A Week Of "Cupsets" As Arsenal And Burnley Exit

Spurs Held At Home By Giant-Killing Leeds United

Goals from Nicolas Anelka and Daniel Sturridge saw Chelsea safely through to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Preston North End at Deepdale.

Anelka made the breakthrough in the 36th minute but Darren Carter should have equalized for Preston only to send his shot the wrong side of the post from close range.

That proved to be the turning point with Sturridge extending Chelsea's lead in the 47th minute after John Terry's header had been blocked.

Reading produced another FA Cup upset as Gylfi Sigurdsson's late winner dumped Burnley out at the Madejski Stadium with a 1-0 triumph.

The Royals had won a replay at Liverpool in the last round, and added another Premier League scalp after a battling second-half display.

Sigurdsson, who had been a doubt because of a foot injury, latched onto a long ball into the penalty area with just three minutes left to send the Championship side into the fifth round.

Fulham won 3-1 to book their place in the FA Cup fifth round after overcoming a spirited Accrington Stanley side who were reduced to 10 men in the first half.

Having enjoyed the better of the opening stages at the Crown Ground, Stanley fell behind in the 21st minute when Erik Nevland fired in from close range.

The League Two side equalized within four minutes as top scorer Michael Symes tucked away his 14th goal of the season, but then suffered a setback in the 41st minute when Darran Kempson was sent off after bringing down Zoltan Gera.

Second-half strikes from Damien Duff and Gera sealed victory for Fulham as the Premier League team made the most of their man advantage.

Aston Villa overcame a first half scare to keep alive their hopes of a Wembley double at the expense of lowly Brighton & Hove Albion with a 3-2 victory at Villa Park.

The Carling Cup finalists were rocked when Nathan Delfouneso's early goal was cancelled out by Tommy Elphick shortly before half-time.

But the Midlands' club dominated the second period and further goals from acting skipper Ashley Young and Fabian Delph ensured their passage into the last 16 before Nicky Forster's late reply.

First FA Cup goals for Gretar Steinsson and Johan Elmander were enough to put Bolton Wanderers through to the fifth round at the expense of Championship side Sheffield United.

Iceland defender Steinsson fired a shot through goalkeeper Mark Bunn's legs from a narrow angle just after the interval and substitute Elmander converted from a similar position six minutes from time for the 2-0 win.

Birmingham City stretched their unbeaten run to 15 matches as they battled their way into the FA Cup fifth round witha 2-1 sucess over Everton.

The Blues led 2-0 at the break thanks to fine goals from Christian Benitez and Barry Ferguson.

But after substitute Leon Osman had hauled Everton back into the match in the second period, the Midlanders were forced to defend for their lives to advance to the next round.

Notts County found themselves just seven minutes away from causing a major FA Cup fourth round upset, only for the Premier League's Wigan Athletic to avoid severe embarrassment courtesy of a rousing second-half comeback and draw 2-2.

The financially-troubled League Two club were in dreamland heading into the break on the back of goals from striker Lee Hughes and Ben Davies.

Wigan spared their blushes in the second period as Jason Scotland and Ben Watson hit back to force a February 2nd replay at the DW Stadium.

Portsmouth kept their dreams of a financially-lucrative return to Wembley alive after defeating Sunderland 2-1 to book a spot in the FA Cup fifth Round.

A brilliant brace from Nigerian midfielder John Utaka cancelled out Darren Bent's early strike to give Pompey's suffering supporters reason to be cheerful.

Ronald Zubar's sublime 84th-minute volley spared Wolverhampton Wanderers' blushes as they twice came from behind to take a spirited Crystal Palace side to an FA Cup fourth-round replay.

The right-back displayed the poise and precision of a world-class striker to fire home and salvage a 2-2 draw for a below-par Wanderers side.

Alan Lee and Darren Ambrose had twice handed the Championship outfit the lead at the start of each half, with David Jones initially levelling matters. 

Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford was the FA Cup hero again when he slotted home a last-gasp penalty to make it 2-2 at White Hart Lane to earn a fourth-round replay against Tottenham Hotspur.

Keeper Casper Ankergren will also take the plaudits after saving Jermain Defoe's first-half penalty but it was Beckford who grabbed two equalizers to add to his winner in the previous round against Manchester United.

Peter Crouch grabbed the opener but Beckford replied after the break, then the Leeds striker won and scored his stoppage-time spot-kick after Roman Pavlyuchenko looked to have earned Spurs a win.

Two goals by Ricardo Fuller and one from Dean Whitehead gave Stoke City a 3-1 win at home to Arsenal.

The Gunners fell behind inside two minutes of their FA Cup fourth-round tie at the Britannia Stadium but recovered to go in level at half-time.

Sol Campbell's Arsenal return could hardly have got off to a worse start as the home side took the lead after 71 seconds.

And it was their famed long throw tactic - so disliked by the purists from the Emirates - that paid off.

Rory Delap's effort arrowed into the box, way over the head of Campbell at the near post, for Fuller to power a header home, with Lukasz Fabianski failing to get there first with his punch.

But three minutes from the break, Arsenal were level after Robert Huth was penalised for handball at close range just outside the left corner of the area.

Cesc Fabregas rolled a short free-kick square to Denilson whose low 20-yard drive clipped at least one defender before flashing past Thomas Sorensen into the bottom corner.

The Gunners brought on Andrey Arshavin and Eduardo in a bid to win it but it was Stoke who took the lead as Fuller got on the end of a right-wing cross from Mamady Sidibe to head home from six yards.

The home side sealed it when Matthew Etherington's low ball in from the left was turned in by Whitehead.

Manchester City squeezed through to the fifth round with a 4-2 win at Scunthorpe United - but they had to endure a nervy finale.

Martin Petrov got Roberto Mancini's side off to a flying start but the home side levelled on 29 minutes.

Goals by Nedum Onuoha and Sylvinho seemd to have clinched victry for City but an own goal by Dedryk Boyata made it a tense finish before Robinho settled it six minutes from time.

Petrov smashed home a left-foot opener in the third minute but the home side pressed with Cliff Byrne's header hitting the bar.

Paul Hayes volleyed a 29th minute equaliser but Stephen Ireland's neat ball in the box let in Onuoha to slide home City's second.

Sylvinho appeared to have sealed it for City as he thumped his first goal for the club with a dipping, swerving 30-yard shot on 57 minutes.

Scunthorpe found renewed hope in the 69th minute when a long throw from the right dropped for captain Cliff Byrne to fire on target, a shot which went in off Boyata. However with six minutes on the clock City secured their place in the last 16 when Robinho was played in on goal and drove in from 10 yards amid reports that this could be his farewell appearance for City.