FA Cup: Major talking points after the fourth round

• We look at the major talking points from the weekend’s games after the FA Cup fourth-round action.

We look at the major talking points from the weekend’s games after the FA Cup fourth-round action.

Maidstone defies the odds

Maidstone United was given little chance of extending their fantastic cup run, which saw the sixth-tier team defeat Stevenage and Barrow of the Football League to get here. Even though The Stones’ journey to play Championship heavyweights Ipswich was thought to be too distant, the FA Cup magic materialized at Portman Road as The Stones won with a smash-and-grab victory.

With only 22% of the play and one goal from their few shots on goal in the 2-1 victory, the National League South team eliminated a team that was ranked 98 places higher in the football pyramid.

After firing 38 shots on goal and hitting the woodwork three times in the first half, a rotated Ipswich team will be perplexed as to how they lost this game. But on this day, the underdog triumphed with goals from Lamar Reynolds and Sam Cornes, giving Maidstone a memorable victory.

George Elokobi will play either Coventry City or Sheffield Wednesday in the Football League after eliminating opponents from all three divisions to go to round five.

Crowd troubles in the Black Country Derby

Pedro Neto’s strike opened the scoring. Photo/ Wolves

One of the standout matches of the fifth round was the Black Country Derby, which saw the reunion of West Brom and Wolves in front of supporters after more than ten years. The game was stopped for 38 minutes as unrest broke out among the fans, ruining what should have been a memorable moment.

Amidst an already tense situation, midfielder Tommy Doyle was pelted with a beer bottle as he attempted to take a set piece, while Wolves fans lit a flare following Pedro Neto’s opening goal. Following Wolves’ second goal, there was unrest in the stands, with horrifying images of blood-soaked fans being carried out and an increase in police presence in an attempt to quell the violence.

Is this the state of English football fans in 2024? The sights reminded us of a bygone era when security was less important and violence was more common. Football is excellent because of its tribalism, but not when it turns into scenes as vile as this one.

Klopp’s long goodbye starts with a win

Liverpool players celebrate after beating Norwich City 5-2. Photo/ The Star

The Reds were shocked this week by Jurgen Klopp’s declaration that he will be leaving Liverpool; the German manager will step down at the end of the current campaign. As his side competes for four trophies this season, he will go as Liverpool’s most successful manager of the Premier League era and as a club legend, with the possibility of more to come.

This past weekend, Liverpool defeated Norwich 5-2 to secure their spot in the FA Cup’s fifth round. Klopp trusted his team’s young players in this match. Jarell Quansah plays with a maturity that is way above his years, Conor Bradley put on another impressive performance with two assists, and Curtis Jones opened the score. Curtis Jones is having the finest football of his first-team career.

James McConnell, a fellow academy graduate, made an impact on his debut appearance in center midfield, but Bradley has grabbed his chance in the starting lineup in recent weeks. On yet another fantastic afternoon for the academy, the teenager was secure in control and set up Jones’s first goal with a well-placed cross.

With a developing academy and a nucleus of young talent still to grow, the club Klopp leaves in charge is already well-positioned to contend for titles. Any aspirational coach will find it impossible to reject this offer.

City end the curse

Manchester City players celebrate beating Tottenham. Photo/ Eurosport

Before this weekend’s fourth-round match in North London, Manchester City’s record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was well-known. The holders had lost all five of their prior trips there without scoring.

Spurs have shown to be awkward opponents for Pep Guardiola’s style, an uncommon weakness for the Superman of Premier League management. But even after the FA Cup winners passed a challenging test in the capital, City will continue to defend their triple from the previous year.

Guardiola’s team will put on more visually stunning displays this season, but Nathan Ake’s goal—which he scrambled in after Guglielmo Vicario made a mistake—was sufficient to advance the Citizens to the next round of the draw. At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Dutch defender broke the club’s drought by poking in after Vicario mishandled a corner. City’s victory was well-earned as they controlled the match and eliminated the threat posed by a Spurs team without their top scorer and frequent rival, Son Heung-min.