FA Cup, Lukaku sends Chelsea to the quarterfinals. Ok Liverpool and Southampton

After Tuesday’s races, after which they snatched a pass for the quarter-finals City, Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough, the FA Cup spectacle continued with matches between Luton Town and Chelsea, Liverpool and Norwich, Southampton and West Ham. . Guests at Kenilworth Road, Tuchel’s Blues risked emulating Tottenham and Manchester United, eliminated from the competition by a Championship club. Luton, in fact, found themselves in the lead twice, but the European and world champions, on the day of the announcement of Abramovich’s willingness to sell the club, managed to overturn the match thanks to goals from Werner and Lukaku. Victory without too much difficulty, however, for Liverpool (2-1 with a brace from Minamino), while the Saints beat West Ham 3-1: decisive goals from Perraud, Prowse and Broja.

LUTON TOWN-CHELSEA 2-3

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On the occasion of the trip to Bedfordshire, Tuchel opts for a large turnover, fielding Loftus-Cheek, Sarr, Saul, Kenedy, Werner and Lukaku from 1 ‘. The home side’s advantage came after two minutes with a header from Burke, who used Berry’s corner to jump higher than everyone else and deflect the ball to the far post. Nothing extraordinary for the Luton fans, who had already celebrated goals scored on the development of a set piece sixteen times this season. At 29 ‘Saul signs the equalizer with a right from the edge of the area, ten minutes later Cornick brings Luton forward again. Jones’s team recovers the ball and starts on the counterattack, Gomes serves the English striker on the run who enters the penalty area and, with a right to cross, overtakes Kepa. Thrill for Chelsea, who managed to react in the last 20 minutes of the match, hitting the comeback with Werner and Lukaku. The former Leipzig scores in the 68th minute, blocking the thigh and kicking the net after a precise pass by Loftus-Cheek. Twelve minutes pass and the German enters the area from the right, serving Lukaku in the center: the former Inter stretches in a split, deflecting the cross behind the opposing goalkeeper. Chelsea thus access once again the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, after the four finals played in the last five seasons: on one occasion, however, the Blues managed to triumph, with Tuchel the task of defeating the cup taboo.

SOUTHAMPTON-WEST HAM 3-1

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Separated by ten points in the Premier League standings, Saints and Hammers face off in the first knockout round of the FA Cup. In the first half West Ham became dangerous on 10 ‘and 29’ with Soucek, but on 31 ‘the advantage of the hosts with a long-range shot from Perraud. Before returning to the locker room, Moyes’ team tries again but does not find luck with Johnson and Antonio, who then equalized, on the development of a corner kick, at the stroke of the hour of play. The score of 1-1, however, lasts only 9 minutes: a foul by Dawson on Broja inside the area opens the doors to the quarterfinals at Southampton, dragged by Ward Prowse who shows up on the spot and beats Areola. At 89 ‘the French goalkeeper kept the Londoners’ dream-comeback alive by rejecting a great shot from Redmond. A minute passed and West Ham nearly equalized with Dawson, who header from a corner forcing Caballero to perform a miracle. In full recovery, at minute 95, the Saints find the definitive trio with Broja, who enters the penalty area and sends the ball to the lower right corner.

LIVERPOOL-NORWICH 2-1

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Like Tuchel, Klopp also takes advantage of the cup match to allow the second lines to show off. Among the Reds, are the owners Joe Gomez, Tsimikas, Oxlade, Curtis Jones, Origi and Minamino, star of the evening with a brace. Jones could open the scoring after 9 minutes, but the crossbar prevents him: the 21-year-old midfielder takes the ball on the left and kicks right to return to the far post. The shot is accurate but the ball hits the wood. Between 27 ‘and 38’ Minamino scores two goals for Liverpool. First on an assist from Origi, who collects a cross from Tsimikas, controls and serves the Japanese one step away from the goal, then with a powerful and precise right on the development of a corner kick: the ball shot by an opposing defender ends up on the sides of the 27-year-old, who tows and kicks under the crossbar. In the second half, between the Reds there is space for the 18 year old Elliott and the 19 year old Morton: the hosts are immediately dangerous in the 50th minute with Oxlade, who receives in the area from Jota and tries the low corner shot, but finding the outer pole. Sixteen minutes pass and Norwich closes the gap with Rupp, served centrally by Sargent: the Norwich number 7 arrives ball and chain at the edge of the area and overtakes Alisson with a shot that ends up to the right of the goalkeeper. Thus the hopes of the guests are rekindled, but they conclude the game without finding the equalizer.