LONDON: The Premier League’s big-hitters restored some normality to the FA Cup yesterday with holders Chelsea crushing third tier Brentford 4-0 in a fourth round replay while Manchester City dismissed Leeds United 4-0 in a fifth round tie.
Midfielder Frank Lampard scored his 199th goal for Chelsea who put four second-half goals past Brentford at Stamford Bridge to secure a fifth round clash at Championship (second division) Middlesbrough on Feb. 27.
Argentine Sergio Aguero scored twice for 2011 winners Manchester City, who eased into the quarter-finals with a confident display that was the complete opposite from their abject surrender in a 3-1 Premier League defeat at Southampton last weekend.
“I think it was really important to win this game. If you score two goals within the first 20 minutes it is easier, but the FA Cup is a difficult competition as Arsenal and Everton showed yesterday,” City manager Roberto Mancini told ESPN.
Three second-tier sides reached the last eight on Saturday, including Blackburn Rovers who stunned 10-times winners Arsenal with a 1-0 victory at the Emirates.
Everton, sixth in the Premier League, were taken to a replay after conceding a stoppage-time goal in a 2-2 draw at third-tier strugglers Oldham Athletic.
England midfielder Lampard, whose Chelsea future remains unresolved with his contract expiring at the end of the season, tucked away a simple volley on 71 minutes to edge closer to Bobby Tambling’s all-time club record of 202 goals.
The goal prompted Chelsea fans to chant ‘sign him up’ as billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, sat with hands deep in his pockets, forced a wry smile high up in the stand.
Messi’s landmark
In Madrid, Lionel Messi helped Barcelona triumph at a venue where champions Real Madrid lost two weeks ago, scoring twice at Granada in La Liga on Saturday to pass 300 goals for the club and earn the leaders a 2-1 win.
A revitalized Granada, under new coach Lucas Alcaraz, beat Real 1-0 after Cristiano Ronaldo headed an own goal at Los Carmenes as Jose Mourinho’s men were undone by hard-running and abrasive hosts.
Odion Ighalo handed Alcaraz’s team a 26th-minute lead on Saturday but World Player of the Year Messi came to Barca’s rescue by taking his tally of goals to 301 in 366 matches for the Catalan side.
Messi pounced to put away the loose ball after keeper Tono could only parry a Cesc Fabregas shot in the 50th minute. He then curled a powerful free kick over the wall to grab the winner in the 73rd.
The 25-year-old product of Barca’s famed youth academy took his league total this season to an unmatched 37 goals and made it a record 14 consecutive league matches in which he has scored.
“It’s great for him and for us that he continues to score goals,” Barca full back Jordi Alba told Spanish television.
The win put Barca 15 points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid and 19 ahead of Real who are third.
Messi joined Barca as a 13-year-old in 2000. He was given his senior debut by then-coach Frank Rijkaard four years later and has gone on to become the club’s leading all-time scorer.
He has 206 goals in La Liga and 56 in the Champions League where he has been the leading scorer for the last four seasons.
Messi has also notched 24 goals in the King’s Cup, 10 in the Spanish Super Cup, one in the European Super Cup and four in the Club World Cup.
