Defensive strength was the order of the day at the Britannia as Aston Villa failed to break down a typically resolute Stoke side who had chances to beat Martin O’Neill’s top four chasing side.
David Nugent rescued a crucial point at home to Stoke City with the Clarets man leveling for the Turf Moor outfit after Tuncay had put the away side ahead before the break.
Goals from Frank Lampard and John Terry gave Chelsea a comfortable win over Stoke City at Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti’s men were never under any real pressure from visitors Stoke City and the west London side eased past their Premier League counterparts to make it into the last four of the FA Cup.
COS contributor Sean Quinn puts the spotlight on ‘pundits’ who are playing a dangerous game and how an Emirates youngster paid the price for ‘culture of confrontation’.
One can only hope that Welsh international Aaron Ramsey recovers from this horrific injury and whether Ryan Shawcross felt sick with himself after the fact is really neither here nor there and doesn’t in anyway excuse the disgusting tackle the Stoke City man committed.
The Emirates outfit have suffered a succession of extremely unpleasant injuries in recent years with those that injured Abou Diaby and Eduardo being in the forefront of my mind at present. Arsene Wenger does appear to have a point when he continually refers to the way his team is occasionally singled out for attention as it appears that some teams have no other way to deal with the way the Gunners play other than to meat out punishment to attempt scare the north London side.
Ryan Shawcross has subsequently been named in the England squad ahead of the upcoming friendly against Egypt which is just a case of poor timing. Anyone who claims that the former Man United youngster is “not that sort of player” may be indeed correct, after all this was the 22 year old’s first red card, but he will have to take a long hard look at himself in the mirror after this incident and may find himself on the end of a long ban from the game.
Arsenal came from a goal behind to secure a last gasp win at the Britannia Stadium but the match was marred by a horrific injury to Gunners midfielder Aaron Ramsey after a truly appalling foul by Ryan Shawcross who looked disgusted with himself as he trudged off following his sending off.
Stoke City put on a fantastic display to defeat Manchester City at the Britannia Stadium and reach the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup. Two goals in a minute led the tie into extra time when goals from Ryan Shawcross and Tuncay won the game for the Potters.
The Eastlands outfit will be disappointed to have failed to progress in the competition and had Emmanuel Adebayor sent off late on to rub salt in their wounds.
Portsmouth were unable to overcome Stoke City in this crucial game for the Fratton Park outfit. The Potters had Andy Wilkinson sent off for two bookable offences went away with all three points after Salif Diao scored a last gasp winner to break Pompey hearts.
Despite being down to ten men Stoke City took the lead at the Britannia when Glenn Whelan put Stoke City ahead but Gareth Barry leveled things for Manchester City in this bad tempered affair.
The moment Arsenal fans would have seen their teamsheet they would have been thinking that they may well be in for a hard time at the Britannia Stadium and so it proved.
Stoke City battled past a second string Arsenal outfit to make it through to the fifth round of the FA Cup. Ricardo Fuller gave the home side the lead after little more than a minute after a long throw from Rory Delap. Sol Campbell didn’t exactly inspire confidence in his first game back for the Emirates side.
Denilson leveled just before half time but Stoke City deserved to retake the lead when Ricardo Fuller struck again ten minutes from time. The Potters were a constant threat against a very youthful Gunners side and Arsene Wenger may rue his decision to field a very under strength side.
Dean Whitehead secured the win with a late goal at the death.