English FA Cup: Man United, Tottenham, Leicester advance to next round
Manchester United beat Reading 3-1 to reach the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday. Reading were riding their luck and holding on until Casemiro opened the scoring in the 54th minute, dinking the ball over goalkeeper Joe Lumley from Antony’s pass.
The former Real Madrid player extended United’s lead four minutes later with a fizzing low shot from 25 metres.
Fred made it 3-0 before Reading had former Liverpool and England striker Andy Carroll sent off for a second yellow card.
Reading, managed by former title-winning United midfielder Paul Ince, scored a consolation through Amadou Salif Mbengue.
Rashford thought he had become the first United player to score in 10 successive home matches when he netted in the first half but his effort was ruled out for offside by VAR.
Reading had almost taken the lead against the run of play just before the interval when Junior Hoilett had a great chance but his close-range shot was well saved by David de Gea.
Tottenham Hotspur saw off second-tier Preston North End after a 3-0 win with Son Heung-min brace and debutant Arnaut Danjuma also on target at Deepdale on Saturday.
South Korean Son has endured a lean season but made the difference with two superb goals after the break as the visitors moved comfortably through to the next round.
Five minutes into the second half the ball was played to Son outside the penalty area and he struck an unstoppable drive low into the corner of the net.
It was only his second goal since mid-October but 19 minutes later he struck again, turning smoothly on the edge of the box and firing past Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.
Apart from a brief spell in between Tottenham’s goals, Preston rarely troubled the away side who did not even need to bring leading scorer Harry Kane off the bench.
Dutch forward Danjuma, who signed for Spurs on loan from Spanish club Villarreal this week, came off the bench to score his side’s third with a close-range finish late on.
Leeds beat Accrington Stanley 3-1 to book their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in seven years as Leicester also avoided a shock with a 1-0 win at Walsall on Saturday.
Jack Harrison’s stunning long-range strike settled Leeds’ nerves of an upset against the League One side at the Wham Stadium.
Jesse Marsch’s men face a fight to survive in the Premier League, but are beginning to click as an attacking force with the return of Patrick Bamford and Luis Sinisterra from injury to complement new signing Georginio Rutter.
Bamford’s brilliant reverse pass teed up Junior Firpo to double the visitors’ lead just after the hour mark.
Two minutes later, Sinisterra tapped home Harrison’s cross to end the tie as a contest.
But there was a moment to savour for Stanley as 18-year-old Leslie Adekoya pulled a goal back nine minutes from time.
Leicester were pushed even closer by League Two Walsall only to be bailed out by FA Cup specialist Kelechi Iheanacho.
The Nigerian has scored more goals in the competition than any other player since making his debut in 2016.
Iheanacho’s 17th goal in 23 FA Cup appearances had some fortune as his strike from the edge of the box took a wicked deflection for the only goal 23 minutes from time.
