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The FA Cup fifth round delivered one of the great upsets in recent memory as League One bottom side Port Vale stunned Sunderland, while the Premier League's elite navigated tricky ties to reach the quarter-finals. With the last eight now confirmed, some mouth-watering clashes await โ including a blockbuster showdown between Manchester City and Liverpool.
Port Vale Create History Against Sunderland
The story of the round belongs to Port Vale, who produced one of the competition's greatest upsets by defeating Sunderland 1-0 at Vale Park. The League One strugglers, currently bottom of the third tier, reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1954.
New Zealand international Ben Waine, a boyhood Newcastle United supporter, headed home the only goal after Sunderland failed to clear a corner. The striker celebrated with Alan Shearer's iconic one-armed salute โ a fitting tribute given his allegiances and the identity of the vanquished opponent. Goalkeeper Joe Gauci was outstanding throughout, making several crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet as Port Vale held on for a famous victory.
Salah Inspires Liverpool Past Brighton
Liverpool cruised into the quarter-finals with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Brighton at Anfield. Mohamed Salah was the star performer, contributing a goal and an assist as Arne Slot's side continued their pursuit of silverware.
Curtis Jones opened the scoring just before half-time after excellent work from Milos Kerkez. Salah then produced a delightful pass to release Dominik Szoboszlai, who finished coolly for the second. The Egyptian completed the scoring from the penalty spot with a powerful strike that left the goalkeeper rooted to the spot.
Marmoush Double Fires Man City Past Newcastle
Manchester City came from behind to defeat Newcastle United 3-1 at St James' Park, with Omar Marmoush netting twice in the second half to seal the victory.
Harvey Barnes gave Newcastle an early lead, curling home after racing in behind the City defence. Savinho equalised before the break when Jeremy Doku's cross bounced off the Brazilian and over the line. Marmoush then took control, firing home from inside the box just two minutes after the restart before adding his second with a fierce strike from the edge of the area following a fine run from Matheus Nunes.
Garnacho Rescues Chelsea in Wrexham Thriller
Chelsea needed extra time to see off a spirited Wrexham side, eventually winning 4-2 in a thrilling encounter at the STลK Cae Ras.
The Championship side twice took the lead through Sam Smith and Callum Doyle, only for Chelsea to peg them back each time. An Arthur Okonkwo own goal and Josh Acheampong's fierce strike forced extra time before Alejandro Garnacho volleyed home to finally put the Blues ahead. George Dobson's red card for a dangerous tackle on Garnacho ended Wrexham's hopes, and Joao Pedro added a fourth at the death. Lewis Brunt thought he had forced penalties when he headed home in the 118th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Eze Fires Arsenal to Victory at Mansfield
Arsenal survived a scare at League One Mansfield Town, winning 2-1 thanks to Eberechi Eze's stunning second-half strike.
Noni Madueke curled into the top corner just before half-time to give the Gunners the lead, but Will Evans equalised five minutes after the restart to send the home crowd into raptures. However, Eze showed his class, holding off a challenge before unleashing a fierce drive into the top corner to secure Arsenal's place in the last eight.
Stewart's Late Penalty Sends Southampton Through
Southampton edged past Fulham 1-0 thanks to Ross Stewart's stoppage-time penalty. The Saints, wearing a special commemorative shirt to mark their 1976 FA Cup triumph, had the better of the chances at Craven Cottage but struggled to find a breakthrough until Finn Azaz was fouled by Joachim Andersen in the dying moments. Stewart stepped up to convert and send Southampton into the quarter-finals at the expense of their Premier League opponents.
Leeds Ease Past Norwich
Leeds United comfortably dispatched Norwich City 3-0 at Elland Road to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2003.
Sean Longstaff opened the scoring with a superb volleyed finish after controlling Gabriel Gundmundsson's cross. The Swedish winger then got on the scoresheet himself, stabbing home a loose ball after good work from Dan James. Joel Piroe wrapped up the victory five minutes from time, sweeping home to complete a dominant display.
West Ham Edge Brentford in Penalty Drama
West Ham United reached their first FA Cup quarter-final in ten years after a penalty shootout victory over Brentford following a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Jarrod Bowen scored twice for the Hammers, including a penalty, while Igor Thiago netted a brace for Brentford, also converting from the spot to force extra time. With neither side able to find a winner in the additional 30 minutes, penalties were required. Dango Ouattara's botched Panenka attempt proved decisive as West Ham converted all five of their kicks, with Konstantinos Mavropanos striking the winning penalty.
Quarter-Final Draw
The quarter-final draw has produced some tantalising ties, with a blockbuster clash between Manchester City and Liverpool the standout fixture. The full draw is as follows:
- Southampton vs Arsenal
- Chelsea vs Port Vale
- Manchester City vs Liverpool
- West Ham United vs Leeds United
Port Vale's remarkable cup run continues as they become the only non-Premier League side remaining in the competition. Their reward is a trip to Stamford Bridge, while the Manchester derby of cup football between City and Liverpool promises to be a spectacular encounter. With just three more rounds to navigate before the FA Cup Final at Wembley, the race for silverware is heating up.
