feat and the score remained blank. The battle of the Fletcher's saw Steven miss and Darren score putting United 1-0 up, Alonso levelled for Sunderland and Januzaj missed so still 1-1.

Ki scored superbly and Jones missed to give Sunderland a massive advantage as Johnson stepped up but he missed the chance to send them through, Rafael knew a miss would send Sunderland through and stepped up but as his kick found the dive of Mannone, the game was up and Sunderland celebrated a famous win that sees them meet City in March's final.

Tighter At The Bottom Than The Top

A mixed weekend for those teams chasing the top three but a better weekend for some of the struggling sides as the League goes into a small break for the FA Cup fourth round meaning the next league games are next midweek.

Saturday's early kick-off saw a tense 2-2 draw between Sunderland and Southampton which was a surprise when the Saints took the lead in the fourth minute through the in-form Rodriguez and doubled their advantage just after the half-hour after a superb strike from Lovren, Sunderland hit back instantly through Borini and levelled in the 71st minute as Johnson hit his fourth goal in two games to seal a point.

Arsenal stayed top of the tree with a 2-0 win over Fulham thanks to a Cazorla double in the 57th and 62nd minutes while Crystal Palace moved off the foot of the table with a 1-0 win over Stoke with the villain of last week, Jason Puncheon making up for his penalty miss with the winning goal in the 51st minute. 

Man City kept up the pressure on Arsenal with a 4-2 win at home to Cardiff with the Welsh side dropping to the foot of the table after Palace's win, Dzeko broke the deadlock after 14 minutes with Cardiff equalising on the half-hour mark through Noone. Navas quickly regained the lead for the hosts three minutes later but Cardiff managed to keep them to 2-1 until a quick double in the second half as Toure made it three in the 76th minute with the returning Aguero adding a fourth in the 79th minute. Although the win was certain, Cardiff added further consolation as Campbell hit their second goal to reduce the deficit in the final minute.

Norwich left it late to secure a vital 1-0 win at home to Hull with Bennett hitting the winning strike three minutes from the end and Hull received a further blow as Huddlestone was sent off in the 89th minute.

Newcastle claimed a 3-1 win away to West Ham with Cabaye putting them in front after 16 minutes and Remy doubled the lead in the 33rd minute The hosts got lucky as Willamson hit into his own net to give them the foundations of a comeback but  the comeback was dashed as Cabaye sealed the win in the final minute.

The evening kick off saw Liverpool look to close up on the top three with a win against Aston Villa but the visitors took a 2-0 lead with goals from Weimann and Benteke but Liverpool gave themselves hope at the interval as Sturridge pulled on back. Guzan brought down Suarez eight minutes into the second half and Gerrard converted from the spot to level the score but neither side could claim a winner and had to settle for a point each.

Super Sunday began with Swansea falling to a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham who took the lead through Adebayor and were given a hand as Chico scored an own goal eight minutes after half-time, Bony pulled one back in the 68th minute but hopes of levelling were rapidly dashed as Adebayor struck again in the 71st minute to seal the win.

Chelsea and Manchester United faced off in the second game and it was a 100th PL win for Mourinho as an Eto'o hat-trick in the 17th,45th and 49th minutes put the hosts in firm control and even though Hernandez pulled one back in the 78th minute, United's day got worse as Vidic saw red in the final minutes with Rafael lucky not to join him after a horrific tackle as United slumped to a fourth defeat in five games.

Monday night saw West Brom host Everton with both knowing a win would move them up the table with the visitors having the incentive of going into next week's Merseyside Derby above neighbours Liverpool if they secured the win and after Mirallas gave them the lead after 41 minutes, it was looking good but West Brom inspired by the first game under new manager Pepe Mel levelled through Lugano in the 75th minute and held on for a point.

So a fairly good weekend for the fans of the top three but not for those of Cardiff, West Ham and Fulham who all dropped after Palace and Sunderland secured points.

2013 Finalists Both Through

FA Cup third round replays and the re-arranged third round ties were the focus this midweek with both of the 2013 finalists surprisingly having to replay but both secured a safe passage as Man City beat Blackburn 5-0 and Wigan needed extra time to beat MK Dons 3-2.

Watford beat Bristol City 2-0, Preston defeated Ipswich 3-2, Sheffield Wednesday secured a 4-1 win over Macclesfield, Port Vale knocked out Plymouth 3-2 while Fulham won the all top flight tie against Norwich 3-0 and Kidderminster shocked Peterborough 3-2.

In the re-arranged games, Birmingham beat Bristol Rovers 3-0 while Bournemouth secured the plum tie of Liverpool after a 4-1 win over Burton. The third game saw Charlton secure a replay against Oxford by drawing 2-2 so that will be added after it is played on the 21st.

Top Seven Pull Away

After a break for the cup competitions, the Premier League returned with some sides still searching for a first win of 2014 but as the bottom half became a close set of sides, the top half saw three gaps appear from 3rd-4th, 7th-8th and 9th-10th on an exciting weekend.

Chelsea opened the weekend programme with a 2-0 victory at Hull to go top of the table thanks to goals from Hazard and Torres, ironic that the Blues went a year without a striker scoring away and it now seems to be so easy for them.

West Ham put their humiliating week behind them with a 2-0 win away to Cardiff with new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having an unhappy league debut in charge as Carlton Cole put the Hammers in front just before halftime. Tomkins saw red in the 72nd minute for the visitors but Cardiff failed to take advantage of the extra man and Noble confirmed the win for West Ham with a last minute strike.

Everton moved above city rivals Liverpool with a 2-0 win over Norwich with a stunning run and finish from Barry putting them in front after 23 minutes with Mirallas adding a second on the hour-mark to seal the win over the Canaries who in recent meetings had got the better of the Toffees.

Sunderland take the title for shock of the weekend after a 4-1 demolition of fellow strugglers Fulham at Craven Cottage with Johnson putting the visitors ahead on the hafl-hour and Ki added a second just before half-time to give the hosts a mountain to climb. Sidwell pulled one back for Fulham but their failure to draw level proved costly when Johnson converted a penalty in the 69th minute to make it 3-1, he went on to complete a famous hat-trick with five minutes to go to continue Sunderland's decent form in London.

Southampton moved clear in 9th with a 1-0 win over West Brom with Lallana hitting the winner after 66 minutes while Tottenham closed up on the top four with a 2-0 win at home to Crystal Palace but the hosts could have gone behind early on after Palace were awarded a penalty but Puncheon hit high and wide blowing a brilliant chance. Eriksen gave Spurs the lead after 50 minutes and Defoe who will soon be moving on to Toronto scored what could be his last Spurs goal in the 72nd minute to complete the win.

Manchester United took on Swansea in the late kick-off as they looked to avenge their FA Cup defeat to the Swans, Valencia put them in front after 47 minutes and Welbeck hit the second on the hour-mark to end United's run of three consecutive defeats.

Super Sunday saw Newcastle host Man City with City improving their away form with a 2-0 win with an eighth minute opener from Dzeko setting them off and Negredo striking late on to complete the win. The second game of the afternoon saw an eight goal thriller between Stoke and Liverpool which was surprising with Stoke traditionally a hard place to score for visiting teams.

Liverpool got a fortuitous opener when Cissokho's shot went in off Shawcross after five minutes and Suarez made it two after 32 minutes with his 21st league goal but as in recent away trips, Liverpool were again pulled back as former Anfield hero Crouch headed in and fellow former red Adam drew Stoke level at the break from long range.

Gerrard made it 3-2 from the spot after Sterling was fouled but again Stoke came back as Walters made up for his penalty miss in the reverse meeting to make it 4-3 but when Sturridge made his return from injury, the SAS reformed in emphatic fashion as Suarez picked out his strike partner who hit for goal only to see Butland keep it out, Sturridge then skilfully chipped and headed the ball before finishing past Butland for 5-3 and brought the weekend's action to a close in the perfect way.

City Stroll While United Falter

Capital One Cup Semi Final time and the pre match outlook for the first legs were a double Manchester win but as with the FA Cup, there was a massive surprise.

Sunderland have one foot in the Wembley final after a shock 2-1 win at home to Manchester United with the opening goal being a complete surprise as Ryan Giggs diverted the ball into his own net in preventing Bardsley from scoring as United ended the first half 1-0 down.

Vidic levelled seven minutes into the second half but the joy for the travelling fans was short as United conceded a penalty which Borini converted to swing the joy to the home fans and Sunderland held on to hand United a third consecutive defeat while buoying their own mood away from their league struggle.

Like Sunderland, West Ham are also at the wrong end of the league but there was no surprise when they travelled to Man City who demolished them 6-0 and piled pressure on Hammers manager Sam  Allardyce with Negredo kicking the rout off after only 12 minutes which he added to with a second in the 26th minute. Toure made it three just before the break as City looked in firm control of the tie, Negredo completed his hat-trick in the 49th minute and it was a case of how many for City.

Dzeko got in on the act on the hour and hit his second and City's sixth with a minute to go to send West Ham home with 11 conceded in consecutive games and with an impossible task in the return leg.

Cupsets Shock In FAC Round Three

The biggest weekend of the football calendar is the hallowed FA Cup third round and the tradition of the cupset continued with a number of high profile sides exiting the competition.

Two games fell foul of the weather and will be played at a later date - Bournemouth v Burton and Charlton v Oxford while Birmingham have to wait for the rearranged second round replay between Crawley and Bristol Rovers.

Saturday's early kick off saw Blackburn host Manchester City in what many predicted would be a City win but the magic of the cup saw Rovers force a replay with a 1-1 draw after they fell behind to Negredo's 45th minute opener, Dann levelled in the 55th minute and the hosts could have gone through had they taken advantage of the late sending off off Boyata but had to settle for a trip to the Etihad next week.

Pre-match comments from Villa manager Paul Lambert saying 'they could do without the cup' seemed to fire up opponents Sheffield United as they caused an upset in 2-1 win, Murphy put the Blades in front after 20 minutes with Helenius equalising with 15 minutes to go. However, yet again the magic of the cup surfaced as Flynn gave the visitors a 2-1 lead and a surprise win in the 81st minute to save Lambert any worries about the cup.

Coventry caused a surprise of their own with a 2-1 win away to Barnsley despite going behind to a 19th minute opener from O'Brien as Moussa levelled with 12 minutes remaining but hopes of a replay for the hosts were dashed with Clarke securing the win for the Sky Blues in the 89th minute.

Bolton came out as victors in the local derby with Blackpool with former Liverpool striker Ngog opening the scoring in the tenth minute for the hosts but Blackpool levelled on half-time through Barkhuizen, Bolton regained the lead six minutes into the second half with a strike from Beckford and held on for the win.

Brighton secured passage to round four with a 1-0 home win over Reading courtesy of a winner from Crofts after 32 minutes while Bristol City and Watford both scored late on but had to settle for a replay in a 1-1 draw which saw Murray put the Hornets ahead in the 84th minute only to see it cancelled out instantly by Emmanuel-Thomas' equaliser.

Stevenage shocked Doncaster with a 3-2 win that saw them lead 2-0 through Zoko and Hartley, Forrester pulled one back in the 72nd minute for Rovers but Charles hit a third for the visitors to seal the win with Wakefield hitting a second for Doncaster that served as mere consolation.

Everton cruised through to round four with a 4-0 win over QPR with Barkley and Jelavic putting them 2-0 up at the break, the returning Jelavic hit a third in the 68th minute with the in-form Coleman completing the rout with 14 minutes left.

Grimsby had their dream of a fourth round place dashed in the final minutes by Huddersfield who came from 2-1 down to win 3-2, Hannah gave the hosts a lead after 25 minutes with Norwood equalising in the 51st minute. Disley regained the lead for the Conference side just after the hour and with five minutes to go they were on for a famous win but a leveller from Paterson in the 86th minute, followed by an own goal in the final minute from Thomas completed the comeback.

Ipswich and Preston will have to meet again after a 1-1 draw at Portman Road that saw the hosts lead through McGoldrick after 38 minutes with Davies levelling for North End three minutes before the break to force a replay.

Kidderminster secured a replay with Peterborough with a 0-0 draw while Macclesfield came from 1-0 down at home to Sheffield Wednesday to draw 1-1 and force a replay with Williams cancelling Johnson's 25th minute opener with a 72nd minute equaliser. Hull avoided an upset with a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough with McLean and Proschwitz securing the win.

Cardiff gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a maiden win as they came from behind to beat Newcastle 2-1, Cisse gave the Magpies the lead after 62 minutes but a superb leveller from former Skelmersdale United midfielder Craig Noone gave Cardiff hope which turned to celbration as Campbell sealed the win in the 80th minute.

Nowich and Fulham will meet again after a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road which saw Bent give the Cottagers the lead after 40 minutes with the Canaries levelling and forcing a replay with Snodgrass' strike on half-time. Rochdale stunned Leeds in a 2-0 win with goals from Hogan and Henderson securing safe passage to the next round.

A seven goal thriller saw Southampton advance with a 4-3 win over Burnley with Clyne opening the scoring after 22 minutes followed by a quick second from Lambert to put them two up at the break, Vokes and Ings struck for the visitors but the Saints went 4-2 up with strikes from Rodriguez and Lallana while Long setup a frantic finish with Burnley's third goal seven minutes from the end but to no avail as Southampton held on for the win.

Southend beat Millwall 4-1 with a first half double from Corr and Atkinson putting the hosts in control while Easter saw red for the visitors at the break, Timlin made it 3-0 with Woolford pulling  one back which was a consolation when Leonard completed the rout in the final minute.

Stoke beat promotion hopefuls Leicester 2-1 with goals from Jones and Adam sandwiching an equaliser from Nugent while Crystal Palace faced Premier League rivals West Brom and came away with a 2-0 victory thanks to a 23rd minute strike from Gayle and a late Chamakh sealer.

Holders Wigan led 2-0 and 3-2 but were held 3-3 by MK Dons in an exciting tie that saw Espinoza and Gomes put the Latics two up but a brace from Reeves saw the sides level at the interval with McManaman regaining the lead for the 2013 winners after 65 minutes, Bamford signed off his loan spell with an 84th minute equaliser that adds another game to Wigan's packed season.

Yeovil hammered Leyton Orient 4-0 with a double from Hayter added to by Grant and a late Moore strike while in the day's late kick-off, Arsenal got the better of their derby rivals Tottenham with a 2-0 victory with goals form Cazorla and Rosicky.

Sunday began with a stunning 5-0 win for Nottingham Forest against a weakened West Ham side with a cheeky Abdoun penalty after 12 minutes putting them in front with Paterson soon hitting his first, second and third goals for the club as the Hammers were blunted but Forest completed the rout with a stylish finish from Reid.

Sunderland cast off their league woes to ensure they remained in both domestic cups with a 3-1 win over Carlisle with a stunning free kick from Johnson putting them in front after 34 minutes with Robson levelling just before the interval for the visitors, O'Hanlon deflected past his own 'keeper to make it 2-1 to the hosts with the win secured with a debut goal from Ba.

Chelsea reached round four with a second half double from Mikel and Oscar in a game that Derby were unfortunate to lose with a good performance in the 2-0 loss, Port Vale and Plymouth shared four goals in a 2-2 draw that saw Vale lead 2-0 after goals from Tomlin and Pope but a Reid strike after 51 minute was later joined by a Purrington leveller in the 74th minute to force a replay.

Liverpool bounced back from last years exit at the hands of today's opponents Oldham with a 2-0 win that they were made to work for as the Latics held firm until the 54th minute when a first Liverpool goal for Aspas put the hosts ahead and the win was sealed after Tarkowski glanced into his own net from Sterling's shot.

The final game of the weekend saw Swansea travel to face Manchester United in the first of two meetings this week but United will be hoping for a change in luck next week after going behind early on to Rouledge's opener in the 12th minute but Hernandez levelled within four minutes to calm the home fans nerves but with former manager Alex Ferguson spectating, United were dumped out of the competition in the final minutes or as some call it 'Fergie Time' as Bony struck a famous winner.

The glamour of the third round seemed to dampen in the fourth round draw with no stellar ties standing out there are a trio of potential cupsets as Everton travel to Stevenage, Arsenal host Coventry and Liverpool will travel to either Bournemouth or Burton Albion.

2014 Opens With Clear Top Three

A new year in 2014 sees some people wake up hungover after a merry night but for the Premier League players the year starts with an early test of which some were found to be lacking in a bad start to the year.

Man City went top of the league in the early kick off after a 3-2 win away to Swansea with Fernandinho giving them the lead after 14 minutes but the sides went in level at the break when Bony equalised but Toure regained the lead for City just before the hour and eight minutes later, Kolarov hit a third to surely seal the win but Swansea had other ideas as Bony hit his second in the final minutes but saw his side start the year with a loss.

Arsenal regained top spot with a late show at home to Cardiff who named Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their new manager after the match, Bendtner came off the bench to hit an 88th minute opener with Walcott sealing the win in the 90th minute. Crystal Palace came from behind to claim a draw at home to Norwich who led through Johnson after 39 minutes but their lead lasted five minutes as Puncheon equalised from the spot just before half-time, Norwich finished with ten men after Fer was sent off in the 82nd minute by Palace failed to take advantage and had to settle for a point.

Fulham made it a bad start to the year for visitors West Ham who had led after seven minutes through Diame but saw Sidwell level just after the half-hour, The Hammers hopes were dealt a blow when captain Kevin Nolan was sent off just before the break and Fulham took advantage of the extra man as Berbatov gave them the lead in the 66th minute and they held on for a vital win.

Liverpool bounced back from a bad end to 2013 to start 2014 with a 2-0 win at home to Hull getting revenge for the 3-1 loss they suffered in the reverse meeting  and it was a first goal of the season for stand-in captain Daniel Agger after 36 minutes that set them off with Luis Suarez hitting a superb free-kick in the 50th minute to seal the win and end his two game scoring drought.

Chelsea completed a double over Southampton with a 3-0 win that saw them banish the stat of no striker coring away in a year as Torres opened the scoring on the hour with Willian and Oscar adding two more to complete the win. Everton left it late to claim a point away to Stoke in a 1-1 draw after loanee Assaidi put the Potters in front in the 49th minute but Baines levelled from the spot in the final minute.

Aston Villa started the year with a 1-0 win at Sunderland thanks to a goal from Agbonlahor to give them a first win in six games while West Brom had the in-form Berahino to thank as he hit a winner from the spot three minutes from the end against ten man Newcastle who had Debuchy sent off just after the hour mark.

The late kick off saw Tottenham travel to face Manchester United looking to go above their hosts in the table and took a surprise lead through Adebayor after 34 minutes which was added to by Eriksen's strike in the 66th minute, Welbeck hit back instantly for United but Tottenham held on to go sixth and complete a good opening day to 2014.