FA cup fifth round wrap-up: Key talking points from the FA Cup this weekend

The fifth round of the FA Cup delivered another weekend full of drama, shocks and standout performances as clubs battled for a place in the quarter-finals.

Here, Sports News Blitz writer Tyler Cooke analyses the fixtures from the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Port Vale shock Premier League side 

One of the biggest shock games of the weekend was Port Vale v Sunderland, where the League One side beat the Premier League side 1-0 at Vale Park. 

Port Vale took the lead in the 28th minute with a headed goal from Ben Waine but moments before the goal, Sunderland captain Luke O’Nien nearly scored a wonderful own goal from the half-way line, but was headed away by Melker Ellborg. 

There was some controversy during the game, Melker Ellborg brought down George Hall outside the box.

The Swedish keeper was shown yellow with some fans believing he should have been sent off and that referee Anthony Taylor got the decisions wrong. 

Sunderland continued to pressure Port Vale but were unable to find the equaliser, with Port Vale goalkeeper Joe Gauci denying the Black Cats, helping them reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. 

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Premier League heavyweights continue their push for silverware

Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City continue their push for silverware as all three teams advance to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. 

Liverpool kicked us off with a dominant 3-1 win over Wolves at Molineux on Friday night.

The Reds couldn’t get a goal in the first half as they struggled to find the back of the net, but in the second half Liverpool wrapped up the game with goals from Andy Robertson, Mo Salah and Curtis Jones - helping Liverpool advance to the next round. 

Arsenal managed to beat Mansfield Town 2-1 at the One Call Stadium this past Saturday, advancing the Gunners to the quarter-finals. 

Arsenal took the lead in the 41st minute with a goal from Noni Madueke, but Mansfield were quick to respond with a goal from Welsh striker Will Evans in the 50th minute.

Arsenal in the end managed to secure victory with Eberechi Eze scoring the winner knocking out the League One side. 

Manchester City showed why they still have a shot of winning this competition as they beat Newcastle United 3-1 at St James Park. 

Newcastle took an early lead with a goal from Harvey Barnes in the 18th minute but Man City put the game to bed quickly after goals from Savinho and Omar Marmoush. 

Wrexham push Club World Cup winners 

Wrexham fell short against Chelsea in a classic FA cup tie on Saturday, pushing the Premier League side all the way before losing 4-2 after extra-time. 

The Welsh side took the lead twice through Sam Smith and Callum Doyle, creating hopes for a famous upset at the Racecourse Ground, while Chelsea were forced to fight back on both occasions. 

Chelsea youngster Josh Acheampong sent the match to extra-time after a late equaliser, and after Wrexham were reduced to 10 men following George Dobson’s red card.

Chelsea eventually secured victory with goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro, sending the Blues to the quarter-finals. 

Leeds cruise past Norwich 

Leeds United delivered a dominant performance at Elland Road as they comfortably defeated Norwich City 3-0 to book their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. 

Goals from Sean Longstaff and Gabriel Gudmundsson in the first half gave Leeds full control of the tie, before Joël Piroe added a late third to seal the victory. 

The win marked Leeds’ first appearance in the FA Cup quarter-finals since 2003, with Daniel Farke’s side producing a composed and professional display against the Championship visitors.

Norwich struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the match, as Leeds’ attacking pace and intensity proved too much on the day.

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Southampton stun Fulham with dramatic late winner

Fulham were knocked out of the FA Cup after a dramatic 1-0 defeat to Southampton at Craven Cottage, with the visitors sealing victory in stoppage-time. 

The game looked set for extra-time after a tense and controversial encounter, in which Fulham saw two goals ruled out despite dominating the match. 

However, Southampton were awarded a late penalty deep into added time, and Ross Stewart calmly converted from the spot to secure a shock win and send the Championship side into the quarter-finals. 

Fulham created the better chances throughout but were left frustrated, as Southampton held firm before delivering the decisive moment right at the end.

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