Saturday, January 24, 2015

FA CUP KNOCK-OUT TSUNAMI!!! Shock Defeats For Chelsea, Man City, Tottenham Hotspur And Swansea City


Bradford will now enter the hat for the fifth round of the FA Cup

Chelsea surrendered a two-goal advantage to lose 4-2 at home to third tier Bradford City while Manchester City were beaten 2-0 by visiting Middlesbrough on an astonishing day of FA Cup shocks today.
Reuters reports Chelsea's silverware options dwindled from four to three in remarkable fashion at their west London fortress. Goals from Gary Cahill and Ramires had Jose Mourinho's men cruising after 38 minutes of their fourth-round tie but John Stead pulled a goal back before the break and former Chelsea player Filipe Morais equalized in the second half.
Bradford began the day 49 places below the Stamford Bridge club and for the first 38 minutes that looked about right. Chelsea made nine changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Liverpool in the League Cup semi-finals on Tuesday but still fielded a team packed with international quality.

England centre back Cahill flicked in Oscar's cross before Brazilian Ramires made it 2-0.

Stead's left-foot shot into the top corner gave Bradford a lifeline and Morais levelled 15 minutes from time.

Andy Halliday made it 3-2 before Mark Yeates' stoppage time goal sent the Bradford fans into raptures and left the manager of the Premier League leaders seething.
What followed will enter FA Cup folklore as first Halliday fired past Petr Cech after 81 minutes and then Yeates calmly side-footed a fourth to seal a famous win for the Yorkshire club who won the FA Cup in 1911.

Bradford manager Phil Parkinson (right) and his players and staff celebrate their third goal

"Me and the players must feel ashamed," Mourinho told the BBC as his hopes of a quadruple this season for the Premier League leaders were extinguished in the most unexpected circumstances.

"I repeat a word I used before this match, it's a disgrace for a big team to lose to a small team from a lower (division). Frustration is not the right word, embarrassed would be more appropriate."

Premier League champions Manchester City could have few complaints as they were outplayed by second tier promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough for whom Chelsea loanee Patrick Bamford deflected in the opener and Spaniard Kike wrapped up victory.

"An unforgettable day for us and the fans. We went through some tough tests, the keeper kept us in it at times. The scruffy goals are the goals I love," Bamford said.

"As a team we were magnificent."

The surprises, that begun earlier in the day when top flight Swansea City lost 3-1 at second tier Blackburn Rovers and had two players sent off, continued when Southampton went down 3-2 at home to Crystal Palace, meaning the top three in the Premier League all crashed out.

Fourth-placed Manchester United could only draw 0-0 at fourth tier Cambridge United on Friday.

Meanwhile Tottenham Hotspur were also beaten 2-1 at home by the Premier League's bottom club Leicester City on Saturday.

Leicester City scored twice in the final 10 minutes to come from behind and dump Tottenham out of the FA Cup at White Hart Lane.

West Bromwich Albion avoided an upset at Birmingham City, winning the Midlands derby 2-1 but a poor day for the elite continued when Sunderland were held 0-0 at home by Fulham.

Derby County beat Chesterfield 2-0 while Preston North End and Sheffield United, both of the third tier, will need a replay after a 1-1 draw.

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