FA Cup review: Arsenal crash out; Liverpool, Spurs survive scares

Nottingham Forest dumped 14-time winners Arsenal out of the FA Cup on Sunday after Tottenham and Liverpool both survived third-round scares against lower-league opposition.
West Ham saw off Leeds 2-0 in the day’s only match featuring two Premier League teams while Wolves defeated Sheffield United 3-0.
Championship side Forest and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal were deadlocked at half-time in the late kick-off, with neither side able to find a breakthrough.
But Lewis Grabban gave the home side the lead in the 83rd minute, converting Ryan Yates’ cross from close range, and they held on to win 1-0, setting up a tie with holders Leicester.
The result means Arsenal have been eliminated in the third round of the cup for only the second time across the past 26 seasons, with the other instance also coming away to Forest in 2018.
Earlier, a much-changed Spurs were trailing at half-time against League One opponents Morecambe but Harry Winks levelled and substitutes Lucas Moura and Harry Kane scored late to seal a 3-1 win.
Morecambe boss Stephen Robinson was absent for the game against the club at which he began his playing career after testing positive for coronavirus.
Spurs – 59 places higher than their third-tier opponents on the English football ladder – fell behind in the 33rd minute when Morecambe captain Anthony O’Connor converted from close range following a corner.
The home side struggled to impose themselves and Antonio Conte summoned Moura and Kane from the bench with just over 20 minutes to go – their introduction changed the course of the game, with three goals coming in the final 16 minutes.
Spurs still needed a slice of luck to get level – Winks’s free-kick was overhit, but it sailed over flailing Morecambe goalkeeper Trevor Carson and into the far corner.
Moura put Spurs ahead in the 85th minute after rounding the goalkeeper following a charge from midfield and Kane made sure Spurs would progress.
“For sure we struggled a lot in the first part of the game and conceded a goal from the set-piece,” said Conte, who made eight changes from the side that lost to Chelsea in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal in midweek.
“We deserve to win because in these type of games you have to show your strength,” he said.
“They defended with 11 players and that’s normal in these games but it is important to find the right solution.”

Klopp returns

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, back in the dugout at Anfield after completing his isolation period following a positive test for Covid-19, watched as his side went behind before recovering strongly to win 4-1.
Liverpool named five youth team players in their team to face League One side Shrewsbury after a Covid-affected build-up to the match, with more academy players on the bench.
The Merseyside club, whose training ground was shut for 48 hours during the week are without Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita, all of whom are at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Shrewsbury struck with their first real attack of any threat, when Daniel Udoh fired home from close range following a Nathanael Ogbeta cross.
But the home side were level just seven minutes later when Kaide Gordon, aged 17 years and 96 days, became the second-youngest goalscorer in the club’s history.
Fabinho gave Klopp’s men the lead from the penalty spot shortly before half-time and there were further goals from substitute Roberto Firmino and a second for Fabinho.
“We’ve trained since Friday pretty much and that is what we decided with this line-up,” said Klopp. “The boys really fought hard.
“When you get the first goal against you so many things can happen but I liked the way we responded.”
Goals from Manuel Lanzini and Jarrod Bowen were enough for West Ham to beat Leeds 2-0 at the London Stadium while Daniel Podence scored twice in a 3-0 win against Sheffield United.
Third-tier Cambridge, who shocked Premier League side Newcastle on Saturday, will play Luton in the fourth round while non-league side Kidderminster host West Ham.
Manchester United host Aston Villa in the last of the third-round ties on Monday.

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