FA Cup

Liverpool has won the FA Cup after defeating Chelsea in penalties on Saturday from London's Wembley Stadium.

Liverpool and Chelsea were scoreless after 120 minutes before the Reds won 6-5 in a shootout. Konstantinos Tsimikas converted Liverpool's final penalty.

Liverpool now has a domestic double after previously beating Chelsea in the League Cup last February.

The Reds won despite Mo Salah being forced off in the 33rd minute because of injury.

Jack Lusby of This Is Anfield provided more information on the injury, which didn't prevent Salah from walking off on his own power.

"A fortnight before the Champions League final, the Egyptian pulled up with what appeared to be a groin issue, and though he pushed to stay on the pitch, Liverpool physios called for a substitution," Lusby wrote.

After the match, Carrie Brown of beIN SPORTS caught up with Salah, who is not concerned about how the injury will affect his status for the Champions League Final against Real Madrid on May 28:

As for the match, Liverpool controlled 53 percent of the possession and took 17 shots (two on goal) compared to Chelsea's 10 shots (also two on goal). Each team had five corner kicks.

This match may have finished scoreless, but it wasn't without drama.

Early on, Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold found Luis Diaz for a great chance, but Chelsea goaltender Edouard Mendy was up for the task.

James Milner found Andy Robertson at the back post in the 84th minute, but the left back hit the goalpost.

During the shootout, Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta hit the goalpost early on, later giving Sadio Mane the chance to be the hero. But Mendy came up with another big save.

After the two teams traded goals, Liverpool goaltender Alisson made a big save on Mason Mount, setting up the cup-winner and keeping the Reds' quadruple chances alive.

Nottinghamshire Police arrested a man who ran onto the pitch during Nottingham Forest's 4-1 victory over Leicester City in the FA Cup on Sunday.

"Investigations are in the very early stages and our enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident are ongoing," chief inspector Neil Williams said.

The man confronted Nottingham Forest players who were celebrating Joe Worrall's goal in the 32nd minute.

Leicester City issued a statement saying it was "appalled by such behaviour and offers its apologies to Nottingham Forest and its players whose safety was compromised." The club also said the supporter is facing a lifetime ban from Leicester City matches at King Power Stadium and any away ground.

Per the Guardian's Peter Lansley, the supporter's actions are also the subject of an investigation by England's Football Association.

The incident didn't overshadow arguably the most shocking result from the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Philip Zinckernagel gave Forest the lead in the 23rd minute, and Leicester was just getting play restarted from the kickoff when Brennan Johnson doubled his club's lead.

Staring at a 3-0 deficit, Kelechi Iheanacho's opener for Leicester provided little consolation in the 40th minute, and Djed Spence added a fourth for Nottingham Forest in the 61st minute.

Forest will play Huddersfield Town on March 2 in the next round of the FA Cup.

An FA Youth Cup match was abandoned on Thursday after a player collapsed on the pitch, according to Darren Wells of the Mirror.

West Bridgford hosted the match against Boston United, but it was halted when a player suffered a suspected cardiac arrest. Jacob Thorburn of the Mail reported paramedics used a defibrillator on the field.

Three ambulance crews were brought to the scene.

Boston United later announced the match was abandoned. 

Journalist Chris Williams provided an account at the scene:

The FA Youth Cup features players under 18 years old competing in a tournament featuring clubs throughout England and Wales. 

Thursday's matchup was part of the preliminary round between lower-level squads, with the winner set to face Dunkirk or Bourne Town in the first round based on the draws. More prominent clubs, including from the Premier League enter later in the competition, similar to the senior FA Cup. 

For their next roles, Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator and star Rob McElhenney want to take financial control of a Welsh soccer team.

Wrexham AFC is the oldest Welsh football club and the third-oldest in the world, founded in 1864. They currently compete in the fifth tier of English football after they were relegated from the fourth level during the 2007-08 season. 

After the news was announced, Reynolds responded to a tweet from 2012 that said "you never know when Ryan Reynolds is going to show up in Wrexham." 

The club has been fan-owned since 2011, and 97.5 percent of its 1,254 members voted to continue talks with the actors in what BBC reported could result in £2 million being invested in the team. The pair will present a proposal of "their vision for Wrexham AFC" to members at a second meeting. 

"All we're going to commit to—because we're not going to pressure on ourselves—is that we will conclude the discussions as soon as possible," Wrexham Supporters Trust director Spencer Harris told BBC Wales.

The pair wouldn't be the first in Hollywood to financially back a team across the pond. Mindy Kaling was part of an investment group that took over Swansea City A.F.C in 2016.

Manchester United beat Derby County 3-0 on Thursday in the 2020 FA Cup to set up a quarter-final clash with Norwich City at Carrow Road.

Two goals from striker Odion Ighalo and a Luke Shaw effort were enough to secure a comfortable victory for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side against Championship opposition.

Fifth Round Results

Leicester City 1-0 Birmingham City

Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Manchester City

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Norwich City (Norwich win 3-2 on penalties)

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool

Reading 1-2 Sheffield United

West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Newcastle United

Portsmouth 0-2 Arsenal

Derby County 0-3 Manchester United

Thursday Recap

Derby County started the game strongly against Manchester United and had two good chances in the opening 20 minutes at Pride Park.

Louis Sibley fired a shot just wide of the visitors' goal before Wayne Rooney saw a free-kick tipped around the post by goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

The Red Devils made Derby pay for those misses by scoring twice in eight minutes before half-time to take control of the tie.

Left-back Shaw netted his first goal of the season, hitting the ball into the turf and seeing it take a nick off Jesse Lingard and loop over goalkeeper Kelle Roos (UK video only):

Ighalo then doubled the visitors' lead after a pass from Shaw. The striker managed to side-foot home from close range despite the attentions of Craig Forsyth and Max Lowe (UK video only):

Derby came within a whisker of halving the deficit early in the second half. Martyn Waghorn glanced a Jayden Bogle cross from the right inches wide of the far post.

Igahlo made the game safe with 20 minutes of normal time remaining with his third goal in two games for the Red Devils.

The 30-year-old crashed an effort into the roof of the net after seeing an initial shot blocked by Bogle:

Derby continued to threaten and had chances in the closing stages. Jack Marriott forced Romero into a fine diving save, while the Argentinian also denied Rooney a goal against his former club with by tipping the striker's free-kick over the bar in stoppage time.

Goalscorer Shaw offered his thoughts after the match (UK video only):

The win means Manchester United extend their unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions, and they will fancy their chances of beating the struggling Canaries and making it through to the last four of the competition.

Odion Ighalo scored his first Manchester United brace on Thursday when they defeated Derby County 3-0 to reach the last eight of the FA Cup for the sixth season in a row.

The Red Devils went ahead after Luke Shaw's volley skipped over goalkeeper Kelle Roos via a slight deflection off Jesse Lingard, and Ighalo converted a cool second goal for United to put them 2-0 up at half-time.

Ighalo tripled his United goal tally in one evening after scoring a second in the 70th minute to cap a dream performance for the striker.

United—who reached the 2016 and 2018 FA Cup finals—have exited at the quarter-final stage in two of the previous three campaigns. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side will travel to Norwich City in the next round after the Canaries beat Tottenham Hotspur away on penalties Wednesday.

United travelled to Derby unbeaten in eight games across all competitions and having kept clean sheets in six of those matches. 

That being said, it was the Rams who emerged as victors when the two clubs last met in September 2018. They beat the Red Devils 8-7 on penalties at Old Trafford to reach the fourth round of that campaign's Carabao Cup following a 2-2 draw in normal time.

Wayne Rooney—who scored 253 goals in 559 appearances for United—had failed to score or assist in six previous fixtures against United (all at Everton) but was among Derby's more positive threats in attack. He tested Sergio Romero with Derby's sole attempt on target during the first half, forcing the save from a free-kick for which Shaw was responsible.

United's left-back took his caution but became the hero for his breakthrough a quarter-of-an-hour later, despite Lingard's apparent calls to claim the goal after it touched his back on the way in:

Accidental though it might have been, the deflection almost seemed destined considering Lingard's prolific record against the Rams:

Phillip Cocu's side have attracted praise for their style of play in England's second tier this season, with the former PSV Eindhoven and Fenerbahce manager taking some time to adapt his tactics with the squad.

Derby's comeback hopes suffered a damaging blow after Ighalo—a January signing on loan from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua—doubled the deficit eight minutes after United's opener.

Shaw was again heavily involved and drove towards the opposition box, firing the ball into Ighalo, who showed tight control before finishing low into the left corner:

The Nigerian scored his first goal for the club during a 5-0 UEFA Europa League demolition of Club Brugge one week earlier, improving his record to two goals in as many starts for the club he grew up supporting.

United were dominant in possession and had the greater share of first-half attempts on goal, though The Athletic's Ryan Conway asserted his side were competitive:

The travelling fans will have been pleased to see United's press didn't wilt after the restart as their side remained on top, with Scott McTominay once again commanding at the core of their midfield.

Bruno Fernandes was also lively in the No. 10 role but was replaced by Andreas Pereira after 67 minutes, with Ighalo finding the back of the net for a second time shortly after:

Sportswriter Sacha Pisani highlighted the under-the-radar loan signing is already in range of beating some of United's much higher-profile attackers in recent years:

His and Fernandes' impacts have been much appreciated among Solskjaer's squad since they were brought to Old Trafford, with United continuing to reap the benefits of some smart winter business.

Rooney drew a tremendous save from Romero with another free-kick close to full-time, but United held firm to deny their former talisman a consolatory strike against his old employers.

The top-flight outfit have a prime opportunity to advance again if they can beat Norwich at Carrow Road in the quarters, though Solskjaer will take little for granted after they knocked out Jose Mourinho's Spurs.

What's Next?

United have little time to rest ahead of Sunday's Premier League derby at home to local rivals Manchester City, while Derby resume their Championship campaign at home to Blackburn Rovers.

Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo is eagerly anticipating facing Wayne Rooney in the FA Cup on Thursday.

The Red Devils play Derby County at Pride Park for a place in the quarter-final of the competition, and ahead of the game, Ighalo was full of praise for United's all-time record goalscorer:

"Wayne Rooney is always an idol, like many players at United.

"He's a good guy. He is a fighter on the pitch, he fights until the end, from the start until the finish. He's somebody I've seen that never gives up in the game, and he's a good goalscorer.

"A little chance, a little space, he's going to score. He can shoot from outside, he can score in the box, he can score from anywhere.

"He's a great player. Good techniques, he has a good shot, good runs."

The Nigeria international added that the forward's presence and experience in the side will give the Rams "confidence."

Rooney, who joined Derby as a player-coach earlier this season, spent the bulk of his career at Old Trafford, where he racked up 253 goals in 559 games.

His efforts helped the club to win five Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, three League/EFL Cups and the FA Cup, among other honours.

Ighalo isn't the only one at United looking forward to facing him on Thursday. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer played alongside Rooney at United before his retirement from playing 2007:

The 34-year-old recently celebrated a significant milestone in English football with a goal, and he did so in style:

In 14 matches for the Rams, Rooney has found the net four times.

The former England captain has been a forward for much of his career, but he has increasingly been used as an attacking midfielder in his later years. He's often been deployed in the centre of midfield by Derby boss Phillip Cocu.

As The Athletic's Ryan Conway observed, Rooney has done well in the deeper role:

That position may be less conducive to getting on the scoresheet, but he'll be a threat to United on Thursday.

Rooney has scored 23 goals in 48 appearances in the FA Cup, and he's also provided seven assists.

The winner of Thursday's fifth-round match will be away at Norwich City in the quarter-finals on the weekend of March 21.  

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho said Eric Dier was insulted by the fan he confronted in the stands in their FA Cup defeat at home to Norwich City on Wednesday and that the player's brother was involved.

After Spurs were beaten on penalties by the Canaries, Dier was seen climbing into the stands before a heated confrontation with a supporter:

Mourinho was asked about the incident in his post-match press conference.

Football.London's Alasdair Gold provided a transcript of his comments.

"I think Eric Dier did something that we professionals cannot do but in these circumstances every one of us would do," he said. "Because when somebody insults you and your family is there and you get involved with the person that is insulting you, in this case a younger brother, I think Eric did what we professional we cannot do."

Per ESPN, the manager added: "If the club discipline Eric Dier I would not agree with it, but what he did was wrong."

Mourinho added that he did not know whether racist abuse aimed at Gedson Fernandes was also a factor in the confrontation, amid speculation on social media.

"I just know that the reaction of Eric was based on his brother, didn't like what was happening there," he said.

Per the Press Association's Jonathan Veal, the coach also took aim at the club's corporate fans:

According to Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail, Tottenham have identified the supporter in question, and both they and the Football Association are investigating the incident.

The Mirror's Darren Lewis gave his take on the situation:

In 1995, Eric Cantona was banned for nine months after he aimed a flying kick at a Crystal Palace fan after being sent off for Manchester United at Selhurst Park. He also had to complete 120 hours of community service after pleading guilty to assault charges.

Norwich held Spurs to a 1-1 draw in north London on Wednesday after Josip Drmic's rebounded effort cancelled out Jan Vertonghen's early header.

The match went to penalties after they could not be separated in extra time.

Dier converted the opening penalty, while Norwich's Kenny McLean missed, but while the Canaries scored their next three spot-kicks, Giovani Lo Celso was the only Spurs player after Dier to beat Tim Krul.

Erik Lamela hit the bar, while Troy Parrott and Fernandes' efforts were kept out by the Dutch goalkeeper, who earned Norwich a quarter-final draw at home to either Derby County or Manchester United.

Manchester City, Leicester City and Norwich City booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Wednesday, joining Arsenal, Chelsea, Sheffield United and Newcastle in the group of qualified teams.

The Sky Blues and Foxes needed a single goal each to beat Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City, respectively, while the Canaries got past Tottenham Hotspur after a thrilling penalty shootout.

Here are Wednesday's full results:

• Leicester City 1-0 Birmingham City
• Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Manchester City
• Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 (2-3) Norwich City

The final fifth-round match will take place on Thursday, when Derby County host Manchester United. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. GMT.

Here is a look at the draw for the quarter-finals:

Sergio Aguero served up the winner for City against a courageous Sheffield Wednesday team, converting after 53 minutes.

Per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian, it moved him ahead of Wayne Rooney on the all-time Manchester top scorer's list:

Fresh off their Carabao Cup win on Sunday, manager Pep Guardiola continued with his squad rotation, resting Kevin De Bruyne for a second straight match. Claudio Bravo and Joao Cancelo started, and both played the full 90 minutes.

Spurs took an early lead against Norwich thanks to defender Jan Vertonghen, who scored on a bullet header:

That seemed to have sealed a spot in the next round for the hosts, but with 12 minutes left, Michel Vorm spilled a long-distance shot that bounced back into the feet of Josip Drmic. It was a silly goal to concede:

Extra time didn't provide any more goals, and even in the shootout, goals were hard to come by, with just one of the first three converted. Kenny McLean, Erik Lamela, Troy Parrott and Gedson Fernandes all missed, with the latter's sending Norwich through.

In Leicester, a goal from Ricardo Pereira was enough to secure the win against Birmingham. The full-back continues to find the net at an impressive rate:

The Foxes will host Chelsea in the next round.