Chelsea 4, Cardiff 1
Didier Drogba gave the defending champions a quick lead as Chelsea overpowered Cardiff, the 2008 finalists on Saturday.
Drogba opened the scoring after just two minutes and then played a role in two more goals.
Cardiff showed signs of making a comeback just after the half hour mark when they pulled level with Michael Chopra’s goal.
However, Michael Ballack restored the lead for the Londoners before Daniel Sturridge and Salomon Kalou added some insurance.
The win means that it is still possible for Chelsea to record the triple (Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup).
If they win the FA Cup they will become only the fifth postwar team to successfully defend their title.
Even without John Terry, Ashley Cole, and Michael Essien, Chelsea named a team of stars.
Chelsea is a strong favorite for the trophy as Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool are all out of the competition.
“It was tougher than we thought. We anticipated having a hard game. Cardiff played exceptionally well and gave us a lot of problems in the first half,” said Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins to the BBC.
“I cannot fault my players in anything they have done, they were magnificent. It looks like a drubbing but it was far from that,” said Cardiff manager David Jones.
Bolton 1, Tottenham 1
Tottenham fought back after a great performance by Bolton who dominated the first half of the game on Sunday.
Spurs were back in it at the hour mark when Jermain Defoe blasted one in.
Prior to the leveler Spurs gained a penalty for a handball in the box by Sam Ricketts. With Defoe having missed his last penalty at Leeds United, Tom Huddlestone stepped up to take the kick but keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was there to save.
“Harry [Redknapp] said to me at full-time, he thought it was a game of two halves but I think it was a game of an hour for us with the last half-hour going to Tottenham,” Bolton manager Owen Coyle told the BBC.
Tottenham assistant manager Joe Jordan had a slightly different view. “We lived dangerously in the first half as we didn’t play particularly well and the performance was not good enough,” he stated.
“But in the second half we got ourselves sorted out and we should be going away with the victory, no question of that.”
Southampton 1, Portsmouth 4
Portsmouth put their financial trouble behind them for a moment as they overcame fierce local rival Southampton on Saturday.
David James was at hand to deny Adam Lallana just after the break before Pompey took the lead through substitute Quincy Owusu-Abeyie.
Southampton was quickly back in the game when Ricky Lambert headed it home four minutes later.
Pompey restored the lead after 75 minutes with a goal by Aruna Dindane and then Nadir Belhadj netted before Jamie O’Hara completed the rout.
“We believed that we could win the game, [maybe] not 4–1, because Southampton played very well tactically in the first half,” said Portsmouth manager Avram Grant.
Crystal Palace 2, Aston Villa 2
A late goal by Aston Villa winger Stiliyan Petrov denied Crystal Palace’s place into the last eight and forced a reply in Villa’s already busy schedule.
Financially troubled Crystal Place were on their way to pulling off a fifth round upset when they took the lead through Johnny Ertl. Villa pulled one back with a header from James Collins and then Palace restored the lead after a stunning 30-yard free-kick by Darren Ambrose, the former England under-21 international
The replay between Palace and Villa will take place on Feb. 24.
Elsewhere, Stoke City and Manchester City will also have a replay after a 1–1 draw on Saturday.
The quarterfinals will be played on the weekend of Mar. 6. Chelsea will face either Manchester City or Stoke City at Stamford Bridge. Bolton or Tottenham will travel to face Fulham. Portsmouth will host Birmingham and Crystal Palace or Aston Villa will travel to either Reading or West Brom.
Didier Drogba gave the defending champions a quick lead as Chelsea overpowered Cardiff, the 2008 finalists on Saturday.
Drogba opened the scoring after just two minutes and then played a role in two more goals.
Cardiff showed signs of making a comeback just after the half hour mark when they pulled level with Michael Chopra’s goal.
However, Michael Ballack restored the lead for the Londoners before Daniel Sturridge and Salomon Kalou added some insurance.
The win means that it is still possible for Chelsea to record the triple (Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup).
If they win the FA Cup they will become only the fifth postwar team to successfully defend their title.
Even without John Terry, Ashley Cole, and Michael Essien, Chelsea named a team of stars.
Chelsea is a strong favorite for the trophy as Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool are all out of the competition.
“It was tougher than we thought. We anticipated having a hard game. Cardiff played exceptionally well and gave us a lot of problems in the first half,” said Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins to the BBC.
“I cannot fault my players in anything they have done, they were magnificent. It looks like a drubbing but it was far from that,” said Cardiff manager David Jones.
Bolton 1, Tottenham 1
Tottenham fought back after a great performance by Bolton who dominated the first half of the game on Sunday.
Spurs were back in it at the hour mark when Jermain Defoe blasted one in.
Prior to the leveler Spurs gained a penalty for a handball in the box by Sam Ricketts. With Defoe having missed his last penalty at Leeds United, Tom Huddlestone stepped up to take the kick but keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was there to save.
“Harry [Redknapp] said to me at full-time, he thought it was a game of two halves but I think it was a game of an hour for us with the last half-hour going to Tottenham,” Bolton manager Owen Coyle told the BBC.
Tottenham assistant manager Joe Jordan had a slightly different view. “We lived dangerously in the first half as we didn’t play particularly well and the performance was not good enough,” he stated.
“But in the second half we got ourselves sorted out and we should be going away with the victory, no question of that.”
Southampton 1, Portsmouth 4
Portsmouth put their financial trouble behind them for a moment as they overcame fierce local rival Southampton on Saturday.
David James was at hand to deny Adam Lallana just after the break before Pompey took the lead through substitute Quincy Owusu-Abeyie.
Southampton was quickly back in the game when Ricky Lambert headed it home four minutes later.
Pompey restored the lead after 75 minutes with a goal by Aruna Dindane and then Nadir Belhadj netted before Jamie O’Hara completed the rout.
“We believed that we could win the game, [maybe] not 4–1, because Southampton played very well tactically in the first half,” said Portsmouth manager Avram Grant.
Crystal Palace 2, Aston Villa 2
A late goal by Aston Villa winger Stiliyan Petrov denied Crystal Palace’s place into the last eight and forced a reply in Villa’s already busy schedule.
Financially troubled Crystal Place were on their way to pulling off a fifth round upset when they took the lead through Johnny Ertl. Villa pulled one back with a header from James Collins and then Palace restored the lead after a stunning 30-yard free-kick by Darren Ambrose, the former England under-21 international
The replay between Palace and Villa will take place on Feb. 24.
Elsewhere, Stoke City and Manchester City will also have a replay after a 1–1 draw on Saturday.
The quarterfinals will be played on the weekend of Mar. 6. Chelsea will face either Manchester City or Stoke City at Stamford Bridge. Bolton or Tottenham will travel to face Fulham. Portsmouth will host Birmingham and Crystal Palace or Aston Villa will travel to either Reading or West Brom.
