European Super Football

Plymouth Argyle 1 - 0 Liverpool Plymouth Argyle pulled off a classic FA Cup shock as the Championship’s bottom side sent Premier League leaders Liverpool crashing out in front of a raucous Home Park crowd. Author - William G Stadium - Home Park Arne Slot made 10 changes to the Liverpool side that cruised past Tottenham to reach the Carabao Cup final—and it backfired spectacularly as Plymouth seized their moment to book a place in the fifth round. A cagey contest burst into life eight minutes after the break when the hosts were awarded a penalty for Harvey Elliott’s handball. Ryan Hardie stepped up and smashed the spot-kick past Caoimhin Kelleher to send Home Park into pandemonium. Hardie almost doubled his tally moments later, only for Kelleher to tip his effort onto the post. Liverpool pushed for an equaliser late on, but Plymouth keeper Conor Hazard produced two stunning saves—first to deny Diogo Jota, then somehow keeping out Darwin Nunez’s close-range header. The final whistle ...

Everton 0 - 2 Bournemouth Everton handed Bournemouth a place in the FA Cup fifth round, marking the final FA Cup fixture ever to be played at Goodison Park. Author - James L Stadium - Goodison Park The Toffees have called the historic ground home since 1892, but this defeat means their next home FA Cup tie will take place at their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, where they are set to move at the start of next season. It was a night to forget for Everton, who were largely the architects of their own downfall. Captain James Tarkowski endured a nightmare first half, with his errors directly leading to both of Bournemouth’s goals. Tarkowski’s struggles began when he mistimed a sliding tackle on Antoine Semenyo inside the box midway through the first half. The Ghanaian forward dusted himself off and confidently smashed home the resulting penalty past Jordan Pickford. Semenyo caused Everton’s defence problems all evening, narrowly missing with another effort and seeing a tight-angled ...

Eastleigh  1 - 3 Newport County Newport County secured a spot in the FA Cup fourth round and a lucrative tie against Manchester United by defeating Eastleigh 3-1.  Aaron Wildig gave Newport an early lead, skillfully gliding past goalkeeper Joe McDonnell following great play from the County. Paul McCallum equalized for Eastleigh after 48 minutes with a well-placed half-volley, levelling the score against Newport. However, Newport's James Clarke regained the lead with a header on the hour mark, and the victory was sealed by Will Evans, their top scorer. The televised match in the fourth round is expected to bring significant financial rewards, around £400,000, to Newport.  They are set to face Manchester United at Rodney Parade on Sunday 28th January, showcasing their potential for causing upsets, as demonstrated by previous victories against Leicester City , Middlesbrough and a draw with Tottenham Hotspur. Newport class shows While this game was anticipated as a histor...

Brighton & Hove Albion 0 - 0 Nottingham Forest.  Nottingham Forest won 4-3 on penalties. Forest held their nerve in yet another FA Cup penalty shootout, edging past Brighton to book a place in the semi-finals for the first time since 1991. Author - Kieran M Stadium - Amex Stadium Goalkeeper Matz Sels was the hero of the night, producing crucial saves to deny Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez as Forest triumphed 4-3 on spot-kicks after a goalless 120 minutes at the Amex Stadium. In a match desperately lacking in quality, neither side could break the deadlock in normal time, with Brighton looking the more likely to snatch a late winner. Sels, however, had other ideas—his superb reaction save to deny a bullet header from Gomez in extra time kept Forest in the contest. The hosts thought they had won it at the death when Joao Pedro bundled in Pervis Estupiñán’s delivery, but the goal was ruled out for offside, ensuring the tie would be settled from the spot. After two pivotal sav...

There's been an update regarding the kick off time for the 2024 FA Cup final.  The match taking place between Manchester City and Manchester United will kick off at 15:00 BST. For the repeat of last year’s final between the same teams , the match has been brought forward from 17:30 BST. The Football Association said the kick-off time was moved to the traditional slot after it was agreed with both sides alongside the local authority, members of the safety advisory group and TV broadcasters.  City and United will meet at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 25th May. Last year’s final between the two was the first all-Manchester FA Cup final, with Pep Guardiola's side winning 2-1 on their way to a Treble. In 2023, the match was moved to the same time following police advice. This was the first final to take place at that time in twelve years. Many fans were happy with this as they believed it is the best time for important football matches.  How did the teams reach the FA Cup fi...

One of the biggest days in the season is approaching Let's have a look at some of the key stories ahead of the weekend. Are we going to see a massive shock? Who will progress and begin to dream about a trip to Wembley in May? Chelsea v Chesterfield This is a tie that epitomises the magic of the FA Cup. It is not that long ago that Chesterfield were in the third tier but back-to-back relegations saw them spin out of the English Football League and into the National League. This FA Cup run has probably brought back some great memories for Chesterfield fans. Back in the 1996/1997 season, the Spireites went on the run of a lifetime and reached the semi-finals where they faced Middlesbrough in a memorable encounter at Old Trafford. After an enthralling 3-3 draw, they lost 3-0 to the then Premier League side in a replay at Hillsborough. Kidderminster Harriers v Reading Kidderminster are the lowest-ranked club left in the competition. Their prize is a home draw with Championship st...

Preston North End 0 - 3 Aston Villa Marcus Rashford broke his four-month scoring drought to send Aston Villa into the FA Cup semi-finals with victory over Preston at Deepdale. Author - Paul Woods Stadium - Deepdale After a few missed chances against the competition's last remaining Championship team, Rashford finally scored by tapping in Lucas Digne's cutback in the 58th minute. Five minutes later Rashford kept his nerve to send David Cornell the wrong way with his penalty after Morgan Rogers had been fouled by Andrew Hughes. These were Rashford's first goals since his double against Everton on December 1st   and they kept Villa's hopes alive of winning the FA Cup for the first time since 1957.  Preston battled hard but a clear gulf in class was only underlined by the absence through injury of first-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and on-loan defender Kaine Kasler-Hayden, who was unable to play against his parent club. Once in front, Villa tightened their grip and...

 Chelsea 4 - 2 Leicester City Chelsea narrowly avoided a major upset against Leicester City to secure their place in the FA Cup semi-finals, thanks to two stoppage-time goals.  The Foxes were trailing 2-0 until an own goal by Axel Disasi from 35 yards out brought them back into the game. Stephy Mavididi then scored a fantastic equaliser for the visitors, which led to a tense atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, with the home fans voicing their displeasure with manager Mauricio Pochettino.  However, late goals from substitutes Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke secured the win for Chelsea in a dramatic second half. A red card with 17 minutes to go for Leicester defender Callum Doyle proved crucial. He fouled Nicolas Jackson and, having been initially been shown a yellow card and a penalty given, the video assistant referee ruled the foul was outside of the box but upgraded his yellow to red. Chelsea maintained constant pressure throughout the remainder of the game. In the ...

Chelsea 0 - 0 Liverpool (Liverpool win 6-5 on penalties) Liverpool won their second trophy of the season and they keep their quadruple dream alive After a tense 120 minutes, Liverpool triumphed on penalties. They have won the FA Cup for the first time since 2006.  Before the drama of the penalties, it was a close fairly close game for the majority, even if Liverpool did have more shots. Chelsea did have their moments.  Both sides struggled to find that finishing touch and it finished 0-0. In the end, it was won on penalties.  Liverpool quickly gained the advantage in the shootout after César Azpilicueta hit the post with the second Blues spot-kick. Sadio Mané then wasted the chance to win it earlier with a weak fifth kick. Mason Mount then missed Chelsea’s seventh kick, allowing Tsimikas to slide in the winner. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐑 ❤ pic.twitter.com/2Dm3safuA3 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 14, 2022 More reaction Liverpool tweeted: "WE ARE THE #Emirates...

 Middlesborough 0 - 1 Aston Villa Aston Villa secured their first FA Cup victory since 2016, as Matty Cash delivered a late winning goal against Middlesbrough.  Highlights below from  The Emirates FA Cup - YouTube   The Championship club Boro was on the verge of forcing a replay when Cash's shot from outside the box took an unexpected deflection, ultimately beating goalkeeper Tom Glover. The Australian keeper had earlier displayed an impressive performance at the lively Riverside Stadium, frustrating the Premier League visitors with saves against young Colombia forward Jhon Duran (twice) and captain John McGinn. Villa' s frustration grew as Ezri Konsa's header hit the post before Poland full-back Cash scored his fourth goal of the season in three different competitions. Magic of the FA Cup: 2023/2024 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) More Aston Villa news and stories This victory marked a significant milestone for Villa, a seven-time FA Cup-winning team that had ...

Leicester City 6 - 2 QPR James Justin scored twice as Leicester City thrashed QPR at a foggy King Power Stadium, securing their place in the FA Cup fourth round. Author - Craig H Leicester City 6 - 2 QPR More reaction coming here ~ eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com/p/fa-cup-202... youtu.be/nu8GIhBoWi4?... [image or embed] — European Super Football ( @superfootball.bsky.social ) 12 January 2025 at 10:07 Stephy Mavididi, Facundo Buonanotte, and Jamie Vardy also found the net for Ruud van Nistelrooy's side, who came into the match on the back of five consecutive Premier League defeats. Justin opened the scoring with a close-range finish, stretching to meet Buonanotte's curling free-kick. QPR hit back through Jonathan Varane, who rifled in a long-range strike, but Leicester quickly regained the lead when Mavididi calmly slotted home from Bilal El Khannouss' low cross. Moments later, El Khannouss turned provider again, surging into the box and delivering a pinpoint cross for ...

 Manchester City 1 - 2 Manchester United Manchester United’s victory stopped Premier League champions City from claiming a second consecutive domestic double. United's win was forged through an impressive first-half performance that saw goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo. Garnacho capitalised on a mix-up between City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and defender Josko Gvardiol, leaving him with an open goal to score half an hour in. Nine minutes later, Mainoo capped off a sweeping move with a composed finish following a delicate touch from Bruno Fernandes. City inevitably ramped up the pressure in the second half, with Erling Haaland hitting the post, United keeper Andre Onana making a superb save from Kyle Walker, and Julian Alvarez missing a golden opportunity. City substitute Jeremy Doku pulled one back with four minutes remaining, but Ten Hag's side held firm to secure a famous victory and  clinch their 13th FA Cup, their first since 2016. How the FA Cup was won. ...

 It's time to explore another football icon Mark Hughes is a Welsh football coach and former player of many clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich. He is the manager of Bradford City. From Old Trafford and then to Barca, Bayern and back During his playing career, he operated as a forward or midfielder. He had two spells at Manchester United. His first spell at Old Trafford came between 1980 and 1986 when he won the FA Cup in 1985. In 1986, he moved to Barcelona but this time wasn't a success for Hughes. It was during this time when had a loan spell with Bayern Munich.  In 1988, he returned to Old Trafford and had a very successful 7 years. He won the FA Cup twice, the Premier League twice, League Cup and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup. He finally left in 1995. Part of the reason for his departure was the development of the Class of 92 at Manchester United.The video below contains a good insight into his time at Old Trafford. For a period, he was up there as o...

After an enthralling weekend, we can say for certain that there is still some magic left in the FA Cup. Let's have a look at a weekend that saw some massive shocks. Cambridge United knock out Newcastle Joe Ironside scored the winner against his boyhood side. He turned in from close range 11 minutes into the second half to prompt wild scenes amongst the 5,000 travelling fans. Cambridge Director Godric Smith tweeted: So proud of all the players, staff and fans at Cambridge United. A day to cherish. And thank you Newcastle United. Warm, generous and gracious. Good luck for the rest of the season." What a moment for Cambridge's Joe Ironside - his first FA Cup goal and it's the opener against Newcastle! 👏 pic.twitter.com/KDtajv1yLJ — 90min (@90min_Football) January 8, 2022 Kidderminster Harriers produce memorable upset to knock out Reading. George Puscas had put Reading ahead just before half-time at Aggborough. However, Rafael Cabral's mistake handed Sam Austin...

The draw of the third round of the FA Cup has been made.  Let's have a closer look at some of the matches Boreham Wood or St Albans v AFC Wimbledon Yeovil Town v Bournemouth Charlie Wakefield's driven finish early in the second half against Stevenage was enough to put the Glovers into the hat for the third round. Their ultimate reward was a draw against Championship side Bournemouth. Stoke City v Leyton Orient Swansea City v Southampton Chelsea v Chesterfield Liverpool v Shrewsbury Town Cardiff v Preston North End Coventry City v Derby County Burnley v Huddersfield West Bromwich Albion v Brighton and Hove Albion Kidderminster Harriers v Reading Kidderminster Harriers are dreaming of more giant-killing exploits after upsetting FC Halifax at Aggborough to reach the third round of the FA Cup. Their reward is a home match against Reading. The away side will want to avoid a huge upset and go to have a decent run in the competition.  Leicester City v Watford Mansfield Town v Midd...

Fulham 0 - 3 Crystal Palace Crystal Palace continued their remarkable resurgence under Oliver Glasner, securing a fifth consecutive win with a clinical 3-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage to reach the FA Cup semi-finals. Author - Craig H Stadium - Craven Cottage Fulham dominated the opening half-hour but failed to capitalise on their superiority, with Rodrigo Muniz going closest for the hosts. Palace, struggling to get out of their own half, took the lead against the run of play when Eberechi Eze produced a moment of brilliance in the 34th minute. Cutting in from the left, the England international bent a stunning low strike past Bernd Leno and in off the far post. Eze, fresh from scoring his first England goal during the international break, was instrumental again in Palace’s second. His precise cross found Ismaila Sarr, who nodded in at the near post to double the visitors’ lead. Fulham pushed for a response, with Willian drawing a fine save from Dean Henderson, but they ne...

Brentford 0 - 1 Plymouth Argyle  Morgan Whittaker scored a dramatic late winner as Plymouth Argyle, bottom of the Championship, stunned Premier League side Brentford to progress in the FA Cup. Author - Ajay  The third-round clash remained goalless until the 82nd minute when Whittaker cut in from the right and drilled a precise left-footed shot past Hakon Valdimarsson to seal the Pilgrims' unlikely victory. Miron Muslic, appointed on Friday to replace Wayne Rooney , watched from the stands as Plymouth delivered a resolute performance, restricting Brentford to very few chances. Fabio Carvalho tested Argyle keeper Conor Hazard twice in the opening 15 minutes, but those were the only shots on target from Thomas Frank's side. Even with star forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa brought on from the bench to break the deadlock, it was Plymouth who found the decisive goal. Brentford nearly forced a late equaliser, but Wissa’s close-range header went wide, and Plymouth held firm d...

Nottingham Forest 1 - 1 Ipswich Town (Nottingham Forest won 5 - 4 on penalties) Nottingham Forest secured their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Ipswich Town, setting up a trip to Brighton in the last eight. Author - Josh T Stadium - City Ground Goalkeeper Matz Sels was the hero, saving Jack Taylor’s low effort as Forest triumphed 5-4 on penalties after Ryan Yates’ second-half equaliser had forced extra time. The visitors had taken the lead through George Hirst, but ultimately fell short on a night of fine margins at the City Ground. Watching from the stands was England manager Thomas Tuchel, who is preparing to name his first squad next week ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia. However, with the game slow to ignite until the second half, the new Three Lions boss may not have taken much away from the contest. Click here for more FA Cup news and stories from European Super Football Taylor’s missed spot-kick proved ...

 Manchester United won the FA Cup, let's explore some of the best reaction from around the world. It was a great end to the season for Manchester United and a disappointing way for City to finish what has been a successful end to a campaign where they clinched their 4th successive Premier League title.  Reaction from this involved This is how Erik ten Hag responded to presenters from MUTV. The video was uploaded to the Manchester United YouTube account. After the match, the Manchester United players published an open letter to the fans. This starts off: "To every Manchester United fan. We all know that this club is special. As we fought to win the FA Cup, the incredible atmosphere you generated inside Wembley helped push us over the line. Celebrating all together was beautiful. Fans, staff, players — all united as one. Those memories will live with us forever.   "It was a further reminder that with your support behind us, and the United badge on our chests, ...