Manchester United is into the FA Cup quarterfinals for a seventh straight season. Bournemouth got there for only the second time in its 122-year history.
Scott McTominay’s 97th-minute strike earned United a 1-0 win over West Ham in a lackluster fifth-round match that required extra time at snowy Old Trafford on Tuesday.
United, a 12-time winner of the FA Cup, is accustomed to going deep in cup competitions under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over the past year but the semifinals have been the ceiling, with the team losing in the last four in the League Cup (twice), the FA Cup and the Europa League.
Manchester United's Scott McTominay celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the English FA Cup 5th round soccer match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. (Martin RickettPool via AP)
Along with the Europa League, the FA Cup looks to be United’s best chance of collecting its first piece of silverware since 2017 after falling five points behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race. City also has a game in hand.
West Ham, led by former Man United manager David Moyes, frustrated Solskjaer’s side with a disciplined defensive performance but wasn’t helped by losing three players — Angelo Ogbonna, his replacement Issa Diop, and Andriy Yarmolenko — to injury by the 54th minute.
Diop was replaced by Ryan Fredericks at halftime following a clash of heads with Anthony Martial in the 37th, making it the first concussion substitute in English soccer. In a rule introduced on a trial basis for this season, teams are allowed to use a maximum of two concussion subs from the fifth round onward.
Burnley's manager Sean Dyche shouts during the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Brighton at Turf Moor stadium in Burnley, England, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021. (Clive BrunskillPool via AP)
It is also being trialed in the Premier League.
64-YEAR WAIT ENDS
Second-division Bournemouth beat Burnley 2-0 and is in quarterfinals of the world’s oldest club knockout competition for the first time since the 1956-57 season.
Bournemouth's Junior Stanislas, left, celebrates scoring against Burnley with teammate Diego Rico during the English FA Cup fifth round soccer match at Turf Moor, Burnley, England, Tuesday Feb. 9, 2021. (Nick PottsPA via AP)
Goals by Sam Surridge and Junior Stanislas, from the penalty spot, saw off a depleted Burnley side at Turf Moor.
Burnley was looking to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2002-03 season, but manager Sean Dyche chose to rest his key players — including the entire first-choice defense and goalkeeper Nick Pope — with his team battling to avoid relegation in the Premier League.
It later emerged that Burnley came within minutes of potentially getting disqualified from the competition after Dyche initially named Erik Pieters in his starting lineup — despite the left back being suspended for the game after collecting yellow cards in each of the previous two rounds.
Manchester United's Donny van der Beek, left, challenges for the ball with West Ham's Mark Noble as West Ham's manager David Moyes watches during the English FA Cup 5th round soccer match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. (Martin RickettPool via AP)
Burnley was alerted to its error by Bournemouth officials just before kickoff and replaced Pieters with Anthony Driscoll-Glennon.
“It was very gentlemanly of them,” Dyche said.
Bournemouth, which was relegated from the top flight last season, was being managed on an interim basis by former Tottenham and Real Madrid defender Jonathan Woodgate following the recent departure of Jason Tindall.
The remaining six matches in the last 16 take place over Wednesday and Thursday.
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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
