Fa Cup Quarter-finals: 10 Talking Points From The Men’s And Women’s Weekend Ties

Securing their Premier League position for different twelvemonth remains a privilege for West Ham and Leeds this season, truthful nan 8 changes Nuno Espírito Santo and Daniel Farke made betwixt them for this tie, which developed into a drama-drenched classic, was understandable to a degree. Still, successful Ao Tanaka, Leeds person a gem of a fringe player, who looked eager to make thing of his opportunity. The Japanese world has not started successful nan convention since 14 December, but Leeds fans person consistently called for him to person much engagement and he showed why pinch a tremendous opener astatine nan London Stadium, which was each of his ain making. In stark opposition to Tanaka’s capacity was that of Max Kilman, who has not been trusted to commencement for West Ham since 3 January erstwhile they were beaten 3-0 by nan bottommost club, Wolves. The centre-back looked rusty and gave distant a clear punishment pinch a mediocre situation connected Anton Stach – he was moreover booed by his ain fans astatine points successful nan game. Dominic Booth

Men’s lucifer report: West Ham 2-2 Leeds (2-4 pens)

Ao Tanaka crowns a good show pinch Leeds’s first extremity astatine West Ham. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/Reuters

Rayan Cherki enhanced his position arsenic Manchester City’s caller maverick pinch 2 container agency moments successful Saturday’s 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final hammering of Liverpool. First, a sublime trap pinch his near ft past instant walk pinch his correct to Antoine Sememyo, nan winger crossing for Erling Haaland’s headed 2nd goal. Then, erstwhile replaced connected 71 minutes, he momentarily wore nan garment of his friend and guidance player, Hugo Ekitike. Of Cherki, Semenyo said: “He’s 1 of nan world’s best. He tin do thing pinch nan ball, he makes my life easy. I cognize he’s going to driblet successful and find maine successful down aliases driblet it into my feet truthful he makes things easy. When you train pinch him each time you get a gist of what he is truthful erstwhile he gets connected nan shot I cognize wherever to make my runs. I retrieve my first time successful training; immoderate of nan skills he was pulling disconnected I was reasoning what benignant of subordinate is he?” Jamie Jackson

Men’s lucifer report: Manchester City 4-0 Liverpool

Brighton made a terrific commencement to their Women’s FA Cup quarter-final astatine Arsenal, but erstwhile they grounded to capitalise connected their early dominance, you feared for them. Sure enough, nan European champions gradually took complete and ought to person taken nan lead towards nan extremity of nan first half, Chiamaka Nnadozie redeeming superbly from Smilla Holmberg. After nan break, though, Brighton again asserted themselves – inspired by Fran Kirby, who delivered yet different capacity of trade and class, activity and tenacity. Both goals came from her passes, nan first 1 successful down and nan 2nd a area to nan backmost post, but location was overmuch much to her show than that. She snapped into tackles and passed cunningly, mounting a level of strength that inspired her teammates. At nary shape were Brighton hanging on, seeing retired a deserved triumph pinch comfortableness and composure. We tin beryllium definite a victor specified arsenic Kirby will not beryllium satisfied pinch a specified semi-final appearance. Daniel Harris

Getting complete 1 ACL wounded is difficult enough. Getting complete 2 while you are still a teen is highly rare, but that is what nan 18-year-old Liverpool midfielder Zara Shaw has managed and she was rewarded for her graft successful nan curen room erstwhile she scored nan winning extremity successful their Women’s FA Cup quarter-final successful other clip astatine Charlton, soon aft coming connected arsenic a substitute for her first competitory shot successful a year. The Liverpool academy merchandise says it is simply a infinitesimal she “will ne'er forget”, adding: “I’m each complete nan place, I’m perfectly buzzing.” The Liverpool caput coach, Gareth Taylor, praising nan youngster’s resilience, added: “Anyone who has worked pinch Zara will show you, she’s an absolute coach’s dream, she’s been a physio’s dream, a [strength and conditioning] coach’s dream, because she virtually does what she’s told to do, she useful truthful hard, she gives everything. It was great, today. It was cleanable for Zara and really bully erstwhile those moments happen.” Tom Garry

Women’s FA Cup: Liverpool separator retired Charlton, Brighton stun Arsenal

Zara Shaw was described arsenic an ‘absolute coach’s dream’ by Gareth Taylor. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

From nan first whistle astatine St Mary’s it was abundantly clear Southampton would onslaught Arsenal. They lived their on-loan goalkeeper Daniel Peretz’s pre-match missive: Saints would respect but not fearfulness nan Premier League leaders. Tonda Eckert succeeded wherever truthful galore person failed, his broadside becoming only nan 5th squad successful 51 games to hit Arsenal this season. Now Arsenal recreation to Lisbon for a quarter-final astatine Sporting, different squad besides chasing a home title, and possibly nan bad news for Mikel Arteta is their adjacent convention opponents, Bournemouth, are famed for taking nan crippled to opponents. For Andoni Iraola, onslaught is ever nan champion shape of defence and nan Basque was an willing onlooker successful nan stands connected Saturday, doing his homework connected Arteta’s side. Arsenal hoped nan world break would supply immoderate respite aft losing nan Carabao Cup last but now location is improbable to beryllium immoderate fto up. Ben Fisher

Men’s lucifer report: Southampton 2-1 Arsenal

It is nosy to ideate really Cole Palmer reacted erstwhile Liam Rosenior told him he would skipper Chelsea for nan first clip successful Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale. What pleased Rosenior nan astir was really nan 23-year-old reacted connected nan pitch. The head was without nan nine captain, Reece James, because of injury, and nan vice-captain, Enzo Fernández, for well-documented reasons, besides resting Marc Cucurella and Moisés Caicedo. He could person fixed nan armband to Tosin Adarabioyo aliases João Pedro but picked Palmer because he saw it arsenic a logical and “natural step” for nan midfielder. Palmer led pinch his feet alternatively than his rima successful nan 7-0 win, mounting an illustration pinch his bravery connected nan shot and his difficult moving without it. Plenty has been said astir nan younker and inexperience of this Chelsea squad; Rosenior believes Palmer tin create into 1 of nan solutions. David Hytner

Men’s lucifer report: Chelsea 7-0 Port Vale

Monday’s Women’s FA Cup fixtures: Chelsea v Tottenham and Birmingham City v Manchester City.