FA Cup: Morata powers Chelsea past Nottingham Forest; Burnley, West Ham also through
Premier League strugglers Burnley made hard work of a 1-0 win over third-tier Barnsley
football Updated: Jan 05, 2019 23:31 ISTStriker Alvaro Morata netted a brace as Chelsea beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 to progress into the next round. Yet fellow Spaniard Cesc Fabregas, in almost certainly his last game for the club before he is expected to join Monaco, missed a penalty in an emotional farewell at Stamford Bridge.
Third-tier Gillingham grabbed the “giant-killer” award on a day lacking much of the traditional third-round drama as the Kent club beat Premier League Cardiff City 1-0 thanks to a late strike by Elliott List.
Accrington Stanley, also of the third tier, reached the fourth round with a 1-0 win over former winners Ipswich Town who suffered a ninth successive third-round exit.
Premier League strugglers Burnley made hard work of a 1-0 win over third-tier Barnsley in a match notable for a bizarre intervention by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) -- the system being used in nine of the 32 third-round ties.
Burnley were awarded a penalty for a foul on Matej Vydra before the interval but just as he was running up to take the spot kick the referee Simon Hooper indicated that the decision had been reversed by VAR because of an offside in the build-up.
Manager Sean Dyche was left fuming but his mood improved when Chris Wood eventually sealed victory from the penalty spot in the second minute of stoppage time.
In other ties West Ham United beat second-tier Birmingham City 2-0 at the London Stadium with Samir Nasri making his debut in his first game since completing an 18-month doping ban.
Austrian Marko Arnautovic put West Ham ahead early on but was later substituted because of injury. His replacement, Andy Carroll, struck West Ham’s second in stoppage time.
Brighton & Hove Albion beat Bournemouth 3-1 away in an all-Premier League affair with Anthony Knockaert, Yves Bissouma and Florin Andone all on target.
Everton scored twice in the opening 14 minutes against League Two leaders Lincoln City but scraped home 2-1 while top-flight Southampton were held 2-2 by Frank Lampard’s second-tier promotion chasers Derby County.
First Published: Jan 05, 2019 23:30 IST