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Tuesday, 21 February 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Reuters: Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off the bench to score the winner as they recovered from an early deficit to beat Championship strugglers Blackburn Rovers 2-1 away in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday.
The Swedish hitman entered the fray just part the hour mark at a murky Ewood Park and produced a typically silky finish in the 75th minute to spare holders United an unwanted replay.
It was his first goal in the FA Cup and 24th in all competitions and sent 12-times winners United into the quarter-finals where they will play at Premier League leaders Chelsea.
United’s passage was far from smooth, though, against the former Premier League champions who are now struggling to retain their second-tier status.
Until United manager Jose Mourinho sent on Ibrahimovic and world record signing Paul Pogba in the 62nd minute the visitors were finding Blackburn a tough nut to crack.
Danny Graham had put the hosts ahead before United forward Marcus Rashford equalised just before the half-hour mark.
Then, in a moment of supreme quality, Pogba’s flighted pass found Ibrahimovic running in behind the Rovers rearguard and the veteran striker took his time before guiding a shot past keeper Jason Steele.
“Did they give us a good game? More than good, they gave us a hard game and congratulations to them,” Mourinho, who won the Cup 10 years ago with Chelsea, said.
Reuters: Harry Kane’s hat-trick turned Tottenham Hotspur’s potentially tricky FA Cup fifth-round tie at Championship side Fulham into a Sunday stroll by the River Thames as they sauntered to a 3-0 victory at Craven Cottage.
England striker Kane struck early on and twice after the interval to take his tally for the season to 19 as the eight-times FA Cup winners eased into the quarter-finals where they will face third-tier east London side Millwall.
It was Kane’s second hat-trick in his last seven games and he has now bagged 20 goals in hi s last 22 London derbies.
Stung by consecutive defeats by Liverpool in the Premier League and Gent in their Europa League last 32 first leg, and wary of becoming another weekend Cup shock, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino fielded a strong lineup and was rewarded.
“After the two defeats, many players wanted to play today, it was a great opportunity to show we are alive,” Pochettino told reporters. “This was a big boost in confidence today.
“We had meetings after Gent and the reaction was very good.”
With their Belgium central defender Jan Vertonghen back from an ankle injury after missing five games and Kane having shaken off a knock sustained in the 1-0 defeat in Belgium on Thursday, Tottenham pinned Fulham back into their own area.
Tottenham, aiming to win the FA Cup for the first time since 1991, last played Millwall in the competition when they beat them in the third round and went on to win the trophy in 1967.
