Chelsea's John Terry (L) celebrates his goal against
Brentford with Demba Ba during their FA Cup fourth round
replay match at Stamford Bridge in. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh
The Premier League's big-hitters have restored some
normality to the FA Cup with holders Chelsea crushing
third-tier Brentford 4-0 in a fourth-round replay and
Manchester City dismissing Leeds United 4-0 in a fifth-round
tie.
Midfielder Frank Lampard scored his 199th goal for Chelsea,
who put four second-half goals past Brentford at Stamford
Bridge to secure a fifth-round clash at Championship (second
division) Middlesbrough on Feb. 27.
Argentine Sergio Aguero scored twice for 2011 winners
Manchester City, who eased into the quarter-finals with a
confident display that was the complete opposite from their
abject surrender in a 3-1 Premier League defeat at
Southampton last weekend.
"I think it was really important to win this game. If you
score two goals within the first 20 minutes it is easier, but
the FA Cup is a difficult competition as Arsenal and Everton
showed yesterday," City manager Roberto Mancini told ESPN.
Top-flight strugglers Wigan Athletic put their relegation
fears to one side by breezing past second-tier Huddersfield
Town 4-1 with two goals from Ivorian Arouna Kone.
Three Championship teams reached the last eight on Saturday,
including Blackburn Rovers who stunned 10-times winners
Arsenal with a 1-0 victory at the Emirates.
Everton, sixth in the Premier League, were taken to a replay
after conceding a stoppage-time goal in a 2-2 draw at
third-tier strugglers Oldham Athletic.
England midfielder Lampard, whose Chelsea future remains
unresolved with his contract expiring at the end of the
season, tucked away a simple volley on 71 minutes to edge
closer to Bobby Tambling's all-time club record of 202 goals.
The goal prompted Chelsea fans to chant "sign him up" as
billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, sat with hands deep in
his pockets, forced a wry smile high up in the stand.
Interim manager Rafael Benitez said: "The team was doing well
and Frank Lampard is scoring goals, which is good for him and
good for us."
Chelsea twice had to come from behind to earn a 2-2 away draw
in their first encounter and were again sluggish in the first
half against their fellow Londoners.
DEFT FLICK
Juan Mata finally broke Brentford's resistance on 54 minutes
when he latched on to Demba Ba's flick from a long Petr Cech
clearance and drilled in a left-foot shot from 20 metres.
Oscar doubled the lead 14 minutes later from Branislav
Ivanovic's cutback, scoring with a deft flick, and Lampard
quickly added a third from Mata's cross. John Terry headed in
at the far post, this time from Oscar's curling delivery, to
make it 4-0 on 81 minutes.
"First half they made it very difficult, they sat very deep.
Once we got the first goal, the second and third were sure to
come," Terry, returning after missing two matches with an
inflamed knee, told ITV.
Terry said a British newspaper report on Sunday that he and
Benitez were involved in a dressing room bust-up were
"complete rubbish".
"There are stories today in the paper but it is complete lazy
journalism," the defender said, referring to a Sun newspaper
story headlined "War".
With his side 12 points behind Manchester United and their
Premier League title hopes fading, Mancini had demanded his
players atone for the Southampton loss which he had described
as City's worst game in the last two or three years.
City duly obliged, crafting a brilliant opener after five
minutes that was started and finished by Yaya Toure.
The Ivorian exchanged passes with David Silva and Carlos
Tevez before slotting home and Aguero doubled the lead on 14
minutes from the penalty spot.
Tevez bundled in a third after 52 and Aguero rifled in the
fourth 16 minutes from time.
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