Aston Villa have won the F.A. Cup seven times, but the last winning final was in 1957. Going into this past weekend’s 3rd round, always the first round for the top two divisions in English football, they hadn’t won an F.A. Cup game in seven years. However, new manager Unai Emery, who has won four Europa League finals with Spanish clubs, thought his team would put an end to that dreadful record and even predicted they would make a big challenge for the cup this season. The Premier League side had an easy start, on paper — a home game to League One, or fourth-tier, Stevenage. They lost, 2-1, having been 1-0 until the dying minutes.
Galway-born Daryl Horgan joined Stevenage midweek on loan but is cup-tied having played in a previous round for his regular club Wycombe Wanderers and so won’t be available for the 4th-round tie, which is against Stoke City. Villa, meantime, will have to start all over again in January 2024.
STARRING FIRST START
But before the Cup action got underway, Manchester City reduced Arsenal’s lead at the top of the EPL table to five points with a 1-0 away win over Chelsea on Thursday. City manager Pep Guardiola joked that he was a “genius” after a double substitution helped City close the gap on the Gunners. Less than three minutes after coming on as substitutes, Jack Grealish teed up Riyad Mahrez for the winner, which keeps Arsenal firmly in their sights.
A good week also in the EPL for two Irish players. Evan Ferguson, who got his first-ever goal EPL goal the previous Saturday in Brighton’s 4-2 defeat to Arsenal, made his first start in midweek as Brighton won 4-1 away to Everton. The 18-year-old Irish striker was named Player of the Match after scoring one and assisting for another of the Seagulls goals.
If he keeps up this good form Ferguson seems certain to start against France in the European Championship opener at the Aviva on March 27. Ferguson has won two senior caps, both as a sub. He made his debut against Norway in the friendly at the Aviva in November coming on for Alan Browne in the 89th minute. He saw a bit more action in the away friendly against Malta three days later, replacing Ogbene in the 77th minute. And Irish youth international Andrew Moran, who joined Brighton from Bray Wanderers two years ago, made his EPL debut as a sub for Brighton in the Everton game
Also Matt Doherty got his first EPL goal since April in Tottenham’s 4-0 win over Crystal Palace in midweek, a much needed win for under pressure Spurs manager Antonio Conte. It was Doherty's third consecutive league start at right wing back after apparently impressing Conte with four goals in three mid-season friendlies last month.
HAMILTON, LONG ON TARGET IN CUP
Back to the FA Cup, where there was plenty of Irish in action in the 3rd round. Galway-born Aaron Connolly who joined Hull on loan from Italian club Vicenze in midweek, was a second half sub in Hull’s 2-0 defeat to Fulham on Saturday. The 22 year-old, who has won 8 Irish senior caps, has been out of favor with Stephen Kenny in recent games and his last Irish appearance was for the under 21 team against Israel in the Euro play-off last November. Connolly, is technically still a Brighton player, but it looks like he won’t be going back to the Amex.
C.J. Hamilton, who won his solitary Irish cap against Ukraine last June scored for Blackpool as they knocked out a weakened Notts Forest team 4-1. Former Shamrock Rovers defender Andy Lyons made his debut for the Tangerines on Saturday. And former Bohemians striker Promise Omichere scored the winner for Rotherham as they beat Fleetwood Town 2-1.
Tipperary-born Shane Long got Reading’s second goal in their 2-0 win over Watford. Long can now look forward to another trip to Old Trafford in the 4th round to play United, who beat Everton 3-1.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says defender Virgil van Dijk will be out for at least a month after the hamstring injury he suffered in the League defeat to Brentford is worse than earlier reported. On Saturday night Liverpool drew 2-2 at home to Wolves in the Cup. It was expected that Klopp might give Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher some game time, but the Corkman spent the evening on the bench. Wolves Irish defender Nathan Collins was named Player of the Match and Irish under 21 international Joe Hodge also started for the visitors. Irish internationals James Collins and Jayson Knight both scored for Derby County in their 3-0 win over Barnsley.
Nathan Collins was the Player of the Match in Wolves 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield in the FA Cup. INPHO/RYAN BYRNE
Manchester City beat Chelsea for the third time in four days, winning their FA Cup tie 4-0 at the Etihad on Sunday. City could now face Arsenal in the 4th round, if the Gunners beat Oxford United on Monday night.
Harry Kane edged ever closer to Jimmy Greaves’s scoring record for Tottenham with the only goal of the game to send Portsmouth. Kane’s 50th-minute curler moved him onto 265 goals for his boyhood club, one away from Greaves’ tally which has stood for more than half a century, and saw Antonio Conte’s team edge past a dogged Pompey outfit.
DUBAI TRIP FOR BLUES
First Division Waterford are sparing no expense on building for their promotion bid by arranging a pre-season trip to Dubai. The Blues were last August taken over by Andy Pilley, who also owns English League One club Fleetwood Town and clubs in UAE and Africa. He has set manager Danny Searle the target of getting The Blues back into the Premier Division, be it by topping the table or through the arduous playoffs.
YOUNG BECKHAM JOINS BRENTFORD
Romeo Beckham, son of former England captain David, has joined Brentford on loan from Inter Miami II until the end of the season. Beckham who is 20, will link up with Neil MacFarlane's second team at Brentford to continue his development’ according to a statement from the Premier League club. Beckham said: ‘‘I am excited to come here and see what I can do.’’ Inter Miami II, the second team at the club which is co-owned by his father David, finished sixth in the Eastern Conference last season, with Beckham contributing two goals and ten assists. Beckham has trained with Brentford’s B team since the conclusion of the Major League Soccer season in September. In 2014, Beckham joined Arsenal’s Academy but was released the following year. After his release, he admitted that he no longer wished to pursue a career in football, instead taking up tennis training with Andy Murray.
GIANLUCA VIALLI, 58
The death occurred at the weekend of former Chelsea striker and manager Gianluca Vialli, who played 59 times for Italy. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017, but said in April 2020 that he had been given the all-clear. Vialli was re-diagnosed in 2021 and in December 2022 left a role with Italy’s national team to focus on his health. Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina said: ‘‘Gianluca was a splendid person and he leaves a void that cannot be filled. I hoped until the end that he would be able to perform another miracle. Yet I am comforted by the certainty that what he did for Italian football and the blue shirt will never be forgotten.” Vialli also played Cremonese, Sampdoria and Juventus, also managed Watford in the 2001-02 season. He died in the Royal Marsden Hospital in London on Friday, aged 58.
