– Iheanacho scored a hat-trick for Manchester City
– Ighalo scored for Watford
– Van Gaal is a relieved man
In the fourth round of the English FA cup, Iheanacho scored his first hat-trick for the Etihad outfit and Ighalo came on as a substitute to make the difference in Watford’s away victory.
Rooney, Blind and Mata eased the pressure on their manager, Louis Van Gaal.
Derby 1-3 Manchester United
A sigh of relief at last for Van Gaal as Rooney, Blind and Mata put a smile back on the face of their beleaguered boss.
Juan Mata was a revelation, and flourished in his favoured playmaker role after eventually earning the trust of the manager to spearhead United’s attacking and creative play.
However, the Spaniard was a peripheral figure in the early exchanges despite his imaginative and fluid movements.
Rooney’s superb curler set the ball rolling before allowing the host back into the game with George Thorne’s equalizer. Jesse Lingard provided the cross for Blind to score, putting United back into the lead.
The diminutive and impressive Spaniard rounded the night proceedings by applying the finishing touch to Martial’s pull-back late in the game to ease the pressure on their manager.
Colchester 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur
The gulf in class was obvious from the first whistle with Spurs continuously peppering the host’s defence. Colchester were not helped by the early loss of both central defenders to injury, with Wynter stretchered off, aiding Tottenham’s domination.
The away side deservedly opened the scoring in the 27th minute when Lamela slides Chadli into space down the inside right, who curled the ball into the top left.
Erik Dier made it two in 64 minutes and Chadli’s brace made it three for the opposition in 78 minutes with a guided header.
Ben Davies’s own goal gave Colchester some hope of a comeback before Carrol put paid to that aspiration five minutes later by completing the goal-fest with a sweet volley.
Manchester United jubliates. Credit: AP
Arsenal 1-1 Burnley
Arsenal’s defence of the FA Cup continued unabated with a professional performance. Alexis Sanchez saved the Gunner’s blushes with his first goal in as many start since return from injury.
The first-half was fairly even with both sides creating chances. Calum Chambers put the home team ahead, his second-ever goal for Arsenal with a peach of a finish but Burnley deservedly got themselves level with a fine header from Sam Vokes.
Arsenal tightened their grip on the game in the second half resulting in a magnificient team goal. Sanchez started and finished the move when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross was smashed high into the net to put the Gunners in the hat for the fifth round.
Iheanacho celebrates his goal
Aston Villa 0-2 Manchester City
Iheanacho’s brace in the first half gave the opposition the perfect start to this comprehensive victory against an abysmal Villa side on their own ground.
He later secured his first hat-trick for the Etihad outfit in the rout. Iheanacho scored his first from the first corner of the game snatching home Fernando’s headed goal-bound ball on the line.
The second via a penatly awarded after Bacuna was adjudged to have shoved Raheem Sterling. Iheanacho scored his hat-trick when he ran into an empty space before beating Guzan at leisure.
His acrobat overhead kick led to the fourth with sterling bundling in to complete the rout.
Nothingham 0-0 Watford
Nigerian striker, Odion Ighalo’s late goal put his team to the fifth round after coming on as a late substitute, his 15th goal of the season.
The match was full of efforts and endeavours, but with little quality. The home team came into the match having conceded only once in their last five games and equally less effective scoring goals, Watford on the other hand were neat and purposeful but missed the predatory instinct of the Nigerian.
Ighalo made the difference when he eventually came on by capitalising on Kelvin Wilson mis-kick to drive in the decisive goal.
Full Results of the fourth round of the FA Cup 2016
Colchester1-4Tottenham
Arsenal 2-1 Burnley
Aston Villa 0-4 Man City
Bolton 1-2 Leeds
Bury 1-3 Hull
Crystal Palace 1-0 Stoke
Nottm Forest 0-1 Watford
Oxford Utd 0-3 Blackburn
Portsmouth 1-2 Bournemouth
Reading 4-0 Walsall
Shrewsbury 3-2 Sheff Wed
West Brom 2-2 Peterborough
Source: Naij.com
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