Liverpool crash again, Spurs sneak through
LIVERPOOL were knocked out of the FA Cup by Championship club Wolves as Tottenham survived a potential giant-killing of their own by twice coming from behind in a 4-3 win over fourth-tier Wycombe Wanderers.
Elsewhere, Premier League giants Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City all made it comfortably through to the last 16.
Seven-times FA Cup winners Liverpool lost 2-1 at home to second-tier Wolves as the Merseysiders’ season went from bad to worse.
Defeat meant Liverpool, 10 points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea -- their next opponents at Anfield tomorrow – had been knocked out of two cup competitions in four days following their 2-0 aggregate loss to Southampton in Wednesday’s League Cup semifinal.
Wolves were ahead in under a minute, Richard Stearman heading in a free-kick and, four minutes before half time, Andreas Weimann finished an excellent counter-attack by the Midlands club.
But, having rarely threatened, a much-changed Liverpool pulled a goal back when Divock Origi scored from close range in the 86th minute.
That, however, was good as it got for Liverpool, who have now won just one of their last eight matches in all competitions.
“We were very bad,” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said. “We started badly and it didn’t really get better.”
For Wolves, victory gave them a second Premier League scalp in this season’s FA Cup after they beat Stoke City in the third round and manager Paul Lambert said: “We’ll enjoy the ride. We might get dismantled in the next game but the last two [FA Cup] games have been unbelievable.”
Wycombe threatened an even bigger upset as they surged into a 2-0 lead away to eight-times FA Cup winners Spurs thanks to two first-half goals from captain Paul Hayes only for Son Heung-Min, who scored twice, to grab the winning goal seven minutes into stoppage-time.
“Full credit to Wycombe, they were heroes,” relieved Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said.
Chelsea kept their double hopes alive with a comfortable 4-0 fourth-round win at home to fellow west London club Brentford.
Manchester City won an all-Premier League tie against Crystal Palace, last season’s losing finalists, 3-0 courtesy of goals from Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Yaya Toure.
England forward Theo Walcott scored a hat-trick as Arsenal won 5-0 away to Southampton.
Danny Welbeck also scored a brace in his first start since a knee injury in May last year.
In other FA Cup ties, Premier League Burnley and Middlesbrough triumphed following 2-0 and 1-0 wins over lower league Bristol City and Accrington respectively.
Meanwhile, non-league Lincoln stunned Championship leaders Brighton 3-1 and third-tier Oxford upset second-tier Newcastle 3-0 as Blackburn defeated Blackpool 2-0 and Huddersfield thrashed Rochdale 4-0. – AFP