National character
If Chelsea had only counted goals by Spaniards and Belgians this season, they would be fifth in the Premier League table (ahead of Arsenal) and through to the Champions League round of 16 (above Atletico Madrid in their group on head-to-head record) and the FA Cup fifth round. Chelsea have not lost at Stamford Bridge in more than a month of Sundays — their win over Newcastle United yesterday was their 35th Sunday home match in all competitions without defeat since Manchester United beat them 3-2 in October 2012.
Keegan recalled
The sporting world featured a Freaky Friday (England eight for five in the fourth one-day international against Australia at the Adeleide Oval) and Surreal Saturday (Liverpool 1, West Bromwich Albion 2 in the 11th minute).
It was the first time Liverpool had led at Anfield but then fallen behind by the 20th minute in any competition for 44 years, since the Doncaster-born Kevin Keegan gave them the lead only for Doncaster Rovers to move 2-1 ahead.
January 2017: Liverpool are beaten by Swansea, who were bottom of the Premier League, and then lose a cup match at home less than a week later (against Southampton). January 2018: Liverpool are beaten by Swansea, who are bottom of the Premier League and then lose a cup match at home less than a week later (against West Brom).
Tick, tock
It will be easy to remember the first case in English football of a goal being chalked off via VAR — Craig Pawson denied Craig Dawson after getting a message in his ear that Gareth Barry, Dawson’s West Brom team-mate, was offside. We are asked for patience as the game gets to grips with VAR but we’ve been waiting patiently for decades in vain for football to work out how to use a stopwatch. The first-half delays for three VAR consultations and two West Brom injuries totalled eight minutes and 50 seconds — aside from any other hold-ups — yet only five minutes and three seconds were added on by the referee before the break.
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Tale of many Cities
For the first time in their history, Manchester City have eliminated three fellow Cities from the main domestic cups in one season. They defeated Leicester City and Bristol City in the Carabao Cup and now Cardiff City in the FA Cup. Yesterday, a foul by No 8 on No 8 (Cardiff’s Joe Ralls on Ilkay Gündogan) led to an eighth-minute goal for Kevin De Bruyne despite the presence of eight Cardiff players in the wall (including two who were marking Manchester City players who had joined the wall).
Famous five
In Leicester City’s 5-1 win over Peterborough United, they scored five goals through African players — a feat that no team has recorded in the Premier League. Those goals came from Ndidi, Diabaté, Iheanacho, Diabaté, Iheanacho — whose initials spell Ndidi. Andrew Hughes scored for Peterborough with a shot that went through the legs of Hamer and Simpson. Doh.
Welsh wonder
Swansea City earned a replay with a draw away to Notts County, which means that three FA Cup fourth-round ties will be played in Wales for the first time since 1956-57. Newport County and Cardiff also hosted ties.
On Lions’ trail
Last season Millwall, then of League One, beat Bournemouth in the third round and then saw off another Premier League team in the fourth round — and Wigan Athletic have followed suit in this campaign after their victory on Saturday over West Ham United. True to the fans’ chant, Wigan’s Will Grigg (who scored twice) was on fire — and his team-mates included Burn and Byrne.
Early breakdown
Two clubs from near the M1 had a new manager on Saturday in the FA Cup and both lost 1-0 — Watford, led by Javi Gracia, and Milton Keynes Dons, guided by Dan Micciche.