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      FA Cup 4th round LIVE SCORES: Villa make quarter-finals for the first time in a DECADE and another cup LOSS for Spurs

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      SUNDAY’S FA Cup fourth round has delivered with Liverpool shock LOSS to Plymouth – and heads to Birmingham for a blockbuster. In the lunchtime game, Wolverhampton Wanderers dispatched Championship Blackburn Rovers with the Brazilian duo of Matheus Cunha and João Gomes on target to secure fifth round passage. Premier League leaders Liverpool crashed OUT of the FA Cup to the hands of Championship bottom-club Plymouth Argyle. Ryan Hardie’s 53rd-minute penalty separated the sides, but keeper Conor Hazard took all the plaudits for superb saves to shut the Reds out late on.The action rounded up as Aston Villa edged out Tottenham 2-1 to make their first FA Cup quarter-final in a DECADE. Jacob Ramsey first-minute effort and Morgan Rogers close-range tap-in on the 65th minute were sandwiched by a late Spurs consolation by Mathys Tel as Marcus Rashford also made his debut off the bench. Two more ties to come across Monday and Tuesday. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSFollow our live blog below…FA Cup fifth round draw detailsThe draw for the FA Cup 5th round will be made live on BBC’s ‘The One Show’ TOMORROW NIGHT.Proceedings will begin at around 7.10pm GMT.The draw will be able to watch for FREE on the FA Cup’s official social platforms.Copy linkCopiedMatch reportThe misery just continues for Ange Postecoglou. Although the moment his team conceded after 58 seconds with his keeper producing a howler, the beleaguered Aussie must have known it was going to be another rotten day.His spell as Tottenham manager is now turning into a proper nightmare.Three days after Spurs were annihilated by Liverpool in their Carabao Cup semi-final, Postecoglou’s team were beaten fair and square by Villa and the situation is becoming toxic to a point where a change is inevitable.Jacob Ramsey’s first minute goal was followed by the second by the outstanding Morgan Rodgers’ in the 64th minute. Tottenham’s new striker Mathys Tel, who did not have a kick all game, set up a nervous couple of minutes with a lovely finish in injury time but anything other than a home win would have been a robbery.Copy linkCopiedTwo to goTwo more ties still to be played too!Doncaster vs Crystal Palace – MONExeter City vs Nottingham Forest – TUESCopy linkCopiedFourth round resultsMan Utd 2-1 LeicesterLeeds 0-2 MillwallLeyton Orient 1-2 Man CityCoventry City 1-4 Ipswich TownEverton 0-2 BournemouthPreston 0-0 Wycombe (Preston win on pens)Southampton 0-1 BurnleyStoke City 3-3 Cardiff City (Cardiff win on pens)Wigan Athletic 1-2 FulhamBirmingham 2-3 NewcastleBrighton 2-1 ChelseaBlackburn 0-2 WolvesPlymouth 1-0 LiverpoolAston Villa 2-1 TottenhamCopy linkCopiedAnge reactionAnge Postecoglou tells BBC: “When you go a goal down it gives them confidence and momentum and we struggled to get a grip of the game.”We were still in the game and had a big chance to make it 1-1.”We had to try and hang in there and second half was more like ourselves.”The second goal made it a bit more difficult for us but I always felt we were a threat but just not enough.”Copy linkCopiedSleepless night?Several times throughout the night Villa fans sang: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.”Spurs fans throughout constantly singing to get chairman Daniel Levy out.Now 21 defeats in 46 games for Postecoglou. Can he survive this?Copy linkCopiedFrom Tom Barclay at Villa ParkFull-time here and despite Mathys Tel’s best efforts at the end, it is another cup exit for Ange Postecoglou in three daysTeenager Tel netted his first goal for the club in stoppage time with a smart finish, but it was not enough to turn the tie around as Villa ran out 2-1 winners.The focus will now shift to Postecoglou’s position which looks under increasing threat after the disappointments of the last week, in addition to the horrendous league form.He has a crippling injury list with a full first XI missing here.But whether that, plus the team still being in the Europa League, is enough to keep him in a job remains to be seen.Chairman Daniel Levy, who came under heavy fire from the away fans as he sat in the stands, has resisted any temptation to make a change so far.Postecoglou had to endure chants of ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ twice in the match, which overall was a pretty poor one from his side, despite Tel’s late intervention.Copy linkCopiedFULL TIMEAston Villa are through to the fifth round for the first time in a decade!ASTON VILLA 2-1 TOTTENHAMCopy linkCopied90+3 – Aston Villa 2-1 TottenhamSomeone HAS to take these set pieces off Son.Again it’s a lofted, floated, aimless ball into the area and too close to the keeper for Martinez to come out and collect.Copy linkCopied90+2 – Aston Villa 2-1 TottenhamBig chance for Spurs as they win a free kick wide on the left.It’s only 20 yards from the byline so a huge chance to load the box and get a good delivery in.Copy linkCopied90 – Aston Villa 2-1 TottenhamFive minutes added!Copy linkCopiedGOAL DETAIL: Aston Villa 2-1 TottenhamWho’d have thought putting a cross into the box might bring some joy!!?????Kulusevski with a peach of a cross in from the right. Tel on the move and he stretches a right leg out to get good contact on it with the outside of his right foot to direct it back across the keeper and into the net.Game on with a couple of minutes to go.(ps, I’m free to come to training tomorrow, Ange…)Copy linkCopied90 – GOAL! Aston Villa 2-1 TottenhamA grandstand finish indeed, MATHYS TEL with his first Spurs goal!Copy linkCopied89 – Aston Villa 2-0 TottenhamRashford’s BIG moment arrives as he’s played in down the right.Only Archie Gray to beat as he drives at pace into the box, onto his right foot but the teenager matches him and gets a toe to the ball.Terrific defending by Spurs’ best player by a country mile. Damning for his teammates.He actually wins a free kick as Rashford’s attempted shot sees him clatter the youngster. The replays have showed it again and it looks horrible. Gray lucky to be up and walking.Copy linkCopied88 – Aston Villa 2-0 TottenhamSarr tries a threaded pass into the box instead of crossing it and passes it straight out for a goal kick.Absolutely mince in the final third.Copy linkCopied86 – Aston Villa 2-0 TottenhamWhy, why, WHY don’t teams just whip it into the box anymore!? Son rolls it along the edge of the box in between Porro and Kulusevski. They can’t work out who should get it and eventually Porro toe pokes it pathetically at goal and Martinez saves.Sorta sums up Son’s evening’s work.Just put it in and make them defend, man!Copy linkCopied85 – Aston Villa 2-0 TottenhamBogarde trips Tel on the left side of the penalty box, just a yard outside it.A chance for Spurs and you feel this HAS to go in if they want to set up a grandstand finish.Copy linkCopied81 – Aston Villa 2-0 TottenhamVilla change:OFF: DigneON: MaatsenCopy linkCopied80 – Aston Villa 2-0 TottenhamPorro has been wound up for a little bit and he goes crashing into Ramsey out on the Villa left.Really tough challenge and Ramsey didn’t like it. The referee books the Spurs man eventually.Porro runs back into the box punching his other palm as if to tell his teammates to be stronger too…Copy linkCopied77 – Aston Villa 2-0 TottenhamOh they HAVE to have scored there!Porro flashes the ball across the six-yard box and Kevin Danso is seven yards out at the back post and misses the target by a yard.Real head in hands moment, how’s he missed that!?Copy linkCopied76 – Aston Villa 2-0 TottenhamGood link-up between Tel and Kulusevski and Spurs win a corner.They need to score the next goal – and soon!Copy linkCopied74 – Aston Villa 2-0 TottenhamRashford nutmegs Porro to give the ball to Digne.He takes it back off the left back before Porro races back and has an almighty swipe at him. Completely losing his head there but Anthony Taylor sees nothing wrong with it somehow.Copy linkCopied72 – Aston Villa 2-0 TottenhamVilla are taking the you-know-what out of Spurs at the minute.Stunning touch from Asensio before a backheel into Rogers path out on the right.He gives it back to Asensio on the corner of the box, who rolls it back into the path of Rogers again inside the box and he toe-pokes wide.Almost the goal of the day.Copy linkCopiedFrom Tom Barclay at Villa ParkMarcus Rashford’s moment has arrived – and with the game looking pretty much done.The England man, loaned from Manchester United, had been called to come on along with fellow debutant Marcos Asensio with the score still at 1-0.But then Morgan Rogers, who has been way too good for Spurs, doubled the lead from close range before the pair made their entrance.Rashford’s only involvement so far has been to catch Kevin Danso with an elbow as they vied for a high ball.The break in play while the Austrian received treatment led to chants of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” in the direction of Ange Postecoglou.Copy linkCopied70 – Aston Villa 2-0 TottenhamDigne floats a cross to the back post which Bergvall misses.Tielemans behind him swings a foot at it for the volley but misses it altogether.Copy linkCopied More

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      ‘Robbed’ – Fans fume at lack of VAR again following latest controversial FA Cup decision after Maguire’s offside goal

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      FANS have been left raging AGAIN over the lack of VAR in the fourth round of the FA Cup.Several matches this weekend have been impacted by controversial refereeing decisions, with officials in Stockley Park not in place until the next round of the competition.Blackburn star Dominic Hyam was seemingly onside when he headed in at the back postCredit: BBCHarry Maguire’s goal was allowed to stand as the linesman did not spot the offsideCredit: ITVThere has been debate over whether Newcastle’s goal did cross the line or notCredit: BBCManchester United beat Leicester 2-1 on Friday thanks to Harry Maguire’s last-gasp header, which was incorrectly not flagged for offside.On Saturday, Chelsea claimed there were two handballs in the build-up to Kaoru Mitoma’s winner and Birmingham had earlier also felt hard done by a lack of technology.Newcastle were awarded a goal against the Blues when it was unclear whether the whole ball had crossed the line or not.The controversy continued into Sunday as Blackburn had a goal chalked off for a debatable offside against Wolves.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLDominic Hyam headed home at the back post from a free-kick and replays showed that Hwang Hee-chan looked to have played him onside.The incident occurred when the game was goalless and Wolves scored twice almost directly after to win it 2-0.It led to Blackburn fans joining in the fury, with one saying: “No VAR makes you realise just how bad the referees are.”Another added: “Robbed, should be one up, poor decision.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBBC commentator Chris Sutton highlighted the inconsistencies after Blackburn’s disallowed strike, saying there was no flag for Maguire when he looked “three miles offside”. It comes after United boss Ruben Amorim admitted: “The goal was offside. We should have VAR. It should be here to overturn the decision. It’s hard on Ruud, it’s hard on the opponent.”BBC makes half-time innovation in FA Cup clash between Leyton Orient and Man CityThe FA explained the lack of VAR in a statement, which read: “This decision ensures that there is a consistent refereeing approach for all clubs taking part in the same stage of the competition.”Chelsea felt Tariq Lamptey deliberately handled the ball in the build-up to Brighton’s winnerCredit: ITVKaoru Mitoma may have controlled it with his arm before finishingCredit: ITVHow Blackburn 0-2 Wolves unfolded By SunSport’s Martin BlackburnMATHEUS CUNHA gave another reminder of why Wolves were so desperate to keep him in January.Despite links to Arsenal and Manchester United, the Molineux board stood firm and handed him a new four-and-a-half year contract earlier this month.Joao Gomes opened the scoringCredit: ReutersMatheus Cunha was the star of the show againCredit: ReutersHe celebrated that with a goal against Aston Villa last weekend and was on target again here to help Vitor Pereira’s men into the fifth round.Cunha and fellow Brazilian Joao Gomes struck within the space of a minute in the first half to bring a touch of Samba magic to a freezing day in East Lancashire.The talk among home fans in the build-up to the game was about an approach from Derby for John Eustace – which is believed to appeal to the Rovers boss.On the face of it, the idea of swapping a team in the play-off positions for one in the relegation zone looks a puzzling one.Yet his team have lost seven of their last 11 league games to leave their position in the top six much more precarious.He was also frustrated by a lack of support from the board in January, suggesting the new signings who did come in were made by the club rather than him.Even so two of them – Yuri RIbeiro and Emmanuel Dennis – were handed debuts here and were among eight changes made by Eustace.Another new arrival – winger Augustus Kargbo – blazed an effort over the bar but was causing the visitors defence a real headache down the left.And the Championship side thought they had a lead which would not have flattered them as Dominic Hyam nodded in John Buckley’s swirling free-kick at the back post.Celebrations were cut short by the linesman’s flag but replays showed they were hard done by and VAR would almost certainly have seen the goal stand.Minutes later live-wire winger Kargbo burst into the box and went down under a challenge from Emmanuel Agbadou.Referee Lewis Smith whistled but instead of pointing to the spot he booked the Rovers new boy for a dive.It was looking promising for Rovers but in the blink of an eye, the tie changed and before long they had a mountain to climb.Todd Cantwell lost possession and Wolves worked it well with Hwang Hee Chan picking out Joao Gomes in the box.The forward’s shot lacked any conviction but still squirmed under second choice keeper Balazs Toth and crept over the line for his third of the season.  It was a poor goal to concede and Rovers were still feeling sorry for themselves when they shipped a second just over a minute later.  This time it was an impressive move as Rodrigo Gomes and Nelson Semedo worked it out to Cunha on the right.His first time shot flashed past Toth at his near post – although again the Hungarian keeper might have been disappointed.There is no doubting the quality of Brazil international Cunha though – no wonder Wolves moved to protect their investment by giving him a lucrative new deal earlier this month.Rovers could have gone under but came close to grabbing one back before the break with Sam Johnstone saving smartly from Dennis at his near post.And after the break, Cantwell swapped passes with Amario Cozier-Duberry but lifted his shot high over the bar.READ MORE SUN STORIESBut Rovers efforts fizzled out and it was Wolves who looked more likely to add to their tally with Toth making a full stretch save to tip away Cunha’s long range effort.Sub Pablo Serabia flicked an effort over the bar and put another into the side-netting but in the end it didn’t matter. 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      Chelsea fans fume at Enzo Maresca’s ‘fireable statement’ after another early cup exit to Brighton

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      CHELSEA manager Enzo Maresca enraged fans with his post-match statement after his team’s miserable FA Cup elimination.The Blues suffered another heartbreaking cup exit on Saturday after a 2-1 loss to Brighton, who came from behind at the Amex Stadium.Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca sparked fury within the fansCredit: GettyChelsea fans slammed Maresca after another cup eliminationCredit: GettyThe West Londoners opened the scoring with an own-goal by the Seagulls’ goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen but equalised with Georginio Rutter and turned the game on its head with Kaoru Mitoma.Chelsea were knocked out in the fourth round of the FA Cup, which marks another early exit after their premature elimination in the Last 16 of the Carabao Cup to Newcastle in October.This comes amid a poor run in the Premier League as well with Maresca’s billion-pound side winning only two out of their last eight matches, of which they lost three, which puts their top-four hopes in peril.Chelsea’s disappointing run has left fans frustrated and the Italian tactician’s post-match comments didn’t make things better as he tried to present a silver lining.Read More on ChelseaThe ex-Leicester boss suggested they could all take comfort in the fact they can still win the Conference League and finish top four in the Prem.Maresca said after the match: “Being out of the FA Cup, it’s a shame. No doubt.”If there is something positive, we can be focused on the Premier League and the Conference League. Hopefully we can continue our journey there.”That didn’t sit well with fans who stormed social media, where some even suggested that was a “fireable” statement.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSOne fan tweeted: “I don’t hate Maresca but that is a fireable statement for a Chelsea manager.”That Chelsea supporter posted: “Another gem, ‘If there is something good after losing a leg, it is that we can focus on being really excellent at hopping’.”Cole Palmer shows off his goal scoring skills at Chelsea Training A third commented: “Imagine [Jose] Mourinho, [Antonio] Conte or [Thomas] Tuchel saying something like this.”This fan wrote: “This isn’t what Chelsea is about. Small club mentality drilled in from the top to the bottom and it shows on the pitch.”That one said: “Flexing the Conference League? We’ve fallen off so much.”And a sixth stated: “Sometimes it’s better to say ‘no comment’ or you get yourself sentenced. Ridiculous s**t to say this is Chelsea at least by name not by actions.”Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League table with two points ahead of defending champions Manchester City, who are fifth.The Blues also pose as favourites to win the Conference League after topping the league phase and making it straight into the Last 16 by winning all of their six matches.Chelsea ratings vs Brighton as pantomime villain Cucurella can hold head high but Nkunku has a shockerBRIGHTON came from behind to dump Chelsea out of the FA Cup with Kaoru Mitoma’s perfectly placed chip securing a 2-1 win for the Seagulls at the Amex stadium.But how did Chelsea’s players fare? Who was the biggest let down and who was the best of the worst? Check out SunSport’s player ratings…Robert Sanchez – 5/10Back in the side after being dropped by Enzo Maresca after a number of errors this season. The Spaniard looked shaky on the ball at the start of the game but seemed to brush off his nerves as the match developed.Nothing he could do about Brighton’s opener with Georginio Rutter’s perfectly placed header flying past him.Perhaps a little slow off his line for Brighton’s winner, but take nothing away from Kaoru Mitoma’s perfectly executed chip.Malo Gusto – 5Worked tirelessly charging up and down the right flank for Chelsea, but failed to have much joy going forward or defensively.Struggled to deal with the dangerous Mitoma throughout the game, and was caught napping out of position for the Japanese forwards winner.Tosin Adarabioyo – 5Alongside Trevoh Chalobah, was guilty of allowing Georginio Rutter to drift into space to fire home Brighton’s early equaliser.Played some confident passes at times, but also looked like a walking mistake on the ball at times. Was caught in possession on the halfway line by Georginio Rutter which almost led to a Brighton goal.Trevoh Chalobah  – 6Equally as responsible for Brighton’s opening goal alongside his centre back partner, allowing Rutter a free header in the box.Was more composed on the ball than his Tosin throughout the game, however, and already looks like Chelsea’s best centre back after being recalled from loan.Marc Cucurella – 6The pantomime villain of the evening at the Amex stadium, with Brighton fans spending the full 90 minutes booing their ex player everytime he got a hold of the ball.Was solid throughout the game, although failed to have the attacking impact that he has had for Chelsea in recent games.Moises Caicedo – 6Looked to be running a one man midfield before Enzo Fernandez was introduced in the second half.Worked tirelessly but was clearly frustrated with his sides efforts, putting in a couple of nasty tackles which led to him being booked.Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 4A rare start for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at Chelsea this season, and in truth, he failed to take advantage.A very poor challenge early on saw the Englishman booked, and he failed to have any impact on his side going forward or defensively in the first half.Was substituted fifteen minutes into the second half for Enzo Fernandez in the wake of Brighton’s second goal.Pedro Neto – 5An injury concern midway through the first half, which in truth he never quite looked to shake off.Looked confident he had the better of Tariq Lamptey, often beating his fullback. His final ball, however, was sorely lacking throughout the match, with a number of crosses flying over everyoneCole Palmer – 6Played his part in Chelsea’s opener with a first time cross into the box – although it’s difficult to mark that goal down as anything other than a Bart Verbruggen howler.Looked like he was missing his regular attacking partner Nicholas Jackson, with a clear lack of connection with the Frenchman Christopher Nkunku up top.Jadon Sancho – 5Looked uninterested for large parts of the first half, and failed to close down Joel Veltman who whipped in the cross for Brighton’s opener.He picked up in the second half with some direct dribbling, although never managed to find the final ball.Christopher Nkunku – 2It’s hard not to feel sorry for Nkunku, with the forward looking completely lost in Enzo Maresca’s system.It genuinely seemed like he wasn’t on the pitch at times, with the Frenchman missing in action for large parts of the game.The one clear chance he had running through on goal, he bizarrely elected to cross the ball rather than have an effort himself.SUBS:Enzo Fernandez (Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, 59) – 7Brought an air of control to Chelsea’s midfield which was sorely lacking before. Played a few nice passes with the short time he had on the pitch.Nothing came of his efforts, although perhaps the result would have been different for Chelsea had he started the game.Tyrique George (Jadon Sancho, 73) – 5Spurned a great opportunity over the bar, and other than that failed to have any impact. More

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      Plymouth vs Liverpool live stream FREE: How to watch FA Cup clash today

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      LIVERPOOL travel to Plymouth as they take on Championship strugglers in the FA Cup fourth round.Arne Slot and Liverpool are strolling towards a first Premier League title since 2020, and have what seems a straightforward draw in the FA Cup.Arne Slot has guided Liverpool to top of the Premier League in his first seasonCredit: ReutersThe side are top of the Premier League, with a game in hand, and also finished top of the Champions League group stage.Plymouth are enduring the opposite season to The Reds, currently bottom of the Championship, and battling to avoid relegation from the division.Having sacked Wayne Rooney heading into the new year, Plymouth have won just once since the turn of the year, away at Brentford in the FA Cup third round.Liverpool themselves will be prepared to deal with any potential slip up, as they eased past Accrington Stanley 4-0 at Anfield in the third round.How to watch Plymouth vs Liverpool FREEPlymouth vs Liverpool is free to air in the UK, and is available on ITV1 for viewers.The game will also be available for free streaming on ITV’s streaming platform, ITVX.Alternatively, follow SunSports coverage of the clash with the live blog.The match will kick-off at 3pm GMT on Sunday, February 8 at Home Park Stadium.What other FA Cup fourth round ties are still to play?Aston Villa and Tottenham will follow directly after this fixture on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer, with the sides kicking off at Villa Park at 5:35pm GMT.Two clashes follow in the week, firstly high flying Doncaster will host Premier League side Crystal Palace at 7:45pm GMT on Monday night.The action in the fourth round will conclude at St James Park in Exeter, as they host high-flying Premier League side Nottingham Forest at 8pm GMT.Most read in FA Cup More

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      How a cigarette lighter sparked Brighton’s remarkable turnaround from 7-0 thrashing to 2-1 win over Chelsea in FA Cup

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      BRIGHTON boss Fabian Hurzeler used a cigarette lighter to spark their stunning 2-1 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup.The Seagulls were smashed 7-0 by Nottingham Forest last Saturday and desperately needed to respond against the Blues last night.Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler set fire to the club’s tactical plansCredit: ReutersKaoru Mitoma netted the winnerCredit: PAPreparation began for the game on Monday morning, with Hurzeler finding an unusual way to start afresh.The 31-year-old manager picked up a cigarette lighter and burnt the tactical paperwork used to prepare for the Forest game.Hurzeler did this in front of the whole squad and held one-on-one meetings with several players, according to The Athletic.It proved to be the beginning of a remarkable turnaround as Brighton booked their spot in the fifth round with a comeback win over Chelsea.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLGoalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made a howler in the first five minutes to gift the visitors a 1-0 lead before strikes by Georginio Rutter and Kaoru Mitoma sealed victory.On the performance, Hurzeler said: “Of course, they showed a reaction, great intensity in training. “But, on the other side, that’s only because of one game. Normally you should have intensity throughout the whole season. “We were honest to each other that our standards were not high enough and we were not demanding enough of each other, not ruthless enough. Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”Maybe we accept a little bit the lack of intensity, that if I am a player we don’t commit 100 per cent in training.”We said we need to commit now, be a team that is hard to beat. We need to have the standards in the last two training sessions for the rest of the season.”Kaoru Mitoma is on fire as he trains with Brighton Brighton have the chance to beat Chelsea again on Friday as they meet in the Premier League. More

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      Chelsea ratings: Pantomime villain Cucurella can hold head high but Nkunku has a stinker in FA Cup loss to Brighton

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      BRIGHTON came from behind to dump Chelsea out of the FA Cup with Kaoru Mitoma’s perfectly placed chip securing a 2-1 win for the Seagulls at the Amex stadium.A fiery opening to the game saw two goals in the opening 12 minutes. Bart Verbruggen inexplicably misjudged Cole Palmer’s cross and turned the ball into his own net to hand Chelsea a 1-0 lead five minutes in.Chelsea suffered a shock elimination from the FA Cup after losing to BrightonCredit: ReutersChelsea ace Marc Cucurella can hold his head highCredit: ReutersChristopher Nkunku disappointed against BrightonCredit: AlamyBrighton, however, bounced back fast thanks to a perfectly placed Georginio Rutter header.It was a fiery rest of the first half, without either side really creating many chances. Both sides were flying into the challenges however, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Joel Veltman both picking up yellow cards for hefty tackles.It didn’t take long for Brighton to go in front in the second half. The Seagulls escaped a possible handball shout before Kaoru Mitoma chipped ex-Brighton keeper Robert Sanchez to put the home side ahead in the 57th minute.Chelsea never looked like forcing a way back into the game after going behind, with the lack of a goal scoring striker up top really hurting Enzo Maresca’s side.Read More on ChelseaBut how did Chelsea’s players fare? Who was the biggest let down and who was the best of the worst? Check out SunSport’s player ratings below for more:Robert Sanchez – 5Back in the side after being dropped by Enzo Maresca after a number of errors this season. The Spaniard looked shaky on the ball at the start of the game but seemed to brush off his nerves as the match developed. CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSNothing he could do about Brighton’s opener with Georginio Rutter’s perfectly-placed header flying past him.Perhaps a little slow off his line for the Seaulls’ winner, but take nothing away from Kaoru Mitoma’s perfectly-executed chip.Most read in FootballCole Palmer shows off his goal scoring skills at Chelsea Training Malo Gusto – 5Worked tirelessly charging up and down the right flank for Chelsea, but failed to have much joy going forward or defensively.Struggled to deal with the dangerous Kaoru Mitoma throughout the game, and was caught napping out of position for the Japanese forward’s winner.Tosin Adarabioyo – 5Alongside Trevoh Chalobah, was guilty of allowing Georginio Rutter to drift into space to fire home Brighton’s early equaliser.Played some confident passes at times, but also looked like a walking mistake on the ball at times. Was caught in possession on the halfway line by Georginio Rutter which almost led to a Brighton goal.Trevoh Chalobah  – 6Equally as responsible for Brighton’s opening goal alongside his centre-back partner, allowing Rutter a free header in the box.Was more composed on the ball than Tosin Adarabioyo throughout the game, however, and already looks like Chelsea’s best centre-back after being recalled from loan.Marc Cucurella – 6The pantomime villain of the evening at the Amex Stadium, with Brighton fans spending the full 90 minutes booing their ex-player everytime he got a hold of the ball.Was solid throughout the game, although failed to have the attacking impact that he has had for Chelsea in recent games.Moises Caicedo – 6Looked to be running a one-man midfield before Enzo Fernandez was introduced in the second half.Worked tirelessly but was clearly frustrated with his side’s efforts, putting in a couple of nasty tackles which led to him being booked.Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 4A rare start for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at Chelsea this season, and in truth, he failed to take advantage.A very poor challenge early on saw the midfielder booked, and he failed to have any impact on his side going forward or defensively in the first half.Was substituted 15 minutes into the second half for Enzo Fernandez in the wake of Brighton’s second goal.Pedro Neto – 5An injury concern midway through the first half, which in truth he never quite looked to shake off.Looked confident and had the better of Tariq Lamptey, often beating his full-back. His final ball, however, was sorely lacking throughout the match, with a number of crosses flying over everyoneCole Palmer – 6Played his part in Chelsea’s opener with a first-time cross into the box – although it’s difficult to mark that goal down as anything other than a Bart Verbruggen howler.Looked like he was missing his regular attacking partner Nicolas Jackson, with a clear lack of connection with Christopher Nkunku up top.Jadon Sancho – 5Looked uninterested for large parts of the first half, and failed to close down Joel Veltman, who whipped in the cross for Brighton’s opener.He picked up in the second half with some direct dribbling, although never managed to find the final ball.Christopher Nkunku – 2It’s hard not to feel sorry for Christopher Nkunku, with the forward looking completely lost in Enzo Maresca’s system. It genuinely seemed like he wasn’t on the pitch at times, with the Frenchman missing in action for large parts of the game.The one clear chance he had running through on goal, he bizarrely elected to cross the ball rather than have an effort himself.SUBS:Enzo Fernandez (Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, 59) – 7Brought an air of control to Chelsea’s midfield which was sorely lacking before. Played a few nice passes with the short time he had on the pitch.Nothing came of his efforts, although perhaps the result would have been different for Chelsea had he started the game.READ MORE SUN STORIESTyrique George (Jadon Sancho, 73) – 5Spurned a great opportunity over the bar, and other than that failed to have any impact.Noni Madueke (Pedro Neto, 73) – 6Barely saw any of the ball after he was introduced. More

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      Birmingham 2 Newcastle 3: Joe Willock’s double wins FA Cup thriller but Brum owner Tom Brady picks Super Bowl instead

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      SEVEN-TIME Super Bowl winner Tom Brady decided to give this game a miss. What a mug!Because he passed on an absolute epic tie as League One Birmingham and Premier League Newcastle went toe-to-toe to produce an all-time FA Cup classic.Newcastle won an absolute thriller in the FA Cup at BirminghamCredit: GettyJoe Willock led Newcastle to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a braceCredit: GettyBirmingham came close to a massive upset victory over NewcastleCredit: GettyBirmingham minority owner Tom Brady opted for the Super BowlCredit: APBrady, a Birmingham City minority shareholder, is in New Orleans where he will commentate on tonight’s Super Bowl.But there is no way the Philadelphia’s Eagles will dig deeper than Eddie Howe’s Magpies — no chance Kansas City will battle harder than Birmingham did here.At full-time as weary players dropped to the turf, St Andrew’s rose as one to applaud two sets of players who gave everything for 90 sensational minutes.Joe Willock’s double settled this fourth-round FA Cup belter, while Brum’s Tomoki Iwata had to settle for scoring arguably the goal of the season.Read More on FootballThe Geordies were still celebrating reaching the Carabao Cup final — but the Toon balloon was punctured inside a minute as Blues stormed into the lead.Kieran Dowell fired in a deep corner and Keshi Anderson rose unchallenged to nod the ball back into the box.Right-back Ethan Laird fired in a shot which took a wicked deflection off Callum Wilson and the ball flew high into the roof of Nick Pope’s net.St Andrew’s went ballistic as Wilson cursed his luck on his first start for 280 days, while Laird celebrated only the third goal of his career.Most read in FA CupCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSThe Magpies had been knocked out of the FA Cup by clubs from a lower division 32 times — only Everton (42 times) have suffered more.Meanwhile, Birmingham had eliminated top-flight clubs 23 times — second only to Millwall and Southampton (25 each).BBC makes half-time innovation in FA Cup clash between Leyton Orient and Man CitySo Newcastle should really have seen the danger signs.Chris Davies’ Blues played with the swagger of a team riding high at the top of League One and unbeaten in 18 games.The Geordies were clearly rattled and Dan Burn earned an early booking for trying to swap shirts with Scott Wright, during the action!From the free-kick, Christoph Klarer headed down Marc Leonard’s delivery and Anderson’s shot deflected off Burn but was brilliantly pushed away by Pope.That turned out to be a significant stop because it gave the Magpies the platform to stun Birmingham with a quick double to seize the lead in five crazy minutes.Wilson went on a rampaging run and swept in a low cross which Bailey Peacock-Farrell decided not to come for.Absolute thrillerBig mistake! Because William Osula cut the ball back from the far post to Willock whose shot was clawed out by Peacock-Farrell in the 21st minute.There was then a delayed reaction until far-side assistant referee Nigel Lugg decided to step in and flagged for a goal.It took a few seconds for the Toon Army to cotton on to what had just happened — then they went bonkers.Blues looked to have a legitimate grievance as the assistant ref was behind play and — without goal-line technology — could only have guessed that the whole of the ball crossed the whole of the line.Birmingham were still reeling when they suddenly found themselves behind.Osula showed a fabulous first touch to cushion Pope’s long clearance and fired in a shot which Peacock-Farrell beat out.Goal of the season candidateThe ball was recycled by Tino Livramento who centred and, although Osula got his feet tangled in front of goal, the ball broke to Wilson on 26 minutes.He somehow got his boot up to shoulder height to force the ball over the line to mark his return with a goal.Willock thought he had given the Magpies a two-goal cushion but he bundled the ball home from an offside position after Burn’s header sent him through.Jay Stansfield headed wide with the goal at his mercy before Wright drilled the ball weakly into the turf, allowing Pope to save.Yet there was nothing timid about the goal that rocked St Andrew’s five minutes before half-time as Iwata scored a sensational equaliser that will go down in Blues folklore.Leonard’s cross was headed out by Matt Targett and from 22 yards Iwata smashed in a screamer which flew into the roof of Pope’s net to leave the goalie helpless.Tempers flaredThere were shades of Ronnie Radford’s never-to-be-forgotten FA Cup banger for Hereford about the Japanese midfielder’s sensational strike.Tempers flared on the stroke of half-time, resulting in bookings for Osula and Anderson.The second half was not as frantic as the first, mainly due to a lengthy stoppage for Leonard, who was carried off after taking a heavy knock in a clash with Lewis Miley.There was a real edge to this tie now and Stansfield, then Klarer, were both booked for bundling Fabian Schar and Willock into the advertising boards. Those bookings sandwiched a yellow card for Willock for going in late on Laird and sub Willum Willumsson joined him for a late challenge on Willock.Willock wins itBrum chief Davies made a trio of substitutions but it was Newcastle who got the pay-off as Willock fired them back in front with his second goal of the night on 82 minutes.Sean Longstaff beat Ben Davies in a 50-50 for Livramento’s through pass and the ball fell to Willock, who drilled it through Peacock-Farrell’s legs.READ MORE SUN STORIESNewcastle thought they had finally killed off the Blues when Jacob Murphy rounded Peacock-Farrell but his shot was cleared off the line by Davies.But they held firm to keep their dream of another Wembley appearance to add to the Carabao Cup final. More

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      Brighton 2 Chelsea 1: Misfiring Blues dumped out of FA Cup despite Seagulls keeper Verbruggen giving them head start

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      KAORU MITOMA showed why the Saudis valued him at £75million as he fired his Brighton side into the FA Cup fifth round.The Japanese winger — the subject of a mega-money offer from Arabian club Al-Nassr which was rejected by the Seagulls — struck a superb winner as Fabian Hurzeler’s men erased last weekend’s 7-0 thrashing by Nottingham Forest.Kaoru Mitoma hails his classy winner for BrightonCredit: PAWinger Mitoma put Brighton in front just before the hourCredit: PAEnzo Maresca couldn’t believe it as his Blues stuttered outCredit: GettyChelsea had taken an early lead after a clanger from Albion keeper Bart Verbruggen.Georginio Rutter, who levelled soon after, hailed match-winner Mitoma.He said: “Wow, he is a special player. It is very good to have him in the team.”For boss Hurzeler, keeping Mitoma could be the signing of the window.MOST READ IN FOOTBALLHe said: “Kaoru showed his commitment from the first minute. He never had  the feeling inside him that he wanted to leave.“He gives us a lot. We are happy he is in our team and that he scored tonight.”And Brighton’s ex-Chelsea star Tariq Lamptey, 24, said of Mitoma: “It was a fantastic goal.“We know what quality he has and he’s a great person as well. We are happy to have him.”Most read in FA CupJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSInjuries to strikers Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, plus the failure to sign a new forward in the January window, had left Enzo Maresca’s toothless Blues  reliant on Cole Palmer — as they so often are.Palmer had already had one shot tipped over the bar when the  hosts gave Chelsea a perfect start.KSI announces Wayne Bridge replacement for Misfits Boxing after ex-Chelsea star pulled out over John Terry jibeThe England man took the corner that was fed out to right-back Malo Gusto on the unfamiliar left side of the penalty box, who in turn squared the ball to Jadon Sancho — on the unfamiliar right side of the box.His precision, diagonal ball arced on to Palmer’s boot for a sweet, low volley across the box that was always a cross despite being on a goalbound trajectory.Verbruggen’s rush of blood and slippery hands saw him spill what should have been an easy get and fumble the ball backwards into his own net.Not that Palmer does not deserve the shower of praise that follows virtually his every step at the moment.The irony of a keeper on the other side to Chelsea making a hash of things for once was also lost on no-one. But the honeymoon period lasted only seven minutes before Albion levelled.The first attempt at probing the visitors’ area was batted away but only as far as Joel Veltman.He pumped a curling cross into the box and Rutter positioned himself midway between Chelsea’s centre-backs and powered a header past the dive of Robert Sanchez.The similarity between this and last Monday’s equally jammy Chelsea goal at home to West Ham was lost on no one.Seagulls’ keeper Bart Verbruggen bagged Chelsea’s own-goal openerCredit: AFPCole Palmer saw his shot deflect in to put the Blues aheadCredit: GettySanchez was brought back into the fold after being dropped for Monday’s Premier League clash as punishment for a string of blunders.But it is hard to evaluate whether it is redemption or relegation to being the Cup keeper nowadays given the manner of squad rotation.Regardless, it was a sweet moment for the home fans to see their former keeper beaten so soon after their team went behind.The Albion supporters seemed preoccupied with booing the three ex-Seagulls in the Chelsea starting line up – Sanchez, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella.After Rutter’s equaliser, they could sing in celebration as an all-Premier League FA Cup tie took on extra life with the game evenly balanced under the lights.Even more so when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, making a rare starting appearance, was booked for a bruising lunge on Brighton favourite Mitoma.And when Veltman wrapped his legs around Cucurella’s ankles and sent the theatrical Spaniard rolling around on the deck later on, the atmosphere cranked up even further.Brighton were on a mission to unsettle Chelsea’s young side, not least when their skipper Lewis Dunk leaned a bit too heavily into Palmer’s cheekbone with his forearm in first-half injury time to send the England man sprawling to the deck holding his head.Georginio Rutter soared to make it 1-1 after just 12 minutesCredit: GettyMaybe a bit of an over-reaction but it was strong-arm stuff.And it clearly worked because Maresca’s mob were rattled enough to see their initial lead overturned into a deficit on 57 minutes and turn the tie on its head.Mitoma was put clear on the left flank by a laser ball from midfield by Rutter — the standout player of the game.His cross was half beaten away, before Lamptey had a dig against a wall of legs.But Rutter then clipped a cheeky ball over the top for Mitoma to race through and clip a shot past Sanchez to give Albion the lead with just over half an hour to go.What a turnaround for the same team — bar one — which was humbled by Forest eight days ago.Chelsea ratings vs Brighton as pantomime villain Cucurella can hold head high but Nkunku has a shockerBRIGHTON came from behind to dump Chelsea out of the FA Cup with Kaoru Mitoma’s perfectly placed chip securing a 2-1 win for the Seagulls at the Amex stadium.But how did Chelsea’s players fare? Who was the biggest let down and who was the best of the worst? Check out SunSport’s player ratings…Robert Sanchez – 5/10Back in the side after being dropped by Enzo Maresca after a number of errors this season. The Spaniard looked shaky on the ball at the start of the game but seemed to brush off his nerves as the match developed.Nothing he could do about Brighton’s opener with Georginio Rutter’s perfectly placed header flying past him.Perhaps a little slow off his line for Brighton’s winner, but take nothing away from Kaoru Mitoma’s perfectly executed chip.Malo Gusto – 5Worked tirelessly charging up and down the right flank for Chelsea, but failed to have much joy going forward or defensively.Struggled to deal with the dangerous Mitoma throughout the game, and was caught napping out of position for the Japanese forwards winner.Tosin Adarabioyo – 5Alongside Trevoh Chalobah, was guilty of allowing Georginio Rutter to drift into space to fire home Brighton’s early equaliser.Played some confident passes at times, but also looked like a walking mistake on the ball at times. Was caught in possession on the halfway line by Georginio Rutter which almost led to a Brighton goal.Trevoh Chalobah  – 6Equally as responsible for Brighton’s opening goal alongside his centre back partner, allowing Rutter a free header in the box.Was more composed on the ball than his Tosin throughout the game, however, and already looks like Chelsea’s best centre back after being recalled from loan.Marc Cucurella – 6The pantomime villain of the evening at the Amex stadium, with Brighton fans spending the full 90 minutes booing their ex player everytime he got a hold of the ball.Was solid throughout the game, although failed to have the attacking impact that he has had for Chelsea in recent games.Moises Caicedo – 6Looked to be running a one man midfield before Enzo Fernandez was introduced in the second half.Worked tirelessly but was clearly frustrated with his sides efforts, putting in a couple of nasty tackles which led to him being booked.Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 4A rare start for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at Chelsea this season, and in truth, he failed to take advantage.A very poor challenge early on saw the Englishman booked, and he failed to have any impact on his side going forward or defensively in the first half.Was substituted fifteen minutes into the second half for Enzo Fernandez in the wake of Brighton’s second goal.Pedro Neto – 5An injury concern midway through the first half, which in truth he never quite looked to shake off.Looked confident he had the better of Tariq Lamptey, often beating his fullback. His final ball, however, was sorely lacking throughout the match, with a number of crosses flying over everyoneCole Palmer – 6Played his part in Chelsea’s opener with a first time cross into the box – although it’s difficult to mark that goal down as anything other than a Bart Verbruggen howler.Looked like he was missing his regular attacking partner Nicholas Jackson, with a clear lack of connection with the Frenchman Christopher Nkunku up top.Jadon Sancho – 5Looked uninterested for large parts of the first half, and failed to close down Joel Veltman who whipped in the cross for Brighton’s opener.He picked up in the second half with some direct dribbling, although never managed to find the final ball.Christopher Nkunku – 2It’s hard not to feel sorry for Nkunku, with the forward looking completely lost in Enzo Maresca’s system.It genuinely seemed like he wasn’t on the pitch at times, with the Frenchman missing in action for large parts of the game.The one clear chance he had running through on goal, he bizarrely elected to cross the ball rather than have an effort himself.SUBS:Enzo Fernandez (Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, 59) – 7Brought an air of control to Chelsea’s midfield which was sorely lacking before. Played a few nice passes with the short time he had on the pitch.Nothing came of his efforts, although perhaps the result would have been different for Chelsea had he started the game.Tyrique George (Jadon Sancho, 73) – 5Spurned a great opportunity over the bar, and other than that failed to have any impact.While Wembley is gone for another year, Maresca can still dream of Wroclaw with Chelsea favourites to win the Conference League and resume their campaign next month.Hurzeler added: “I said I was really proud of how they bounced back from this big defeat.“It is very important not to react in these moments. I stayed positive and calm. There were reasons why this happened but we always knew the potential this squad has.“This team has a big potential.”READ MORE SUN STORIESLamptey, who was at Chelsea from 11 years old, added: “It’s a great win, a big performance from the boys and the crowd’s positive so we’re happy.“These things happen in football, it’s good that everyone rallied round and showed fighting spirit.”  More