The FA Cup, once again, delivered. We had genuine upsets, surprise results and a number of eye-catching individual performances. We’re going to round-up the biggest talking points in this bumper review.
The Seagulls continue to soar
Was this a cup upset? In previous years, Brighton defeating Liverpool would’ve been a shock but Roberto De Zerbi’s men claimed a 3-0 win over the Reds just a fortnight ago and sit three places above them in the Premier League.
This time, it was different. The hosts fell behind to an early Harvey Elliott goal as the visitors controlled the first half with their new look shape. However, a fortunate deflection via Lewis Dunk’s right foot restored parity and gave Brighton a platform to build on after the break.
A last-minute winner was needed but what a goal it was, with Karou Mitoma showing great composure to fire emphatically past Alisson having taken Joe Gomez out of the game. It was just rewards for an impressive showing in which Brighton limited Liverpool to an xG of just 0.04 in the second half.
Samba magic at the Madejski Stadium
When Manchester United parted with £60million to bring Casemiro to the club, they did so to shore things up in midfield. The Brazilian destroyer had been a black hole for opposition attacks during his time with Real Madrid and many expected it to be the same in the red of United.
What they didn’t expect to see was the 30-year-old bursting into the penalty area to latch onto a pass before clipping the ball over the keeper. Yet that is exactly what happened against Reading as Casemiro stole the show with two goals. He earned himself a FotMob rating of 9.1 having made five ball recoveries while winning two of the three tackles he attempted.
The former Madrid man now has three goals and three assists in his last seven appearances.
FA Cup drama at the Racecourse Ground
Is it possible for Wrexham to be involved in a dull game of football this season?
Ryan Reynolds was in attendance to see his side concede after only two minutes. The hosts struggled to break down a resolute Sheffield United side in the first half and created chances worth an xG total of just 0.59. Things changed after the break though. In fact, Wrexham’s second half xG of 1.64 was more than the Blades managed in the entire match (1.01).
The hosts scored twice in a 10-minute window only for Sheffield United to level things almost immediately. Paul Mullen, who else would it be, thought he’d won it in the 86th minute but the Championship side, sitting in second position right now, struck in added time to set up an undeserved replay.
An unlikely hero
Manchester City named a strong side for their match against Arsenal. With the two teams battling it out for the Premier League title, now was not the time to give Mikel Arteta any encouragement.
The Premier League leaders, however, made a few changes to their usual starting XI. Despite this, it was a fairly even game with very few chances of note. City managed just eight shots in total and had an xG of 0.51. Arsenal managed five shots and created chances worth 0.35 Expected Goals.
Pep Guardiola had loaded up his attack with Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez, Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne all starting. However, the winner arrived when left-sided centre-back Nathan Ake found himself free in the penalty area before managing to curl a right-footed effort into the far corner.
These two teams do it all again pretty soon in the Premier League.
An all-Championship affair
Now this one was something of a surprise result. On paper, a 17th placed Championship side knocking out a team in tenth isn’t that shocking. But prior to this clash, West Brom had been in impressive form while Bristol City had won just one of their last six in the league.
Few could’ve envisaged what happened at Ashton Gate on Saturday as Nigel Pearson’s side romped to a 3-0 win over the Baggies. It was a justified scoreline, all things considered, with the hosts carving out four big chances on the day while limiting their guests to an xG of just 0.73.
No Kane, no worries for Spurs
Heung-min Son hasn’t had the best season in front of goal this term. Heading into the game against Preston, he had just one strike to his name since October and that arrived earlier this month in the win over Crystal Palace.
Antonio Conte made changes to his starting XI for this FA Cup clash and without Harry Kane starting, Son was tasked with even more responsibility in the final third. He delivered, too, with a 9.1 rating on the FotMob app.
He created one chance, attempted five dribbles, had four shots and scored twice as Spurs navigated their way past a Preston team who had defended impressively in the first-half.
The magic of the Cup
On paper, the clash between Luton Town and Grimsby Town had only one winner. Luton are riding high in the Championship, currently sit seventh, and their home record has been fairly impressive over recent weeks. Grimsby, on the other hand, are struggling in League Two and find themselves in 16th.
Yet Saturday’s clash at Kenilworth Road was fairly even. Grimsby took the lead just before half-time and then responded instantly when the hosts scored their second.
It may not have been a glam tie but it had everything you want from an FA Cup clash – the genuine threat of an underdog claiming the win.
(Images from IMAGO)
You can follow every match from the 2022/23 FA Cup live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.