FA Cup 3rd round replay Leeds 1 Arsenal 3

Leeds United 1 Arsenal 3 FA Cup 3rd round replay Wednesday 19th January 2011

38,000 packed in at Elland Road as visitors Arsenal proved too much for Leeds United. Despite Arsenal going 1 up very quickly with a goal from Nasri and then making it two with Sagna in the 35th minute Johnson for Leeds Utd scored a great goal (check it on Youtube) to spark a bit of home team possession to end the first half.

Predictably, Arsenal bossed the second half but Leeds stuck to the task of David Batty like midfielding and Chris Whyte like defending.

Towards the end, Van Persie got a third to get Arsenal through to face Huddersfield Town in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

FA Cup 2010 Latest Spurs 3 Fulham 1 24/10/2010

FA Cup Result 24th March 2010 Latest Tottenham 3 Fulham 1

A game of two halves this evening in the sixth round FA Cup replay London Derby at White Hart Lane. An incredible bounce back by home team Tottenham Hotspur as they turned a 1 nil half time deficit in to a 3-1.

This was a great FA Cup night for Spurs. 4 goals, plenty of stress and drama but ultimately bags of talent on show from the home team. And yes, I am a lily white!

With many ex-Spurs players in the visiting team, there was irony in Bobby Zamora's cool, left-footed stroke past Tottenham goalkeeper Gomes. The way that Zamora found the space and executed the through ball speaks volumes about his form and the development that Roy Hodgson has orchestrated at the Cottage.

This evening, I thought Danny Murphy demonstrated the reason why he has the captaincy for Fulham. Industrious but attacking, Murphy helped win the midfield battle in the first half and overall Fulham managed to mute Tottenham Hotspur who have displayed great form this season.

Harry Redknapp put David Bentley and Tommy Huddlestone to begin the second half to galvanise the midfield effort of the home team. The impact was instant, as David Bentley swung in a Beckham like free kick that all defenders, forwards and most importantly the Fulham 'keeper Richard Schwarzer all missed watching it bounce directly into the net.

Spurs grabbed hold of the game, with pure aggressive attacking football. Between Bentley, Modric, Gudjonhson and Pavlyuchenko Tottenham had too much fire power for Fulham in the second half.

Roman Pavlyuchenko scored the second, enjoying such a maginificent run of form and proving to absolutely everyone that he is a major asset to Tottenham Hotspur. On loan forward Eidur Gudjonhson then finished off a superb passing move, scoring his second goal for Tottenham...Harry wants Gudjonhson permanently and he has proven what he can deliver. Sheringham like link up play and classic striker goals.

Pompey next for Tottenham - as Spurs great Jimmy Greaves would say 'its a funny old game'.

Leeds United - they've beaten the Champions - can they beat Spurs?

All across the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire there were triumphant Leeds United fans on Sunday after their incredible FA Cup upset, travelling back over the Pennines having turfed out Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United.

Leeds took 9,000 to Old Trafford, what a memorable day for those fans. The first away win against Man Utd since 1981, they now face Tottenham Hotspur - away again down at White Hart Lane.

I wonder if they can do it again - with Jermaine Beckford upfront the League One leaders are a handful...a fixture that Harry Redknapp's Spurs will definitely be weary of.

FA Cup 8th Dec Leeds 5 - 1 Kettering (AET) - Leeds now play Manchester United

08/12/2009 Leeds 5 - 1 Kettering (AET) FA Cup Replay

Leeds United made a meal of it, in both games in full time they missed chances to finish off non-league Kettering but last night at Elland Road they managed to hit an extra 4 goals after drawing 1-1 in full time.

So now Leeds Utd get their dream 3rd round match up with arch rivals Manchester United on Sunday 3rds January 2010 at Old Trafford.

Can Leeds beat the red devils and could this galvanise this sleeping giant into creeping back into the big time?

Man Utd vs Everton Semi Final FA Cup 19th April

Man U vs Everton Semi Final FA Cup Preview

This Sunday Manchester United and Everton will be competing for a spot in the FA Cup final. Given the talent still left in the competition this year, the Toffees are inevitably viewed as the underdogs, but Everton fans will be hoping for a repeat of 1995, when as underdogs they beat United at the old Wembley thanks to a Paul Rideout winner. Although Everton were the favourites to beat relegation battlers Boro in the last round, by beating Liverpool and Villa earlier in the competition Everton hve already proven they are more than capable of punching above their weight in this competition. Plus this season in the league the Toffees drew at Goodison Park and we were only beaten by a late penalty at Old Trafford, so feel more than capable of nicking a goal at the crucial moment.

A victory over United will mean even more to the Everton faithful as Wayne Rooney is expected to start. Rooney was a passionate Everton fan as a boy and was an Everton player when he first found fame as an exceptionally talented teenager. A big money move to United in 2004 did however sour his relationship with Goodison Park. Although Rooney would claim that there is a big part of him that will remain forever blue, he will not allow childhood loyalty to get in the way of going all out to beat former employers. Rooney has already missed out on one cup final this season, a Carling Cup success over Tottenham, and he is keen to shine at Wembley this time around.

The one note of controversy related to this tie so far is that although many blues are undoubtedly looking forward to their team playing at one of football's greatest stages, David Moyes and others do not share this view as they think hosting the semis at Wembley dilutes the achievement of reaching the FA Cup Final. As is only too common with football these days, this change was due to money rather than sentiment, with a view to this helping to pay the costs of building the new stadium. However venue aside, the tie is likely to be a thrilling emotive encounter. What a weekend of football ahead!

FA Cup Semi Final Chelsea vs Arsenal 18th April

Chelsea vs Arsenal Semi Final FA Cup 2009

Despite the upbeat noises, there is little doubt that Arsenal are limping slightly into their FA Cup semi final clash with Chelsea. Reading like the excuses from a Sunday league side in cold weather, goalkeeper Manuel Almunia is out with a bad ankle, Gael Clichy has a bad back and Gallas and Djourou have bad knees. Sagna and Kieran Gibbs are also concerns. Lucasz Fabianski, who has played excellently in the last few fixtures, will stand in in goal, but filling the left-back role is a little more tricky, although Wenger has the option to play Sagna or Silvestre in that position, The good news for the Gooners is of course that Arshavin and Eduardo are available for Saturday. Wenger will be hoping that these two will be able to penetrate the Chelsea defence as effectively as Liverpool did on Tuesday, whilst at the same time being able to maintain a strong defence against the blues despite all the Arsenal injuries at the back.

Chelsea have had an extra day to recover since their Champion's League thriller against Liverpool and despite the excitement over their stunning victory, they are now fully focused on the FA cup and are hungry for success against Arsenal. Memories of Wenger's men coming from behind to triumph 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League earlier in the season with what many claimed was an offside goal are fresh in the minds of both players and fans and knocking their north London rivals out of the cup would be the sweetest revenge. With the talented Hiddink at the helm and after Tuesday's success, many Chelsea fans feel they are invincible. It's going to be a stunning match - roll on Saturday!

FA Cup News

Unless you've been living in a cave, you'll know that last night's Champion League action has set the scene nicely for an all English semi final. Looking at the stats, the two legs of the tie, on 29 April at Old Trafford and 5 May at the Emirates, will be the first time the two fierce rivals have met on the European stage. However in all other competitions the 2 managers have met 37 times, with the spoils split pretty much evenly (United 14, Arsenal 15, draws 8). Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-1 at The Emirates earlier this season, and the teams will meet at Old Trafford on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season. Both teams are currently playing well in the FA Cup and the League, with cup semi-finals 10 days before the Old Trafford encounter and challenging end-of-season run-ins.

Arsenal's next match is at Wembley on Saturday, when they face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals and they are also playing Liverpool and Middlesbrough in the league before they face Ferguson's team. Both these matches are likely to be tough, with Liverpool desperate to catch Man United at the top to secure some silverware this season and Boro fighting for sheer survival. Arguably United have the slightly easier run in, meeting Everton this weekend in the last four of the FA Cup before facing Portsmouth and Tottenham in the league.



Currently both teams and managers are professing their pleasure at meeting domestic opposition in the Champion's League and are very complementary about each other. However as we approach the ties, I'm sure that the niceties will be replaced with the usual media warfare. Unfortunately the 2 clubs also have a history of conflict on the pitch, with large fines and bans being handed out to Arsenal in Autumn 2003 after certain Gunners decided to rough up Van Nistelrooy for his part in getting Viera sent off. The following year saw "Pizzagate" (also known as "battle of the buffet") when allegedly a slice of Pizza was thrown in the tunnel at Ferguson. Over the years the 2 managers have also let their emotions spill over, but as Wenger once said "What would I do if Sir Alex wasn't around? I would have no one to keep me on my toes or to fight. I enjoy our rivalry. It is good for Arsenal, good for Manchester United and good for both of us."



It is certainly good for the neutral!

FA Cup semi final betting odds

FA Cup Semi-Final Draw 2009 18th April

In terms of FA Cup winner odds, its no surprise that Manchester United are the favourites. Currently I think Arsenal are the best bet in terms of value. Assuming that the Tigers will be beaten by Arsenal at the Emirates, Arsenal vs Chelsea would be a fantastic footballing spectacle in this year's FA Cup. Manchester United versus Everton will be a great semi final match, it will be a tight one. Tricky one to call, I've just listened to a talksport phone in with many people tipping Everton for the FA Cup but betting against Manchester United is obviously a high risk strategy!

Arsenal/Hull vs Chelsea
Manchester United vs Everton

I think that at 4/1 Arsenal are worth a punt. Eduardo is showing good form after his lay-off and I believe that they are one of the few sides that can on their day beat an in-form Man Utd side. You can get this 4/1 price at Sky Bet - click here for your £10 bet.

The FA Cup is fantastic, may be not the competition it used to be pre-Champions League but it is something that the English game should be proud of in my opinion. This year it could really climax into a dog fight as Chelsea and Arsenal seek to console themselves with their dissapointing League campaigns. Chelsea and Man U double perhaps.

Anyway, enough gambling chat, this was my favourite FA Cup moment, even as a Spurs fan I had to marvel at the technique of Eduardo as he volleyed the ball almost with the outside of his heel to send it crashing into the Burnley net.





PREVIOUS FA CUP BLOG ...

In the Premier League there is only one game - the might Spurs are away at Sunderland. A draw is my prediction.

Premier League
Sunderland v Tottenham 15:00

FA Cup
Coventry v Chelsea 12:30
Fulham v Man Utd 17:15




Latest FA Cup 2009 Winner odds - click here!

Latest Champions League 2009 Winner odds - click here!

FA Cup 2009 - who's odds on to win it? Football Betting odds provided by Sky Bet

So who's going to win the Cup? As Pompey proved last season under Harry Redknapp, the FA Cup doesn't always have one of the big Premier League team's names on it. However Arsenal and Chelsea are licking their wounds now that their title hopes have dissapeared after inconsistent league form. At 4/1, Arsenal is not a bad bet. Well it is obvious that the favourites are Manchester United. The Red Devils looked formidable in the first half against Inter last night and its always possible that Fereguson may prioritise the League and the Champions League over the FA Cup but Man U have the strength in their squad potentially to get another treble. Here are the latest odds for the teams still in the FA Cup:

Man Utd - 7/4
Chelsea - 3/1
Arsenal - 4/1
Everton - 5/1
Fulham - 16/1
Middlesboro - 18/1

Not a bad stage to have a flutter before the odds narrow further. To put a bet on, visit Sky Bet by clicking here.

FA Cup Quarter Final Draw 2009 after Middlesborough knock the Hammers out

After Boro's 2-0 victory against West Ham United with a great free kick from Stuart Downing, this is the updated draw:


FA Cup Quarter Final Draw 2009:

Coventry City v Chelsea

Fulham v Manchester United

Arsenal or Burnley v Sheffield United or Hull City

Everton v Middlesbrough

The FA Cup quarter final matches will be played on the weekend of the 7th and 8th March 2009.

Arsenal 4 Cardiff 0 FA Cup fifth round February 2009

Eduardo made an emotional return to English football tonight, scoring the opener in Arsenal's 4-0 FA Cup fifth round win over Cardiff at the Emirates stadium.

This was a game that Wenger's Arsenal could not afford to lose, with poor form in the Premier League and an early Carling Cup exit limiting their silverware potential.

Eduardo looked sharp and skillful, a great example to any footballer unlucky enough to suffer such a serious leg injury. He linked up well with the midfield, especially Vela and Nasri with smooth passing movements moving easily around the away team Cardiff City.

Nicholas Bendtner headed a second for the Gunenrs from a corner which was timely after his comments pre-match. The Arsenal striker stated that he thought he should always be first choice, with Arshavin and Eduardo now both standing in the wings. Wenger's eye definitely would have been caught by Eduardo.

Arsenal began the second half just as brightly as they performed in the second half, Cardiff City at stages were ball chasing. Eduardo got his brace to make it 3-0 with a penalty after he was clumsily fouled with a pass coming into his feet. Eduardo was then subsituted for a well earned rest to give Van Persie a run out in what ended up to be a formality for the North London team.

Cardiff were caught in possession for Arsenal's fourth, with Robin Van Persie clinically finishing to complete a great FA Cup peformance for the Gunners. Van Persie went close to making it 5-0 with the last attack of the game with a header that struck the post.

I still reckon that they would struggle against Man Utd though....

FA Cup News | Everton and Manchester United progress to the Quarter Final

Everton managed to beat in form Aston Villa at Goodison Park 3-1, with Rodwell, Arteta and Cahill all scoring for theToffees.

Manchester United destroyed Derby County 1-4 in an counter attacking masterpiece - Nani, Gibson, Ronaldo and Welbeck all scoring fantastic goals.

FA Cup 4th Round Draw

FA Cup Review 2009

After the upset of the weekend at the City of Manchester Stadium where Notts Forest won 3-0, it is fair to say that the magic of the FA Cup is very much alive. As Portsmouth proved in 2008, any team can defy the top 4 Premier League clubs and take this great trophy.

After Manchester United beat Southampton at St Mary's Stadium 3-0, Tottenham fans' fears were confirmed: away at Old Trafford. Fantastic Merseyside derby is the tie of the fourth round draw is Liverpool vs Everton at Anfield. Should Chelase beat Southend away they would face Ipsiwch Town at home and Arsenal are away at Cardiff City.

FA Cup 2009 fourth round draw:
Liverpool v Everton
Manchester United v Tottenham
Hull or Newcastle v Millwall or Crewe
Sunderland v Blyth or Blackburn
Hartlepool v West Ham
Leyton Orient or Sheffield United v Charlton or Norwich
Cardiff v Arsenal
Portsmouth or Bristol City v Histon or Swansea
Chelsea or Southend v Ipswich
Cheltenham or Doncaster v Aston Villa
West Brom or Peterborough v QPR or Burnley
Torquay v Coventry
Kettering v Fulham
Watford v Leicester or Crystal Palace
Derby v Nottingham Forest
Birmingham or Wolves v Middlesbrough

FA Cup 3rd round results

Tottenham Hotspur and Wigan had the first FA Cup match of 2009 at White Hart Lane on Friday 2nd January. Spurs won 3-1 with Ukranian striker Roman Pavlichenko showing good form and scoring twice.

The biggest upset of the weeken so far was Manchester City losing 3-0 at home to Championship team Nottingham Forest.

Southend also managed to scored an equaliser at Stamford Bridge in injury time against Chelsea to secure a tricky away replay for the Blues.

Arsenal looked comfortable against Plymouth Argyle in their 3-1 victory with Robin Van Persie scoring twice and taking the role of captaincy for the first time.

Liverpool were away at Preston North End and took the lead with Rierain the 25th minute and looked extremely vibrant but struggled to get a second goal. Captain Steven Gerrard made his feet do the talking after a difficult week with the arrest regarding an alleged assault on a DJ over the Christmas period. It was Gerrard that broke through in the 93rd minute with no Preston defensive cover and passed generously to a Fernando Torres (just returned from injury) to slot home a second to secure the Reds' progression to the second round.

Today's fixtures in the FA Cup 3rd round:

FA Cup 3rd Round 4th January 2009
Gillingham v Aston Villa 13.30
Southampton v Man Utd 16.00