Man Utd and Liverpool set up FA Cup quarter final as Chelsea, Wolves squeeze through

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1 Mar 2024

Manchester United and Liverpool set up an FA quarter-final showdown after they claimed narrow wins over Nottingham Forest and Southampton respectively.
United were heading for extra-time at the City Ground before Casemiro secured a precious victory for Erik ten Hag’s team in the 89th minute.
A free kick by Bruno Fernandes was flicked home by the Brazilian to break the deadlock with the goal eventually given after a lengthy VAR check, which deemed the offside Raphael Varane had not interfered with play.
It was Casemiro’s first goal since September and helped United bounce back from Saturday’s loss to Fulham to clinch a home tie in the last-eight against rivals Liverpool.
The FA Cup draw had been made prior to the evening’s four kick-offs and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool youngsters again made the most of their opportunity with an excellent 3-0 triumph over Southampton.
Liverpool, fresh from their Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea, boasted a number of academy graduates in their starting line-up and Lewis Koumas, son of former Wales international Jason, opened the scoring with a deflected effort in the 44th minute.
It was Koumas’ full debut and he marked it with a goal after he collected a pass from fellow youngster Bobby Clark before his low effort was deflected in off Jack Stephens.

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Southampton had squandered a number of promising openings before that point and Klopp turned to his bench to seal the victory.
With no Mohamad Salah or Darwin Nunez, Jayden Danns got the nod and produced a superb two-goal cameo.
Danns’ first was a sumptuous chip after Harvey Elliott’s through ball with 17 minutes left before he wrapped up the victory when he tapped home after Conor Bradley had been denied.
Chelsea were desperate for a response after their Wembley disappointment and Pochettino’s team selection raised eyebrows with Cole Palmer and Gallagher dropped to the bench, but the latter was able to fire his team into the last eight with a last-gasp winner.
OPINION: Mykhaylo Mudryk ‘unlocked’ by Pochettino (not Arsenal) as Chelsea answer ‘bottlejob’ critics
The night started disastrously for the hosts when Moises Caicedo lost possession inside his own area after Axel Disasi’s risky pass and young forward Mateo Joseph fired beyond Robert Sanchez with eight minutes played at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino’s men were not behind for long with Caicedo releasing Nicolas Jackson, who fired into the bottom corner for his 10th goal of the season after quarter of an hour.
Mykhailo Mudryk completed the first-half turnaround with a smart finish after Raheem Sterling’s cut-back in the 37th minute but Leeds levelled soon after half-time.
Jaidon Anthony cut inside and his floated cross was headed home by Joseph prior to the hour mark to spark jubilant scenes in the away end.
It set up a grandstand finish with chances missed by both sides before Chelsea booked their place in the next round where they will host Leicester.
Wolves set up another all-Midlands tie in the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Brighton.
Mario Lemina slid home with only two minutes played after Jason Steele fumbled Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s cross to book Gary O’Neil’s side a quarter-final tie at home to Coventry.

FA Cup quarter-final draw
Wolves vs Coventry City
Manchester United vs Liverpool
Chelsea vs Leicester City
Manchester City vs Newcastle United

Mason Greenwood: Ex-Man Utd star claims Ratcliffe faces ‘difficult one’ over outcast’s future

Former Man Utd defender Paul Parker thinks it is a “difficult” decision over whether to bring Mason Greenwood back to Old Trafford or not.
Greenwood, who is on loan at Spanish side Getafe, was suspended by Man Utd on January 30, 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

The now 22-year-old faced charges including attempted rape and assault but the Crown Prosecution Service announced in February last year that the case had been discontinued.
Reports last year that the Red Devils were planning to retain him following an internal investigation were met by public outcry and new Man Utd co-owner Ratcliffe recently acknowledged that a decision will have to be made when Greenwood returns about what happens next – but insists nothing has been finalised yet.
“It’s quite clear we have to make a decision. There is no decision that’s been made,” Ratcliffe said at a media briefing to mark the completion of his purchase of a minority stake in Man Utd which delegates control of football operations to his company INEOS.
Asked asked if the Greenwood situation would be a “fresh decision”, Ratcliffe said: “Yeah we will. Absolutely. We will make a decision, and we will justify it one way or the other.”

Chelsea ‘doubts’ emerges amid growing sack talk; Pochettino asks for two signings to boost the Blues

According to reports, Chelsea’s hierarchy are ‘split’ over whether they should part ways with Mauricio Pochettino ahead of next season.
Former Tottenham Hotspur boss Pochettino was appointed Chelsea head coach ahead of this season. He was widely touted as a positive appointment at the time of his arrival but he has endured a difficult debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea were made to settle for a disappointing 12th-place finish last season and their fortunes have not significantly improved since Pochettino was appointed as they are currently 11th in the Premier League.
The Blues’ run in the Carabao Cup had been a saving grace for Pochettino but they were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool in the final on Sunday.
There is now a lot of pressure on Pochettino and his side ahead of their FA Cup fifth round tie against Leeds United. Ahead of this match, the Argentinian head coach is the second favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked.
Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi and Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim are being mentioned as potential replacements for Pochettino and according to journalist Graeme Bailey (via HITC), ‘Chelsea’s hierarchy is split on the future’ of their current head coach.
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It is noted that ‘questions are being asked within the corridors of power at Stamford Bridge over whether the Argentine can turn things around’. The report explains.

‘Pochettino firmly believes that if Chelsea land their top summer targets, including a new striker and goalkeeper, then they would be ready to challenge at the top of the table- however, sources with knowledge of the situation have told HITC that their are doubts about whether that would happen.
‘HITC understands that Chelsea’s footballing department are considering a change of head coach, but the club’s co-owner Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali will ultimately make any decision on whether to stick with Pochettino or not.
‘HITC is told that whilst some think a new coach would improve matters, there are also notable voices suggesting that given the hand dealt to him, Pochettino has done very well and should be given more time and at least be able to take the club into next season.’

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Earlier this week, Pochettino suggested that he’s confident he still has the backing of Chelsea’s board heading into the summer.
“I said hello to the owners when I saw them in the stadium and after (the final) I met Behdad and we were talking,” Pochettino told reporters.

Mykhaylo Mudryk ‘unlocked’ by Pochettino (not Arsenal) as Chelsea answer ‘bottlejob’ critics

Chelsea weren’t entirely convincing, but showed some mettle to get past Leeds, and Mauricio Pochettino may have stumbled upon a Mykhaylo Mudryk solution.
Mauricio Pochettino admitted after the Carabao Cup final defeat that “the players maybe thought penalties would be good for us” in extra time, which led to inevitable questions as to how he allowed the malaise that ultimately cost them to take hold. It looked like Chelsea had come to that decision immediately after Leeds made it 2-2 on Wednesday, despite that goal only coming on the hour mark.

The players were labelled “billion pound bottlejobs” by Gary Neville on Sunday, then compared unfavourably to “Klopp’s kids” by Jamie Carragher, and Pochettino’s response left plenty to be desired for the typical Chelsea fan, with a big chunk of the fanbase calling for his head on the basis of him not being another Jose Mourinho or Antonio Conte.
The Chelsea players responded well, proving not only their desire to fight for themselves, the club and the manager, but also their mettle, coming from a goal down to book a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
It was Mykhaylo Mudryk – the player who typifies the failings of this Chelsea project for its critics more than anyone else – who was the most impressive of Poch’s kids, with the £62m man reaching a timely Stamford Bridge zenith, on the same day reports of his ‘devastation’ at not joining Arsenal were revealed, or at least resurfaced.

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The Athletic also claimed ‘Mudryk still has admirers at Arsenal, who believe his audacious talent can still be unlocked’. But finally, arguably for the first time since debut promise against Liverpool 13 months ago, Mudryk put in a performance to suggest his precocious talent could reap genuine and worthwhile rewards for Chelsea, and Pochettino may just have stumbled upon how best to unlock it.
For the first time at Chelsea, and only the second time in his career, Mudryk operated as a No.10. And after what we saw, it’s a wonder he’s not played there before.
Given his physical and technical gifts, along with the displays for Shakhtar Donetsk which earned him the move to Chelsea, it’s no surprise that he’s played on the wing until now. He’s incredibly quick, both with and without the ball, and he would leave 99 per cent of full-backs in the dust with his acceleration from a standing start.

But unlike Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson, both of whom have been preferred on the left of the front three in recent games, Mudryk rarely threatens in behind. He invariably wants it to feet, and given little option but to come inside, invariably loses possession.
In a central role, with the space and ability to go left or right, less expectation to run in behind, but more to arrive at the telling moment in the box, Mudryk looked more comfortable than he has done in a long time for Chelsea.
He took his goal beautifully, sweeping Sterling’s cutback past Illan Meslier, and the Chelsea front four, with Jackson as the striker, Mudryk behind him, Sterling on the let and Noni Madueke on the right looked nicely balanced in general.
They lost their way, along with the rest of the team, after Leeds’ equaliser, and Pochettino was forced to turn to Ben Chilwell, Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Conor Gallagher when it looked as though his side were meandering towards extra time and penalties, with Gallagher scoring a late winner to keep the wolves from the door.

The win sets up a home quarter-final against Leicester, while a favourable draw otherwise will see one of Manchester United and Liverpool, and one of Manchester City and Newcastle knocked out in the next round.
The competition has opened up for Chelsea and Pochettino, who answered some, if not all, of his critics on Wednesday, in a game in which he also looks to have found a possible solution to one of his great conundrums: what to do with Mykhaylo Mudryk.

£175m Arsenal dream in tatters as Man City accelerate move for ‘world-class’ Prem star

Arsenal have been handed a major setback in their bid to sign Douglas Luiz, with Manchester City reportedly ramping up their pursuit of the Aston Villa ace.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is in need of a new central midfielder and striker this summer, with Thomas Partey no longer a reliable player due to injuries and Gabriel Jesus not quite up to scratch in terms of goalscoring. The Gunners have been linked with plenty of players for both positions, but on Thursday it emerged they are knuckling down on a double Villa raid to improve their team.

Arsenal are reportedly plotting moves for £100m-rated midfielder Luiz and his electric striker team-mate Ollie Watkins, who is valued at £75m.
Arteta was left delighted on Tuesday as football finance journalist Kieran Maguire revealed Villa will have to sell some top players this summer, which could include Luiz and Watkins.
“Aston Villa have invested significant sums and now face big losses,” Maguire said.
“They have had the £100m Jack Grealish sale to Manchester City as a get-out-of-jail-free card for three seasons. But that expires on 30 June 2024 and so will no longer be accounted for.
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“They do have some desirable playing assets so it’s now a case of acting smart. But they will probably have to sell to buy in the upcoming summer window.”
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Despite this, Arsenal will find it tough to sign prime midfield target Luiz. As per an update from Football Insider, Man City are ‘stepping up’ their hunt to re-sign the Brazilian international.

Arsenal target may return to Man City

Luiz was previously on City’s books between July 2017 and and July 2019 but did not make any senior appearances for the serial winners as he spent the whole time on loan at Girona.
When the Citizens sold Luiz to Villa for £15m in summer 2019, they included a buy-back clause in the deal. But that clause has since expired, which means City will have to match Villa’s demands before signing him.
According to The Athletic, Unai Emery’s side view the 25-year-old as being ‘world-class’ and will therefore hold out for a huge £100m, making him one of the most expensive Premier League players of all time.
Although, this will not put City off. Football Insider’s report adds that Pep Guardiola is a ‘huge fan’ of Luiz and feels he has improved massively since he left the Etihad.
He could return to Manchester this summer and help Guardiola’s side push for yet more silverware. It is now up to Arsenal to press ahead and see if they can snare Luiz first.
READ MORE: Man City plot stunning Bayern Munich raid for player that Guardiola adores

‘Oh my God’ – Klopp reacts to Liverpool kids doing it again as Danns says ‘it feels like a movie’

Jurgen Klopp’s kids did him proud again as Lewis Koumas scored on debut and fellow 18-year-old Jayden Danns registered his first two goals as a depleted Liverpool side beat Southampton 3-0 at Anfield.
Victory, just three days after an exhausting 120-minute Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea, set up an FA Cup quarter-final at arch rivals Manchester United.

Whether the academy players will be required for that will depend on how fast the club can rehabilitate the 13 players currently injured in the next fortnight but regardless they have done their job.
Koumas, son of former Tranmere and West Brom midfielder Jason, was one of six players 21 or under in the team.
And it was one of his fellow academy colleagues Bobby Clark, one year his senior and making his 10th appearance, who supplied the assist just before half-time.
Danns, the son of former Crystal Palace midfielder Neil and who only made his debut at Wembley, came off the bench to score the second in the 73rd minute which allowed Anfield to breathe a sigh of relief.
That allowed Klopp the luxury of sending on Trey Nyoni, who at 16 years and 243 days became the club’s youngest player in the competition and third youngest in the club’s history.