Summary

  1. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:47 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

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    Newcastle remain the only team that could win the domestic treble. Cheers Eddie.

    Jim, Newcastle fan

    Eddie Howe celebrates win at Birmingham CityImage source, Getty Images
  2. FA Cup opens uppublished at 14:44 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

    Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth are among the Premier League clubs who have attracted plenty of positive publicity this season after putting together a string of impressive results.

    They are both in Champions League contention given there will almost certainly be five qualifiers. But Fulham and Brighton are also on the fringes of the European battle - and that is without mentioning Newcastle and Aston Villa.

    Well, after this weekend's results, what about some silverware.

    Only one FA Cup final since 1984 and two since 1975 has not had at least one of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd and Spurs in it.

    Four of those clubs are out and with City still shaky and United unconvincing there is a big opportunity in the FA Cup for clubs who have not won tournament in many, many years and in some cases never.

  3. No VAR - what you had to say...published at 14:44 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

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    Will: Hilarious. Complain about handballs and offsides given with VAR, then complain when VAR isn't there to give handballs and offsides.

    Anon: It's almost like with no VAR, we've gone the other way. Just allow handballs to go. Officials have become too reliant.

    Stu: Only two handballs in the build-up to Brighton goal, no problem.

    Tom: Nice not having VAR. Back to the good old days of just having to accept the refs are humans and miss things. Only thing that should be at every ground is goalline technology.

    Alan: Disaster not having VAR. Why in some rounds of the FA Cup and not others? Leicester were knocked out because of not having VAR in use.

  4. Why is there no VAR in the FA Cup fourth round?published at 14:42 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    The Football Association confirmed in December that VAR technology would only be introduced from the fifth round onwards to ensure a "consistent refereeing approach for all clubs taking part in the same stage of the competition".

    Because of infrastructure and operational costs, VAR had previously only been used at Premier League grounds, and at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals and final.

    There have been 13 VAR mistakes in the Premier League so far this season - down from 20 at the same point last term - say league bosses.

    However, to confuse matters, goalline technology has been in use at Premier League and Championship grounds - where the infrastructure exists - in this year's competition, despite not being available everywhere.

  5. get involved

    European rivalries - Chelsea v Liverpoolpublished at 14:41 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

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    Don’t know if it’s too long ago for the modern era, but I believe Chelsea and Liverpool played each other in five consecutive seasons between 2004 and 2009, once in group stage and FOUR times in the knockout rounds (both won two each). Garcia’s ghost goal, Risse’s own goal, the 4-4 at the Bridge… classic European moments.

    Mark, Oxford

  6. 'Street fighter' Grealish catches the eyepublished at 14:39 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Leyton Orient 1-2 Man City

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

    Together with my colleagues Dan Roan and Nick Mashiter, we wrote a lengthy article for the BBC Sport website ahead of Manchester City's visit to Leyton Orient explaining why Jack Grealish is at a crossroads.

    I felt Grealish was far more likely to start against the League One side than Real Madrid this week despite his £100m price tag.

    The first part of that prediction came true. Grealish was starting his first game since the previous round's triumph against League Two Salford.

    He did catch the eye and he did provide the crucial pass for Kevin de Bruyne's late winner.

    Whether it earns him a starting berth against Real is another matter.

    "Jack has this sense of the street - a player of the street," said Guardiola.

    "Today most of the players are for, the manager, so academic. 'You have to do this, you have to do that'. Jack is there to fight in the stadiums when people shout and he's a fighte.

    "He didn't play the last games, mainly because Savinho on the left side made an incredible connection with Erling (Haaland) but this season is still open.

    "Against Orient I saw a glimpse that I'm going to rebel, to show the manager how wrong he is. I love that."

    Media caption,

    Man City come from behind to beat Orient

  7. Brilliant Orient openerpublished at 14:37 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Leyton Orient 1-2 Man City

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

    I was at Brisbane Road on Saturday and yes, I do know the home side's goal was a Stefan Ortega own goal - and I do know the ball would not have gone in had it not hit the German - but I am with Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens on this one.

    "It is a shame it has gone down as an own goal,” said Wellens.

    “It is not deserved and I am sure Ortega doesn’t want it."

    The 50-yard strike was an all-time FA Cup classic goal.

    Media caption,

    'Goal of a lifetime' Donley's brilliant shot bounces in off Ortega

  8. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:35 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

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    All the focus on Spurs and Liverpool has distracted attention away from Chelsea. The woefully limp exit has not gone unnoticed by Chelsea fans.

    Andy

    Hi Chelsea fan here, another abject performance at the weekend and no sign of any sort of form returning. My bigger concern is that Cole Palmer looks unhappy and who can blame him? Players around him consistently underperforming and relying on him far too much. If things don’t improve I can see him angling for a move in the summer. His ability deserves so much more that the dross Maresca and his players are serving up of late. No passion. No direction. And No bottle.

    Rich, Oxford

  9. Handball not 'quite clear' Enzopublished at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Brighton 2-1 Chelsea

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

    Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was complaining at the weekend about Brighton's winner to knock his side out of the FA Cup at the Amex on Saturday.

    Maresca said it was 'quite clear' Tariq Lamptey had handled in the build-up to Kauro Mitoma's decisive effort.

    It seems the Chelsea manager has not been keeping up with the latest IFAB interpretation of the laws.

    "An accidental handball (Lamptey) that leads to a team-mate scoring a goal (Mitoma) or having a goal-scoring opportunity will no longer be considered an offence."

  10. 'I'm happy it was like that' - so was FA Cup better without VAR?published at 14:33 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Media caption,

    Should this have been a penalty?

    Football fans have become accustomed to debating the use of technology in the game over recent years - but in the FA Cup fourth round, its absence has provided a frequent talking point.

    With video assistant referee technology only in use from the fifth round onwards this season, there have been a number of controversial incidents to dissect.

    There were several further high-profile incidents at the weekend, and there are still two games to be played over the next two days.

    So, what's going on with VAR in the FA Cup - and why?

  11. Wolves hit quick-fire double to beat Blackburnpublished at 14:31 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Blackburn 0-2 Wolves

    Media caption,

    Wolves beat Blackburn after quick-fire double

    We covered Liverpool's shock defeat at Plymouth and Aston Villa's win over Tottenham earlier in the day.

    In Sunday's other tie, Premier League Wolves scored a quick-fire first-half double to overcome second-tier Blackburn Rovers and progress to the fifth round.

    Wolves recovered from a slow start by scoring twice in the space of 100 seconds at Ewood Park, but only after Rovers had an opener ruled out by a marginal offside call during an encouraging start by the Championship hosts.

    Joao Gomes squeezed a shot beneath Rovers goalkeeper Balazs Toth as Wolves punished the hosts' attempts to play out from the back in the 33rd minute.

    And Vitor Pereira's side seized control of the tie with an immediate second when Matheus Cunha found the bottom corner with a composed finish from Nelson Semedo's pass

  12. FA Cup fourth-round recappublished at 14:29 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Yes, that's right, we still have two more games to come in the FA Cup fourth round, with League Two Doncaster hosting Crystal Palace tonight before Nottingham Forest travel to Exeter City tomorrow.

    Will there be any more upsets? Will the lack of VAR have a bearing on either match?

    Upsets and VAR were the two key themes of this weekend's cup games.

    Let's have a recap of the main talking points...

  13. Forest latest - January, team news and facing Exeterpublished at 14:26 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Exeter City v Nottingham Forest (Tues, 20:00 GMT)

    Nottingham Forest

    Nuno Espirito SantoImage source, Getty Images

    Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo spoke to the media this morning ahead of their trip to Exeter tomorrow in the FA Cup. He said their approach will remain "exactly the same".

    The Forest manager admittedthe club didn’t achieve “what they wanted” in January.

    He said: "We had a clear intention for us to retain the core of the squad. They are here, all available. We didn't achieve what we wanted because it's very hard and we keep going".

    When asked about Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has missed the last two matches with a groin problem, Nuno Espirito Santo said that "we will have to see, he’s coming back".

    He added Murillo is "much better" and has "re-joined the group normally".

  14. get involved

    European rivalries - Liverpool v Real Madridpublished at 14:21 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

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    What's all this peddling of Madrid/City being the UCL rivalry of the decade? Not only have Madrid played PSG more than they've played City, but they've also played Liverpool two more times in the last decade...in two finals. LFC vs Madrid in last decade - 8 matches (Including 2 finals). City vs Madrid - 6 matches (zero finals).

    Con in Merseyside

  15. Women's FA Cup: Who progressed?published at 14:19 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Khadija Shaw of Manchester City scores her team's third goalImage source, Getty Images

    The Women's FA Cup fifth-round ties took place over the weekend.

    Khadija Shaw scored on her Manchester City return to help them see off Leicester.

    Arsenal and Chelsea are both through. The Gunners beat London City Lionesses 2-0 and Chelsea came from a goal down to beat Everton and keep their quadruple hopes alive.

    Liverpool needed two late goals to see off Rugby Borough, who were the lowest-ranked side left in the competition.

    Holders Manchester United, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace all progressed.

    Sunderland will be the only non-WSL side in the quarter-finals. They won 2-0 at Portsmouth.

    The draw for the quarter-finals takes place on the Women's FA Cup YouTube channel from 18:30 GMT on Tuesday.

  16. Postpublished at 14:17 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Right, Rangers fans you are safe to return.

    Before we circle back to the FA Cup, let's have a recap of the Women's FA Cup action...

  17. get involved

    European rivalries - Real Madrid v Bayern Munichpublished at 14:16 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

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    Real Madrid vs Bayern is the greatest modern European rivalry… two historic European powerhouses who always contain the best players in the world. 2012 the semi-final that went to penalties, 2014 semi-final, 2017 quarter-final filled with controversy, 2018 semi-final and last year's semi-final that was won right at the death.

    Anon

  18. 'The fans are right to be angry now'published at 14:16 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Rangers 0-1 Queen's Park

    Rangers manager Philippe Clement believes his side wanted it too much during the 1-0 defeat to Queen's Park.

    Despite having 28 shots to Queen's Park's one, Rangers were unable to find a breakthrough on Sunday afternoon and even missed a penalty in the final minute of stoppage time to compound a miserable day at Ibrox Stadium.

    Media caption,

    Rangers manager Philippe Clement reacts to cup exit to Queen's Park.

  19. 'We had four fit defenders and no back-up plan'published at 14:12 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Rangers 0-1 Queen's Park

    Queen's Park manager Callum DavidsonImage source, PA Media

    Queen's Park manager Callum Davidson speaking after the Scottish Cup victory over Rangers: "We had a game plan that we tried to execute, frustrate them. We couldn't go gung-ho and attack.

    "The goal gave us something to hang on to and I'm delighted for the players. The boys were fantastic.

    "It was a real tough tie, no one expected that. We had four fit defenders. I woke up at half one this morning hoping no one was ill. We didn't have a back-up plan."

  20. Queen's Park knock out Rangers after 97th minute penalty misspublished at 14:08 Greenwich Mean Time 10 February

    Rangers 0-1 Queen's Park

    Adam Binnie
    BBC Sport Scotland

    Sebastian Drozd celebrates after giving Queen's Park the leadImage source, Getty Images

    Second-tier Queen's Park produced one of the biggest upsets in Scottish Cup history as they beat Rangers 1-0 at Ibrox to advance to the quarter-finals.

    Seb Drozd's sublime 69th minute strike gave the visitors a shock lead after Rangers dominated possession without truly threatening.

    The Premiership side huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser and looked like they would finally find one in the 97th minute from the penalty spot, but captain James Tavernier's effort was magnificently saved by Calum Ferrie.

    That sparked wild scenes of celebration and meant Queen's Park became only the second side to win in 18 games at Ibrox this season after Olympique Lyonnais.

    Celtic couldn't do it. Neither could Tottenham.

    But the third most successful club in the history of the Scottish Cup - albeit one who last lifted the trophy in 1893 - could at the home of their Glasgow neighbours.