LONDON: Phil Foden struck twice as Manchester City eased into the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 3-0 win against Bristol City, while 2021 winners Leicester suffered a shock 2-1 defeat against second tier Blackburn on Tuesday.
Pep Guardiola’s side were never in danger of a giant-killing in the fifth round tie at Ashton Gate thanks to Foden’s brace and a late strike from Kevin De Bruyne.
City will hope for another boost on Wednesday when Premier League leaders Arsenal, two points ahead of the champions, face Everton in their game in hand.
De Bruyne returned after missing two games through illness, while Kalvin Phillips started for only the second time since joining City from Leeds last year.
City took a seventh minute lead when Riyad Mahrez crossed to the far post, where Foden fired into the roof of the net.
Foden doubled City’s lead after 74 minutes as Julian Alvarez flicked toward Foden, who produced another clinical finish past Max O’Leary.
De Bruyne got the visitors’ third from long-range in the 81st minute to ensure the smoothest of nights for the six-time FA Cup winners.
Leicester were booed off by angry fans after Blackburn ended the Foxes’ bid to reach a second FA Cup final in three seasons.
Brendan Rodgers led Leicester to the club’s first ever FA Cup triumph in 2021, but Rovers punished woeful defending from the Premier League side to shatter their hopes of emulating that run.
With Leicester 14th in the top-flight, just three points above the relegation zone, Rodgers made six changes to the side beaten by Arsenal at the weekend and paid the price for his gamble.
Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side, fourth in the Championship, are into the last eight for the first time since 2015.
Rovers took the lead when Tyrhys Dolan curled home from the edge of the area in the 33rd minute.
Sammie Szmodics made it 2-0 to Blackburn seven minutes after the break following good work by Sam Gallagher.
Kelechi Iheanacho netted from Harvey Barnes’ pass in the 67th minute, but Blackburn held on.
Manor Solomon scored for the fourth time in four game as Fulham beat Leeds 2-0 at Craven Cottage to make the last eight for the first time since 2010.
Fulham, who have exceeded all expectations to climb to sixth place in the Premier League this year, took the lead through Joao Palhinha’s superb 25-year curler in the 21st minute.
Palhinha’s strike came after Georginio Rutter thought he had scored his first goal for Leeds when he tapped home after Marek Rodak had palmed the ball into his path.
But referee Chris Kavanagh ruled it out for a foul in the area and VAR did not intervene.
Israel forward Solomon, on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk, finished off Leeds in the 56th minute, curling in from the edge of the area after playing a one-two with Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Fulham can still dream of a first FA Cup final appearance since 1975.
But it was a first defeat for new Leeds boss Javi Gracia, whose side won 1-0 against fellow strugglers Southampton in the Premier League last weekend.
Brighton won 1-0 at second tier Stoke to reach the quarter-final for the third time in the last six seasons.
The Seagulls, who beat holders Liverpool in the fourth round, remain in the hunt for a first FA Cup final appearance since 1983.
Brighton landed the decisive blow in the 30th minute when teenage forward Evan Ferguson met Kaoru Mitoma’s pass with a close-range finish.
Among the four remaining fifth-round ties on Wednesday, League Cup winners Manchester United host West Ham, while Tottenham travel to Sheffield United.
Man City stroll into FA Cup quarters, Leicester crash out
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Man City stroll into FA Cup quarters, Leicester crash out
- Leicester were booed off by angry fans after Blackburn ended the Foxes’ bid to reach a second FA Cup final in three seasons
Real Sociedad edge rivals Athletic to reach Copa del Rey final
- Real Sociedad have now not lost in their last 10 derby clashes at home against Athletic, whom they beat in the 2020 final, and rarely looked like letting their advantage slip
SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain: Mikel Oyarzabal slotted home a late penalty to fire Real Sociedad into the Copa del Rey final with a 1-0 win over Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, securing a 2-0 aggregate semifinal triumph.
American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo has turned La Real’s fortunes around since arriving in December and his side will face Atletico Madrid in the Seville final on April 18, after they ousted Barcelona.
Already holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg at Athletic’s San Mames, Real Sociedad produced a sturdy display at the Reale Arena to knock out the 24-time winners.
“Very proud of what the boys have done, over the past two months, it’s pretty amazing,” said Matarazzo.
“Our first match was on the fourth of January... and we just reached the cup final.
“The football we’re playing is effective and we want to continue... we’re in the final and we want to win it.”
Real Sociedad have now not lost in their last 10 derby clashes at home against Athletic, whom they beat in the 2020 final, and rarely looked like letting their advantage slip.
“I think having the one goal advantage helped, we managed the tempo well,” Real Sociedad defender Jon Martin told Movistar.
“We didn’t want a lot to happen, and we did well.”
La Real had the better of a tense first half, with Carlos Soler coming closest. The midfielder’s free-kick, flying toward the top corner, was tipped over by Athletic goalkeeper Alex Padilla.
Matarazzo’s team had more of the ball and forced the visitors back, albeit without carving out many more openings.
Athletic defender Aitor Paredes made a last-ditch block to keep former Valencia midfielder Soler at bay, and Goncalo Guedes drilled into the side-netting.
Ernesto Valverde’s side improved in the second half and began to threaten La Real, again without finding a clear sight of goal.
Alejandro Berenguer fizzed a shot wide after Inaki Williams fed him on the edge of the box.
Los Leones were missing dangerous Spanish winger Nico Williams, who is sidelined indefinitely with a groin problem.
Oyarzabal seals it
The match was decided from the penalty spot when Athletic’s Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta grabbed a fistful of Yangel Herrera’s shirt as he tried to jump in the box.
After a VAR review the referee awarded a spot-kick and Spain striker Oyarzabal coolly sent Padilla the wrong way in the 87th minute.
Mikel Vesga might have levelled on the night for Athletic in stoppage time as they pushed forward with urgency but Real Sociedad stopper Unai Marrero saved well with his leg to help book his team’s flight to Andalusia.
“It was a hard-fought game, a Basque derby,” said Valverde.
“We had a clear chance at the end, we could have got back into the game but it wasn’t to be.”
Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson could have extended La Real’s lead at the death but nodded against the post, although it did not matter in the end.
“It feels terrible, it’s a shame, we wanted to reach that final in Seville, I don’t even know what to say,” Athletic striker Williams told Movistar.
“(For the penalty) there’s that kind of grabbing in every box, every corner, and it’s very difficult (to take).”
