FA Cup

JAY RODRIGUEZ struck twice – and sent up another – to send Burnley into the FA fifth round for only the second time in 10 years.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche made nine changes from the side which stunned Liverpool 1-0.

Jay Rodriguez ended his goal drought as Burnley beat FulhamCredit: Rex Features

The ex-England star headed in his first strike since JulyCredit: Rex Features

The striker doubled his own haul by slamming home from the penalty spotCredit: PA:Press Association

Rodriguez then turned provider as Kevin Long notched Burnley’s thirdCredit: Reuters

But even though it was a different team, Dyche will be pleased the way his squad were able to focus just three days after the club’s massive win over the champions.
Rodriguez put Burnley ahead with a first half header and then scored a 71st minute penalty before Kevin Long struck to seal the tie.
Burnley, who will entertain Bournemouth or Crawley in the next round, last reached the fifth round in 2017 and suffered an embarrassing 1-0 loss to Lincoln.
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James Tarkowski and Dwight McNeil were the only survivors from the win at Anfield while Fulham kept just three players from the one which started the 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United.
Matej Vydra thought he had scored in the third minute but was offside while he then forced a decent near-post save from Marek Rodak.
Phil Bardsley tried his luck from distance but Rodak saved and Vydra’s follow up was poor.
Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic also put the ball in the net with a header but Aboubakar Kamara was offside.

Vydra wasted another chance when clean through and Rodak saved but Burnley finally got the goal they had threatened in the 31st minute.
Rodriguez played the ball out wide to Jack Cork and then charged into the area to meet a terrific cross with a glancing header. Vydra was offside when Cork crossed but the ball sailed over his head towards Rodriguez.

At least Fulham improved after the break. They had a good chance at the start of the second half but Burnley keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell made a triple save to keep out a strike from Joe Bryan and then two efforts by Mitrovic.
Vydra wasted another good opportunity but was forced wide by Tim Ream but soon after won a penalty after being barged by Michael Hector. Rodriguez delivered an assured finish to end Rodak the wrong way.
With nine minutes left, Rodriguez turned provider and after Fulham failed to clear their lines. He chested the ball back towards defender Long to scramble the ball over the line.

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REF David Coote was shown the red card on social media after he TACKLED Mason Mount as the Chelsea midfielder prepared to shoot against Luton.
Fans fumed as statuesque Coote unwittingly did a better of stopping England star Mount than many Premier League defenders have managed. in the FA Cup clash.

Ref David Coote reacts slowly and impedes Chelsea star Mason Mount in a very dangerous position against Luton

Mason Mount was floored by the accidental block from ref David Coote

Tammy Abraham’s hat-trick saw off Championship side Luton 3-1 to earn a fifth-round trip to Barnsley and slightly ease pressure on Blues’ boss Frank Lampard.
But even Lamps could not have expected the glaring spotlight to switch from him to Coote in such a bizarre manner.
Mount cut back sharply onto his left foot just outside the box – but straight into Coote, who was doing an awkward-looking 180-degree turn when caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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Coote immediately blew up and raised his hands in front of him to admit his mishap.
Mount and Co seemed forgiving but social media was less so, although some fans saw the lighter side of such a rare incident.
One said: “Cleanest tackle. Ever” while another pointed out: “We’re in need of a ball-winning midfielder as well.”
And a more stats-minded armchair critic claimed: “One assist for Chelsea first goal. Mr. Incompetent.”

That was a reference to Coote’s role – or lack of it – in Abraham’s controversial opener.
Despite a multi-ball system NOT being used, Chelsea threw in a different ball after Luton keeper Simon Sluga booted a goal-kick straight into touch.
And there were even two balls in play briefly, before the Blues knocked the spare one off.
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England star Mason Mount must have been happy with his sharp turn – until the man in the middle, David Coote, unwittingly intervened
But the officials never halted the action and Abraham promptly tucked in strike-partner Timo Werner’s cut-back.
Furious Hatters’ boss Nathan Jones claimed he had never been “disrespected” by a ref as much as Coote – when the official shrugged off Luton’s queries over the build-up.
LutonToday quote Jones as saying: “The rules have changed apparently, so I don’t know when but the rules have changed.
“First of all, we asked the fourth official is it multi-ball? He said ‘no’, so you have to use the same ball.
“I asked the referee if it was multi-ball and he just kept quoting the rule book to me, so I have no idea, I couldn’t get clarification.

“I waited 30 minutes and he actually got changed and has gone, so I’m baffled, I don’t know what’s going on as I did not know.
“I’ve been a professional footballer for 29 years, I’ve been a manager and a coach for nine, and in all that time when a second ball comes on the pitch, play stops, but apparently not today, so I don’t know.
“When I went to speak to the referee, he literally couldn’t make eye contact with me, he treated me with the biggest amount of disrespect I’ve ever been treated with and just kept quoting a rule book about something I wasn’t actually asking him, so it puzzled me.”

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BRENDAN RODGERS may have higher priorities than the FA Cup – but the Leicester boss sent out a potent attacking team and was rewarded with a stirring second-half comeback.
Brentford’s Championship promotion contenders had knocked out four Premier League clubs on their way to the Carabao Cup semi-finals – and they could have led the Foxes by more than a single goal at half-time.

Leicester cruised past Brentford after another impressive showing from James MaddisonCredit: AFP or licensors

The England star was on the scoresheet again as the Foxes moved into the fifth roundCredit: Rex Features

But when Leicester cranked up their intensity levels after the break, there was no contest.
Cengiz Under struck the equaliser, Youri Tielemans won and converted a penalty and James Maddison tapped in the third as the Foxes cruised in to a fifth-round home with Brighton next month.
Leicester are widely regarded as being the biggest club never to have won the FA Cup – with four defeats in the final all more than half a century ago.
While Leicester are pursuing Champions League, and perhaps even a second Premier League title, as well as this season’s Europa League, Rodgers refused to send out a seriously weak team.

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A second-string Foxes defence looked shaky in the first half, conceding to an early Mads Bech Sorensen effort – and were grateful to keeper Danny Ward for a couple of fine saves.
But there was no doubting Leicester’s appetite after the break as they put Brentford to the sword.
After morning blizzards in west London, the ground staff were using leaf blowers to clear the penalty areas of snow.

Both clubs have massive midweek league fixtures coming up – the Bees a promotion six-pointer with Swansea and Leicester a Champions League six-pointer at Everton.

Youri Tielemans won and converted a penalty after Cengiz Under struck the equaliserCredit: Reuters
So the line-ups were stronger than we might have imagined, despite six changes for the hosts and eight for Leicester.
The Foxes began brightly, twice going close before Brentford’s sixth-minute opener.
Turkish winger Under cut back for Harvey Barnes to blaze a shot wide, then Under cut in from the right and saw his shot turned wide by Luke Daniels.
Yet as soon as the Bees put pressure on Leicester’s second-string defence, the Foxes were rocking.
Brentford’s first corner saw Rodgers’ men apparently frozen by the bitter cold, Marcus Forss getting the first touch, Nampalys Mendy unable to clear, keeper Danny Ward also hesitant and Sorensen poking over the line.
Leicester threatened a swift equaliser when a Barnes shot was hacked away by Ethan Pinnock and when Maddison whistled a free-kick wide after Jan Zamburek was booked for a foul on Ayoze Perez.

Mads Bech Sorensen had put the home side in front earlyCredit: AP:Associated Press
But Brentford ended the first half well on top – the lively Tarique Fosu having a volley pushed wide by Ward before Saman Ghoddos was given to sighters at goal from free-kicks on the edge of the area.
After Caglar Soyuncu was booked for a crude challenge on Forss, Ghoddos pinged one narrowly over.
And after Youri Tielemans fouled Foxu, Ghoddos produced a brilliant effort which forced Ward into a spectacular leaping save.
But for all Leicester’s defensive paucity, they always possessed attacking quality.
And within a minute of the restart, Soyuncu won possession high up the pitch and fed Maddison, who jinked past two defenders and slipped in a pass for Under to drill into the far corner.
Perez headed over from a Tielemans centre and then drove in a shot which almost knocked Daniels back into his own net.
Leicester’s second, on 51 minutes, was controversial, Tielemans going down easily with minimal contact from Fosu – VAR might have overturned it but there is no such technology available at EFL stadiums.
And Tielemans rose to send Daniels the wrong way from the spot.

Then Pereira motored down the right and cut back for Under, who swept wide when he should have killed the tie.
Leicester had turned up the quality-control switch considerably and Barnes soon screwed wide after an excellent run from Luke Thomas
And with 20 minutes to go, the killer blow arrived – sub Timothy Castagne winning an excellent interception on halfway, and a Barnes shot pushed out by Daniels for Maddison to tap in.

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LUTON players kept Chelsea waiting to kick-off their FA Cup tie because of a ‘dodgy clock’ in their dressing room.
The Hatters were late to emerge onto the pitch at the start of the first and second half on Sunday.

Luton players emerged from the health club over the road – but slightly late due to a ‘dodgy clock’Credit: Getty Images

And BBC presenter Gabby Logan said during the half-time break that ‘a dodgy clock’ was to blame for the tardiness.
The visitors were forced to get changed in the health club next to Stamford Bridge because of Covid restrictions.
Away sides have been using the facilities over the road during the pandemic to socially distance from the Blues.
And Luton didn’t emerge onto the pitch until a few minutes past the scheduled midday kick-off.

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All the while, Chelsea players were made to wait in the tunnel unaware what the delay was in the Stamford Bridge snow.
But the same scenario happened at the start of the second half as well with Luton players late to leave their dressing room.
And BBC presenter Logan, 47, cited the ‘dodgy clock’ as the reason.

When the team eventually made their way through the snow and back onto the pitch, BBC commentators noted it had been 19 and a half minutes after the first period ended.

Chelsea players use their normal dressing room but, due to Covid and social distancing, visiting teams are forced to get changed at the adjacent health clubCredit: Getty Images

Groundstaff worked to clear snow off the pitch before the game at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty Images

Groundstaff worked hard to clear the snow at Stamford Bridge that fell on London on Sunday morning.
Officials were forced to ditch the white ball just minutes into the game due to the snow.
Chelsea led 2-1 at half-time with a double from Tammy Abraham before Kepa’s howler gifted Jordan Clark a route back into the contest.
Abraham completed his hat-trick after the break to seal a spot in the last 16.

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CHELSEA were lucky their opening goal against Luton in the FA Cup was allowed to stand as there were TWO balls on the pitch.
Tammy Abraham fired home Timo Werner’s set up to put a smile on under-fire Blues boss Frank Lampard’s face.

There were two balls on the pitch as Chelsea mounted an attackCredit: BBC

How’s that Chelsea goal been allowed ffs. There’s two balls on the pitch
— BlueWombat🦊 (@KoloSZN) January 24, 2021

But by the laws of the game the goal should have been chalked off.
In the build-up there were two yellow balls on the field.
And that left many football fans fuming on social media that the underdogs had been given a raw deal.
One Leicester fan tweeted: “How’s that Chelsea goal been allowed ffs.”

⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge
And a rival Manchester United fan joked that Chelsea needed ‘two balls on the pitch to score’.
Michael Ellis posted that it was ‘interesting’ as to why the goal was allowed to stand.
Newcastle fan Colin Simpson even suggested there was ANOTHER reason as to why the strike should have been chalked off.

He wrote: “Chelsea scored form a foul throw and two balls on the pitch!
“The thrower only had one foot on the floor when he took it quickly!”

So it took two balls on the pitch for Chelsea to score. Mmm interesting let me tul
— SSS_Jobe (@iam_sgidi83) January 24, 2021

Why was the Chelsea goal allowed, two balls on the pitch. Interesting!!
— Michael Ellis (@MickEll57) January 24, 2021

Luton boss Nathan Jones told beIN SPORTS: “The fourth official said it’s not multi-ball but the referee said it was.
“I tried to get clarification from the referee but he was just robotic and quoting the rule book and not making eye contact to a manager who was being courteous towards him.
“And there was a ball on the pitch – two of our players were pointing.
“I’ve been a player for 29 years and been a manager and coach for another eight or nine.
“Whenever there’s a ball on the pitch, the game gets stopped. But apparently the rules have changed.

“The rules change constantly at the minute. I have no idea about handball or the offside rule – that’s the disappointment.”
BBC commentator for the game Karen Carney quipped: “Chelsea only scored because there were two balls on the pitch”.
At half-time the BBC panel of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Danny Murphy were in agreement that Luton were ‘unlucky’ and that if the referee had seen it, it wouldn’t have counted.
Murphy said: “It’s an interference if you’re a player on the pitch watching the ball that’s on the pitch. I think they have every reason to be upset.
“If you’re a centre-half or central midfielder looking at the ball that’s on the pitch thinking, ‘what are they going to do with it?’ while the other ball five or ten yards away is on the pitch being played behind your back players. I don’t think it should have stood.”

Hasselbaink added: “Ziyech can’t do anything about it because he doesn’t expect that ball to come back in But the referee sees it so I don’t think it should have stood.”
The Blues ran out 3-1 winners thanks to Abraham’s hat-trick to book their spot in the fifth round.
That was despite a howler from Kepa Arrizabalaga which gifted Jordan Clark a route back into the game for Luton.
⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

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