Premier League giants Arsenal and Chelsea made it through to the FA Cup quarter finals this weekend thanks to victories over lower league opposition, but they both survived some serious scares along the way.
The Gunners won away to League One Mansfield while Chelsea needed extra time in North Wales to beat Championship side Wrexham. And, with the FA Cup 2026 betting odds picking out Liverpool and Manchester City as potential winners too, the Reds and Sky Blues also made it through to complete the Big Four.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are still in the hunt for an historic quadruple as we make our way through March, but the Gunners didn’t have it all their own way when they visited Nigel Clough’s Mansfield. Sitting 16th in the League One table and without a league win in six, the Stags were in no mood to roll over for their illustrious visitors, who had named two 16 year olds, Marli Salmon and Max Dowman, in their side.
The hosts had given Arsenal a torrid time in the opening half before Noni Madueke eventually put the Londoners in front, but a loose ball from Salmon let in Will Evans and the Welsh striker lifted the roof off the One Call Stadium as he breezed past the Arsenal defence and slotted calmly home.
Arteta reacted by bringing on Eberechi Eze and the former Crystal Palace man unleashed a rocket which sailed past Liam Roberts to take the Gunners through.
Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea had to come from behind twice to force extra time away to second tier Wrexham and they also needed a helping hand from the on field officials, and VAR, to see off their ambitious hosts. Wrexham were reduced to ten men in the 93rd minute when defensive midfielder George Dobson was red carded, and Alejandro Garnacho then put Chelsea ahead, for the first time in the tie, with 96 minutes on the clock.
But the Welsh club, which has marched up the league ladder from the fifth tier, since the takeover by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney five years ago, would not lie down. And when Lewis Brunt poked home from a flick on by Kieffer Moore the Wrexham fans went berserk with the score, as they thought it, at 3-3. But they then experienced the deflation that Premier League fans suffer week on week as the VAR video replays eventually adjudged there to be an offside.
With the seconds ticking away Joao Pedro raced clear to make it 4-2 to the Blues, who were glad to escape Wales relatively unscathed!
On Saturday night Manchester City launched an impressive comeback to win 3-1 away to Newcastle United as Omar Marmoush helped himself to a brace. This was the fifth time the two clubs met this season, with City winning four, but the Magpies went ahead in this one when Harvey Barnes scored an early opener. The Sky Blues levelled when Savinho produced a quirky finish at the back post and Marmoush did the rest with a second half double.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are also in the hunt for a treble, but a draw with Nottingham Forest in midweek has put them under pressure in the Premier League.
In my SBOTOP preview of Fulham vs Southampton I predicted the Cottagers to win a tight game against the in-form Saints; but you can’t win them all! On Sunday Tonda Eckert’s impressive reign as Southampton boss continued as the visitors pulled off a 1-0 win.
But I may have been right with my ‘Fulham winning at Half Time and Full Time’ call had it not been for an odd performance from referee Jarred Gillett. The Cottagers would have got their first half goal when a clearance from the Saints keeper ricocheted into the path of Rodrigo Muniz to sweep home. But the referee had blown his whistle early when he adjudged the ball had been rolling when Daniel Peretz took his goal kick.
Fulham had their second half strike ruled out for offside before Ross Stewart gave Southampton a win with a late penalty.
That’s the way it goes sometimes.
In other FA Cup 2026 news Liverpool beat Wolves 3-1 on Friday night, to reach the last eight as well as exacting some revenge after Rob Edwards’ team pulled off a shock 2-1 win at home to Pool last Tuesday. For Arne Slot’s defending champions to lose to the bottom club was some blow to a side now struggling to break into the top four in the league; but they put matters right on their second visit to Molineux in three days by reversing the score line and adding a third goal for good measure.
After a goalless first half, wingback Andrew Robertson opened the scoring, with Mo Salah and Curtis Jones adding to the score before Hee-Chan Hwang scored a late consolation for the hosts.
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