Chelsea, Crawley Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Fulham, Notts County and Brighton are out, while Leyton Orient and Arsenal still need a replay after a 1-1 draw. Manchester United, Birmingham, Bolton and Stoke are all in the quarter-finals while Everton face Man City in round 5.
So the best is first. Chelsea collapsed again at Everton, where they seemed to lack the drive to score goals. Lampard missed a hatful of chances, and Malouda spent 2 minutes just trying to get his wedding ring off his finger. In extra time, Lampard for once hit the target and Chelsea seemed destined to go through.
But Leighton Baines sent a 30-yard free kick into the top corner a minute from time and, guess what! Penalties are needed! Chelsea led 2-0 at one point when Lampard and Drogba scored while Baines missed for Everton. Jagielka kept Everton in it, and Anelka, so reliable in seasons past, bombed his penalty and Everton tied it up with Mikel Arteta's kick. Essien and Heitinga both buried their penalties, leaving the score 3-3. Then Heitinga's moment of infamy. While Ashley Cole was on his way for his penalty, Heitinga bumped him and Cole blazed the penalty over the bar. Phil Neville scored the final spot-kick and Everton won 4-3 on penalties.
So Chelsea showed again that they are an immensely overrated team. They simply have no stomach for pressure, just like AC Milan in their Tottenham game.
Manchester United just barely beat Conference side Crawley Town, who now have 5 games in hand and look certain to win the English Conference. Rooney, after his fabulous bicycle kick last week, looked ineffective and frustrated this one, while another United young boy Obertan was useless in attack. United had to thank Wes Brown, who scored a beautiful back-header and was rock solid in defense. But Crawley were surprisingly good for a Conference side, giving United no end in trouble. Ben Smith glanced a 30-yarder just wide, and Matt Tubbs tried a Rooney with an overhead kick of his own. Sadly, it went just over. Crawley's run was at an end.
Notts County, who were so good in the 2-2 draw with Man City, now lost 5-0 as the veteran Patrick Vieira scored twice while Dzeko, Tevez and Micah Richards also got on the scoresheet. Birmingham continued the Premier League clubs' rout by beating Championship side Sheffield Wednesday 3-0, while Bolton's Ivan Klasnic scored his 2nd goal in 4 days to down Fulham 1-0, and Stoke put Brighton away 3-0.
But the EPL clubs weren't all successful. Arsenal, who had been rocky recently, now drew at League One side Leyton Orient. Arsenal had just beaten Barcelona 2-1 in the midweek Champions' League fixture and looked to run away with it here, with 12 shots on target but somehow only managed a 53rd minute Thomas Rosicky goal. It wasn't enough as in the last minute Orient's Jonathan Tehoue broke through Gibbs and Miquel to score and ensure a replay for the Gooners.
So the quarter-finals of the FA Cup looks like this:
Stoke City vs. West Ham/Burnley
Man City/Aston Villa vs. Everton/Reading
Birmingham vs. Bolton
Man Utd vs. Arsenal/Leyton Orient
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