Here is a round of the quarter final fixtures played out on the 18th of December.
Tottenham Hotspur 1 – 2 West Ham United
Tottenham Hotspur went into the cup encounter manager-less, having sacked manager Andre Villas-Boas in the week. Emmanuel Adebayor got his first start of the season under interim boss – Tim Sherwood.
Beleaguered West Ham United on the other hand, entered the match languishing in 17th in the domestic Premier League following a dreadful run. Sam Allardyce fielded a rather below par team, with more than one eye on the Premier League.
No one gave the visitors a chance, and less so, after Emmanuel Adebayor put the hosts in front rifling a volley into the roof of the goal, mid-way into the second half. The Spurs dominated the match, with goal-mouth action, however, they failed to put the game to bed with a second goal. West Ham threw the kitchen sink in the latter half of the game, making a host of attacking substitutions. It paid off, as Matt Jarvis scored the equaliser in the 80th minute after slick play on the edge of the box. Five minutes later, Modibo Maiga and West Ham defied all odds, as he slotted in a header from close range to complete a famous comeback.
The Hammers will now face the mighty Manchester City in the semi finals.
Stoke City 0 – 2 Manchester United
The champions proved their mettle once again, as they braved more than one storm in a hard fought victory away from home against Stoke City. The conditions at The Britannia were less than ideal, with heavy winds and torrential rainfall. The players had to be called off mid-way into the first half, due to a nasty hailstorm that swept across the ground. However, five minutes later, the show resumed, and Manchester United were at their finest.
David Moyes started with a fairly strong team, handing a rare start to Ashley Young on the left flank. He redeemed his manager’s selection, scoring the first goal of the game with an absolute doozie from the edge of the box. The Red Devils looked in complete control of the match, keeping Mark Hughes’s side at bay. Patrice Evra doubled the lead, after Young played the left back in. You might have been forgiven to think it was a striker, as Evra curled it around a hapless Sorenson, with his right peg. Heartbreak for Mark Hughes and his men, as they get dumped out of the competition, contrasted by elation and relief in the opposition camp.
Manchester United will now face Sunderland in the semi finals.
There is a huge possibility of the two Manchester clubs fighting it out in the finals, unless the minnows can spring yet another surprise.