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The FA Cup fourth round delivered comfortable victories for the Premier League's top sides, but it was a refereeing controversy at Villa Park that dominated the headlines. Meanwhile, Burnley suffered a shock exit at the hands of League One opposition.
Salah Inspires Liverpool to Comfortable Win
Liverpool booked their place in the last 16 with a convincing 3-0 victory over Brighton at Anfield. Mohamed Salah was the star of the show, contributing a goal and an assist as Arne Slot's side eased into the next round.
Curtis Jones opened the scoring just before half-time, tapping in from close range after excellent build-up play from Milos Kerkez. Salah then turned provider with a sublime pass that sent Dominik Szoboszlai through on goal, and the Hungarian made no mistake. The Egyptian king completed the scoring from the penalty spot with a thunderous strike that gave the goalkeeper no chance.
The victory sees Liverpool continue their quest for silverware on multiple fronts, with Slot's men also competing for Champions League qualification in the Premier League.
VAR Controversy Dominates as Newcastle Edge Past Villa
Newcastle United progressed at the expense of Aston Villa, but the match will be remembered for a series of shocking refereeing decisions that reignited the VAR debate in English football.
Without VAR assistance in the FA Cup's earlier rounds, referee Chris Kavanagh made several high-profile errors. The most egregious saw him award a free-kick for a Lucas Digne handball that occurred clearly inside the penalty area – a decision that left pundits and managers alike in disbelief.
"This is one of the worst decisions I have ever seen in football," fumed BBC analyst Wayne Rooney. "Digne was at no point outside the penalty area. He's clearly three or four metres inside it." Villa boss Unai Emery used the incident to argue that VAR has become essential to modern football, while Newcastle legend Alan Shearer suggested referees have become too dependent on technology.
Manchester City See Off Stubborn Salford
Manchester City needed patience to break down League Two side Salford City in a 2-0 victory that was far closer than their 8-0 demolition of the same opponents last season.
With Tijjani Reijnders in the starting lineup, City took an early lead through an own goal following a sharp cross from Rayan Aït-Nouri. However, the hosts struggled to build on their advantage as Salford – owned by Manchester United legends including Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes – defended resolutely and threatened on the counter.
The tension at the Etihad was only relieved in the 81st minute when Marc Guéhi doubled the lead to secure City's passage into the last 16.
Arsenal Demolish Wigan in First-Half Blitz
Arsenal produced a ruthless first-half display to dispatch Wigan Athletic 4-0 and keep their FA Cup dreams alive. The tie was effectively over before the break as Mikel Arteta's side ran riot at the Emirates.
Noni Madueke opened the scoring after just ten minutes, finishing coolly after being played in by Eddie Nketiah. Gabriel Martinelli doubled the lead five minutes later, also benefiting from Nketiah's creativity. Jack Hunt then put through his own net under pressure from Madueke and Bukayo Saka, before Gabriel Jesus completed the scoring with a tap-in from Martin Ødegaard's pass.
Arsenal eased off in the second half with the job done, managing the game professionally as they look ahead to their Premier League title challenge.
Burnley Suffer Shock Exit
Burnley were left embarrassed after crashing out of the FA Cup at the hands of League One side Mansfield Town. Despite Quilindschy Hartman returning to the starting lineup, the Clarets could not find a way past their lower-league opponents in a result that will go down as one of the upsets of the round.
