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Tottenham avoids massive FA Cup shock with extra-time win as Man United beats Arsenal on penalties

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Tottenham avoids massive FA Cup shock with extra-time win as Man United beats Arsenal on penalties
Sport

Sport

Tottenham avoids massive FA Cup shock with extra-time win as Man United beats Arsenal on penalties

2025-01-13 02:43 Last Updated At:02:50

Tottenham endured the humiliation of being taken to extra time by Tamworth, an opponent nearly 100 places lower in English soccer’s pyramid, before winning 3-0 and avoiding one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history on Sunday.

Defending champion Manchester United also advanced from the third round by beating Arsenal 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. Joshua Zirkzee converted the clinching penalty for United, which played from the 61st minute with 10 men following Diogo Dalot's sending-off.

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Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, center celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game with teammate Daniel Munoz during the English FA Cup third round soccer match between Crystal Palace and Stockport County at Selhurst Park, London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, center celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game with teammate Daniel Munoz during the English FA Cup third round soccer match between Crystal Palace and Stockport County at Selhurst Park, London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Gabriel celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Arsenal's Gabriel celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, centre, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, centre, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Arsenal's and Manchester United players argue during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Arsenal's and Manchester United players argue during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Tamworth's Thomas McLinchey, left, and Tottenham Hotspur's Archie Gray battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tamworth's Thomas McLinchey, left, and Tottenham Hotspur's Archie Gray battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Mikey Moore, left, and Tamworth's Thomas McLinchey battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Mikey Moore, left, and Tamworth's Thomas McLinchey battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Yves Bissouma, right, and Tamworth's Ben Milnes battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Yves Bissouma, right, and Tamworth's Ben Milnes battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tamworth's Beck-Ray Enoru, left, and Tottenham Hotspur's Pedro Porro battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tamworth's Beck-Ray Enoru, left, and Tottenham Hotspur's Pedro Porro battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur players celebrate an own goal from Tamworth's Nathan Tshikuna, second right, during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur players celebrate an own goal from Tamworth's Nathan Tshikuna, second right, during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Four days after beating Premier League leader Liverpool 1-0 in the English League Cup semifinals, Tottenham’s team of established internationals toiled against a group of part-time soccer players whose main jobs included bricklaying, selling zippers and being a financial advisor.

A massive surprise was on when fifth-tier Tamworth forced extra time with the score 0-0, only for the hosts to concede an own-goal in the 101st minute and then strikes by Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson to disappoint the majority of the 3,700 fans inside the tiny stadium called The Lamb.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou felt compelled to bring on his top players including Son Heung-min, Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke from the substitutes' bench to eventually overpower Tamworth, which is 16th in the National League and was playing in the third round for first time since 2012.

“It’s very easy on a day like this to lose your head when things aren’t going your way and you realize the consequences," Postecoglou said, "but for the most part we stayed calm, persistent and got through.”

Ninety-five places were between the teams in the league pyramid.

"Amazing day and a shame we couldn’t get over the line," Tamworth midfielder Tom McGlinchey said. “Back to work lecturing tomorrow — back to the day job unfortunately.”

In previous years, Tamworth would have earned a money-spinning replay by holding Tottenham to a draw in regulation time. However, replays were scrapped from this season because of the increasingly busy calendar.

There was some hilarity before kickoff, with the game having to be delayed because of an issue with the netting on one of the goals. A Tamworth player got on a teammate’s shoulder to fix the problem.

The last time Altay Bayindir played for Man United, the goalkeeper conceded a goal from a corner in a loss at Tottenham in the English League Cup quarterfinals.

On Sunday, he was United's savior by saving one penalty from Martin Odegaard in normal time to send the game against Arsenal to extra time at 1-1 and then another from Kai Havertz in the shootout.

United scored all of its penalties to keep the defense of its trophy on track in the unlikeliest of manners.

Bruno Fernandes put United ahead in the 52nd minute at Emirates Stadium only for Dalot to pick up his second yellow card and leave the visitors with 10 men for the final half-hour of regulation time.

Within two minutes, Arsenal equalized through Gabriel's deflected shot and then squandered a chance to go ahead after Havertz was adjudged to have been fouled by Harry Maguire in the area.

Odegaard's penalty was heading to the bottom corner but was tipped aside by Bayindir, whose save to keep out Havertz's penalty was very similar.

Joshua Zirkzee converted the clinching penalty and that was also redemption for the Dutchman, who was substituted in the 33rd minute of a recent Premier League game against Newcastle and jeered by some United fans.

There were no problems for other Premier League teams playing lower-league opposition, though Newcastle did have to come from behind to beat fourth-tier Bromley 3-1 after conceding an eighth-minute opener.

Lewis Miley, Anthony Gordon and William Osula scored at St. James' Park for Newcastle, which earned an eighth straight win in all competitions.

Eberechi Eze's goal secured Crystal Palace a 1-0 win over third-tier Stockport, while Ipswich beat Bristol Rovers — also from the third tier — 3-0 thanks to goals by Kalvin Phillips, Jack Clarke and Jack Taylor.

Southampton beat second-tier Swansea 3-0, with Tyler Dibling scoring twice.

In Sunday's other game, fourth-tier Doncaster beat Hull 5-4 on penalties after the score was 1-1 at the end of extra time.

Man United's reward for beating Arsenal was a home match in the fourth round against Leicester, which is managed by former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. Van Nistelrooy was in temporary charge of United for its win over Leicester in a League Cup match in October.

Liverpool will play second-tier Plymouth away and Manchester City was drawn away to either third-tier Leyton Orient or second-tier Derby.

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, center celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game with teammate Daniel Munoz during the English FA Cup third round soccer match between Crystal Palace and Stockport County at Selhurst Park, London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, center celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game with teammate Daniel Munoz during the English FA Cup third round soccer match between Crystal Palace and Stockport County at Selhurst Park, London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Gabriel celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Arsenal's Gabriel celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, centre, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, centre, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Arsenal's and Manchester United players argue during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Arsenal's and Manchester United players argue during the English FA Cup soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Tamworth's Thomas McLinchey, left, and Tottenham Hotspur's Archie Gray battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tamworth's Thomas McLinchey, left, and Tottenham Hotspur's Archie Gray battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Mikey Moore, left, and Tamworth's Thomas McLinchey battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Mikey Moore, left, and Tamworth's Thomas McLinchey battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Yves Bissouma, right, and Tamworth's Ben Milnes battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Yves Bissouma, right, and Tamworth's Ben Milnes battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tamworth's Beck-Ray Enoru, left, and Tottenham Hotspur's Pedro Porro battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tamworth's Beck-Ray Enoru, left, and Tottenham Hotspur's Pedro Porro battle for the ball during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur players celebrate an own goal from Tamworth's Nathan Tshikuna, second right, during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur players celebrate an own goal from Tamworth's Nathan Tshikuna, second right, during the English FA Cup third round match at The Lamb Ground, Tamworth, England, Sunday Jan. 12, 2025. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Three more Israelis held captive in the Gaza Strip are on the verge of being freed Saturday as part of a shaky ceasefire deal that requires Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange.

The truce that began nearly four weeks ago had been jeopardized in recent days by a tense dispute that threatened to renew the fighting.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to remove more than 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region has cast even more doubt on the future of the ceasefire.

But Hamas said Thursday it would move ahead with the release of more hostages after talks with Egyptian and Qatari officials. The group said the mediators had pledged to “remove all hurdles” to assure Israel would allow more tents, medical supplies and other essentials into Gaza.

It will be the sixth swap since the ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19. So far, 21 hostages and over 730 Palestinian prisoners have been freed during the first phase of the truce.

As with previous exchanges, dozens of masked, armed Hamas fighters lined up near a stage festooned with Palestinian flags and the banners of militant factions while music blared from loudspeakers.

The militants are expected to parade the hostages before crowds and cameras onto the stage, which has been set up near a heavily damaged multistory building, before handing them over to the Red Cross. The humanitarian organization will then transport them to Israeli forces

The three hostages set to be released after more than 16 months in captivity are: Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina; Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, who is American-Israeli; and Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29, who holds Israeli and Russian citizenship.

The trio were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the hardest-hit communities in southern Israel during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the devastating war.

Horn was abducted along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who had been staying with him at the time. Eitan remains in captivity.

Dekel Chen had been working outside when militants stormed the kibbutz. His wife hid in a safe room with their two daughters. She gave birth to their third daughter two months later.

Troufanov was taken hostage along with his grandmother, mother and girlfriend. The three women were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023. Troufanov’s father was killed in the Oct. 7 attack.

The Hamas-linked Prisoners’ Information Office said Friday that 369 Palestinians were set to be released from Israeli prisons on Saturday. It said 36 of those were serving life sentences.

Among the most prominent Palestinian prisoners set to be released is Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close aide of Marwan Barghouti, a militant leader and iconic Palestinian political figure.

Israel sentenced Ahmed Barghouti to life on charges that he dispatched suicide bombers during the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, in the early 2000s to carry out attacks that killed Israeli civilians. He was arrested alongside Marwan Barghouti in 2002.

Of the 251 people abducted, 73 remain in Gaza, around half of whom are believed to be dead. Nearly all the remaining hostages are men, including Israeli soldiers.

Concern has been growing about the remaining hostages’ condition, particularly after the release of three last Saturday, who emerged looking emaciated and frail.

One of them, 65-year-old Keith Siegel, said Friday in a video message addressed to Trump that his captors treated him worse as the 15-month war intensified, kicking him, spitting on him and holding him without water or light.

The ceasefire appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.

Hamas had said it would delay the release of the hostages after accusing Israel of not adhering to their agreement by not allowing in enough shelters, medical supplies, fuel and heavy equipment for clearing rubble. Israel said it would resume fighting Saturday unless hostages were freed.

While the immediate crisis may have been averted, the truce faces a much bigger challenge with the deal’s first phase set to conclude in early March. There have not yet been substantive negotiations over the second phase, in which Hamas would release all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war.

At its height, the fighting displaced 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million. Hundreds of thousands have since returned to their homes as the ceasefire took hold, though many found only rubble, buried human remains and unexploded ordnance.

The war has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Trump’s proposal to remove some 2 million Palestinians from Gaza and settle them elsewhere in the region has thrown the truce’s future into further doubt.

The idea has been welcomed by Israel’s government. But it has been strongly rejected by Palestinians and Arab countries. Human rights groups say it could amount to a war crime under international law.

Trump has proposed that once the fighting ends, Israel would transfer control of Gaza to the United States, which would then redevelop it as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right allies are already calling for a resumption of the war after the first phase with the goal of destroying Hamas and implementing Trump’s plan. The militant group remains in control of the territory after surviving one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history.

Hamas may be unwilling to release any more hostages if it believes the war will resume. The captives are among the only bargaining chips it has left.

Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip

Palestinians gather to attend Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians gather to attend Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians gather to attend the Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians gather to attend the Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians perform Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians perform Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians gather to attend Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians gather to attend Friday prayers at the Great Omari Mosque, which was damaged during the Israeli military's air and ground operation in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians queue for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

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