JavaScript is off. Please enable to view full site.

Man United humbled by Swansea, West Ham humiliated

Man United humbled by Swansea, West Ham humiliated

Monday, January 06, 2014, 07:43 GMT+7

Manchester United suffered a stinging 2-1 home defeat by Swansea City in the FA Cup third round on Sunday as their former fortress of Old Trafford was ransacked for the fifth time this season.

Reduced to 10 men for the closing stages after Fabio was sent off, Swansea's battering ram striker Wilfried Bony climbed high to head home a powerful 90th-minute winner and leave United boss David Moyes to face questions about his management.

Another boss under pressure is West Ham United's Sam Allardyce whose woes intensified after the Premier League club were thrashed 5-0 by second tier Nottingham Forest.

Forest's Jamie Paterson netted a hat-trick in the humiliating rout, but the spotlight was on Allardyce who was accused of waving the white flag by making nine changes to his starting line-up with an eye on the League Cup semi-final at Manchester City on Wednesday.

Chelsea showed their fellow Londoners how to negotiate a potentially tricky Cup tie in the east Midlands, winning 2-0 at second tier DerbyCounty.

Liverpool avenged last season's Cup defeat by Oldham Athletic, winning 2-0 at Anfield with Iago Aspas scoring his first goal for the club, andSunderland also came through 3-1 against Carlisle.

With Manchester United's former boss Alex Ferguson sitting in the stands, they looked a far cry from the side that the Scot led to the Premier League title last season.

A chorus of boos rang around the ground as Swansea became the fourth team to walk away victorious in United's last six home encounters in all competitions, a run of results that would have been almost unthinkable under Ferguson.

"We were a bit unlucky to lose but probably did not do enough to win in the end," Moyes told BT Sport.

"If you lose games at any club it's a big deal but at Manchester United it's even bigger. We have got a big game on Tuesday (League Cup semi-final first leg against Sunderland), we must get the players ready for that."

It was the first time Swansea had tasted victory at United's home ground, but it was far from a smash-and-grab raid.

Having lost their fourth home Premier League match last week against Tottenham Hotspur, the Old Trafford fans were again fearing the worst when Swansea went ahead with a lobbed finish from Wayne Routledge after 12 minutes.

Javier Hernandez restored parity with a close-range finish four minutes later, but that did not prove to be a platform on which the hosts could build.

The second half was not easy on the eye and was only sparked into life when substitute Fabio was sent off for a lunging, studs-up challenge on Jose Canas.

Late goals were United's speciality under Ferguson, but having only scored more than one goal once in their last six at home, Swansea were the more likely victors.

So it proved when Bony rose unmarked at the near post to head Routledge's cross into the top corner.

Comprehensive victory

West Ham, 19th in the top flight and facing a relegation battle, were undone by a Forest side who scored early in the first half with a cheekyDjamel Abdoun penalty before Paterson netted three in the second half and Andy Reid added a fifth.

"Who knows, that's their decision, not mine," a beleaguered Allardyce told reporters when asked whether the defeat would have repercussions for him.

"I am not saying it won't happen, unless I start getting results, I have got to get results I know that."

Forest's local rivals Derby had little joy against Chelsea, who named a strong side with enough class to dominate their lower league opponents.

John Obi Mikel put them ahead after 66 minutes, the Nigeria international getting on the end of a Willian set-piece to head in his fourth goal for Chelsea in almost 300 appearances.

Oscar added a second from the edge of the area to make the game safe and set up a fourth-round tie at home to Premier League Stoke City.

Liverpool suffered a painful defeat by Oldham in the fourth round last season, a reverse manager Brendan Rodgers described as the lowest point in his Liverpool career.

The potential for another embarrassing defeat was reduced nine minutes into the second half when Aspas steered home Raheem Sterling's cross and James Tarkowski inadvertently redirected a Sterling shot into his own net to double the lead.

Sunderland were briefly made to sweat when Adam Johnson's opener was cancelled out by Carlisle's Matty Robson just before halftime.

The second half was just five minutes old, however, when a comical own goal restored the Premier League side's lead, with Sean O'Hanlonsliding in to divert Johnson's cross into the net.

El Hadji Ba made the game safe on 90 minutes when he side-footed home from close range.

The lower league clash between Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle ended in a 2-2 draw and will go to a replay.

Reuters

More

Read more

;

Photos

VIDEOS

‘Taste of Australia’ gala dinner held in Ho Chi Minh City after 2-year hiatus

Taste of Australia Gala Reception has returned to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Vietnamese woman gives unconditional love to hundreds of adopted children

Despite her own immense hardship, she has taken in and cared for hundreds of orphans over the past three decades.

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta celebrates spring with ‘hat boi’ performances

The art form is so popular that it attracts people from all ages in the Mekong Delta

Latest news