Manchester United advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals for the seventh consecutive season. Bournemouth came here for only the second time in 122 years of history.
A Scott McTominay goal in the 97th minute gave United a 1-0 win over West Ham on Tuesday in a lackluster fifth-round match that required overtime at snowy Old Trafford.
“Scott has really improved his game this season,” said United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. “We let him get to the area more often, we let him go. He hits the ball very well. It is very accurate ”.
12-time FA Cup champions United have gotten used to reaching the final stages of the cups with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the past year, but the semi-finals were their best result. The team has lost twice in the semi-final of the League Cup, the FA Cup and the Europa League.
Like the Europa League, the FA Cup appears to be the best chance for United to claim their first trophy since 2017, after they slumped within five points of Manchester City in the Premier League title fight. City have one less duel.
West Ham, led by former United manager David Moyes, frustrated the Solskjaer club with a disciplined defensive performance, but was not helped by running out of three players through injuries – Angelo Ogbonna, his replacement Issa Diop and Andriy Yarmolenko – before the 54 minutes.
Diop was replaced at halftime by Ryan Fredericks after a head clash with Anthony Martial in the 37th minute.
Manchester United’s Scott McTominay jumps in for a header with West Ham’s Tomas Soucek in the FA Cup fifth round match at Old Trafford on Tuesday, Feb.9, 2021. (Martin Rickett / Pool via AP)Martin Rickett/AP
It was the first concussion change in English football. As part of a rule that was tested this season, teams are allowed to use a maximum of two changes per concussion beginning in the fifth round.
The measure is also being tested in the Premier League.
“We think he’s fine,” Moyes said. “But he suffered a crash … I preferred not to take risks and took him off the court.”
THE WAIT OF 64 YEARS ENDS
Second-division Bournemouth beat Burnley 2-0 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the world’s oldest club tournament for the first time since the 1956-57 season.
With goals from Sam Surridge and Junior Stanislas, from the penalty area, Bournemouth beat a decimated Burnley on the Turf Moor
Burnley were looking to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign, but manager Sean Dyche opted to rest key players – including their starting defenders and goalkeeper Nick Pope – because the team is fighting. for avoiding relegation in the Premier League.
It was later revealed that Burnley came within minutes of being disqualified from the Cup after Dyche put Erik Pieters in the starting lineup despite the left-back being suspended one match after adding yellow cards in the previous two rounds.
Burley were warned of the error by Bournemouth officials before the start of the game. Pieters was replaced by Anthony Driscoll-Glennon.
“It was very chivalrous of him,” Dyche admitted.
Bournemouth, who were relegated last season, are led on an interim basis by former Tottenham and Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate following the departure of Jason Tindall.
The remaining six matches of the round of 16 will take place on Wednesday and Thursday.