[sportsfan2006]

By Anthony Marinetti
Inspin.com/WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

It was a wild weekend of third-round FA Cup action, complete with fantastic finishes and intriguing story lines. Most notably, there were four all-Premier League matches that will prove to be quite significant in the long run for both the FA Cup and Premiership.

The top story of the weekend had to be the young Arsenal squad thumping defending Cup champ Liverpool at Anfield and eliminating the title-holder from the tournament. Tomas Rosicky was brilliant in netting two first-half goals to lead the Gunners to a 3-1 victory and a berth in the fourth round.

Liverpool came into the game in top form, but Arsenal seems to have its frequent opponent figured out. This is the second time Arsenal has beaten Liverpool this term. On Saturday, the Gunners mounted a superb counterattack that had the Reds constantly on their heels defensively.

This was a statement game for a number of reasons. For Liverpool, this kind of loss, at home in front of a raucous supporting crowd, may spawn some second-guessing as to the legitimacy of its recent success and whether or not it can remain near the top of the EPL tables.

For Arsenal, the performance was significant because it proved it could withstand a great amount of pressure with a 2-1 lead and wear down a quality opponent.

"We had a united, determined, disciplined and well-organized performance,” Manager Arsene Wenger said of his team.

The two squads face off yet again in the Carling Cup on Tuesday. WagerWeb.com has Arsenal at +225 with Liverpool at -110, but I like this one to finish in a draw (+225). The busy holiday schedule has taken its toll on both teams, and facing one another twice in four days should yield a stalemate this time around.

Another surprising result came in the Everton-Blackburn match, where an undermanned Rovers side embarrassed Everton 4-1. Many regulars for Blackburn rested on the bench, but the Rovers pulled the upset with ease.

“I think people may have felt that we had come here just to fulfill the fixture, given the team I had put out,” said Manager Mark Hughes. “But that wasn’t how I viewed it. I picked a team that I thought would get the job done, and that is exactly what happened.”

The win is Rovers’ fourth straight in all competition, and they are going to be very dangerous as the FA Cup progresses to its final stages. They have great depth and a solid defense that can hang with the big guns. Look for Blackburn to challenge for the title when the dust clears.

Meanwhile, Portsmouth punched its ticket to the fourth round by defeated fellow top-flighter Wigan 2-1. Kanu continued to impress, coming off the pine to score the late game-winner.

Portsmouth was clearly the better side on this day, dominating in possession and shots on goal. It should have been a much greater margin of victory for Pompey, and it will need to be sharper with its finishing if it wishes to make a deep run.

Wigan looked weak and tired in Saturday’s match. Though it has been holding its own in its second straight EPL campaign, the side seems deflated and is falling fast in the EPL tables, and the loss did not help matters.

Lactics’ boss Paul Jewell feels that confidence may be an issue for his side.

“Confidence is a big thing in football, and when we went 1-1 we weren’t putting them on the back foot.”

If the confidence continues to fade and Wigan continues to concede late goals, it will struggle in other tournaments and be staring relegation in the face in the EPL.

Finally, Manchester United kept things rolling thanks to some late heroics from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and a debut goal from Henrik Larsson.

Opponent Aston Villa was very sharp on the afternoon and appeared to have wrapped up a replay, but a defensive lapse in stoppage time put an end to its FA Cup life.


There is still a long way to go in FA Cup play, but it is already producing some quality matches and scenarios.


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