Fernandes strikes knockout blow on Liverpool, Chelsea safely through
Manchester United deepened Liverpool's January gloom as Bruno Fernandes's pinpoint no cost kick earned his aspect a 3-2 gain in a blockbuster FA Glass fourth-round clash at Good old Trafford on Sunday.
The Portuguese, on as an alternative, stepped up to bend a right-footed strike beyond Liverpool keeper Alisson in the 78th minute to book a previous-16 tie for his side against West Ham United.
Leicester City, fancied to go completely, struck 3 x in the second half to win 3-1 at Championship side Brentford, while Tammy Abraham's hat-trick gave Chelsea a 3-1 victory in the home to second-tier Luton Area at snowy Stamford Bridge to help ease a number of the pressure on Frank Lampard.
Burnley won 3-0 away to Fulham.
Weekly after Liverpool and United's turgid 0-0 stalemate in the Premier League at Anfield, the north west rivals served up a Cup old classic full of attacking football.
Mohamed Salah scored both of Liverpool's desired goals, the first to offer his side an 18th-minute lead ahead of Mason Greenwood levelled, and again in the 58th minute following the outstanding Marcus Rashford had slotted United ahead.
A much-improved Liverpool looked the more likely winners but it was Fernandes, so often United's attacking spark, who sealed it with his 28th target for them since his debut last February.
"When you leave him out like I does today, he stayed about 45 minutes after training yesterday shooting no cost kicks so I was pretty confident he could score one if he got the chance," United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, whose side have lost only once since crashing out of the Champions League in early December, said.
'TOUGH GAME'
Liverpool have now won only one time in seven video games, although in least this display was more recognisable to the side that romped away to the English subject last season.
"We can take things out of the game, we make an effort to learn from every video game. It's best for Mo Salah, best for the confidence. It was a hardcore game," supervisor Juergen Klopp said.
Liverpool's fabled forward collection has been misfiring and had didn't score in a number of of their previous five game titles, including this week's shock house defeat by Burnley found in the Premier League.
But it clicked back into gear on Sunday and they went forward in the 18th minute in tried and tested manner -- Roberto Firmino slicing start United's defence with a excellent move to Salah who dinked a fascinating end over Dean Henderson.
United took only 8 minutes to respond, despite the fact that. Paul Pogba gained a deal with on the border of his own container, Rashford in that case advanced before providing a 'quarterback style' move that Liverpool's James Milner failed to cut out.
The ball attained Greenwood who took an impression before burying his shot past Alisson.
Another Rashford raid right before the break ended on Pogba flashing a shot just huge when he must have hit the target.
United were ahead shortly after the restart when Greenwood slid in Rashford who guided his shot past Alisson.
Again came Liverpool with Milner wasting a glorious possibility to score before, a minute after, Edinson Cavani sloppily gave apart possession in a dangerous area and Firmino's ball in was first dummied simply by Milner with Salah snaffling the opportunity.
Both sides hunted the winner however when Cavani was fouled on the edge of the area, Fernandes meted out punishment, meaning Klopp has now only reached the fifth round of the Cup once in six attempts with Liverpool.
Leicester's prize for beating Brentford is a residence tie against Brighton and Hove Albion even while Chelsea are away at Barnsley. Burnley will take up the winners of Tuesday's tie between Bournemouth and Crawley.
