Nottingham Forest defeated Luton 2-0 in a repeat of the 1959 FA Cup final, with Ryan Yates leading the charge. The Forest captain scored the first goal with a well-timed header following a fine cross from Ramón Sosa. Sosa then added a goal of his own, sliding in from close range after a pass from Jota Silva, sending Forest comfortably into the next round. Luton, who had sacked manager Rob Edwards earlier in the week, failed to replicate the success of their 1959 win, leaving the City Ground disappointed.
Brighton cruised to a 4-0 victory over Norwich, with Georginio Rutter playing a pivotal role. He scored twice, first with a header from Joel Veltman’s cross and later converting a Yankuba Minteh pass. Julio Enciso added a third, capitalizing on a defensive error before curling in a superb shot. Solly March rounded off the win with his first goal in 14 months, following a lengthy knee injury. Norwich, struggling in the Championship, were overwhelmed in this FA Cup clash.
Bournemouth triumphed 4-1 against West Brom, with new signing Julio Soler making his debut in defense and youth product Ben Winterburn starting in midfield. The Baggies, still without a permanent manager after Carlos Corberan’s departure, initially took the lead through Caleb Taylor. However, Bournemouth responded with goals from Justin Kluivert, Dango Ouattara, and Antoine Semenyo, securing a comfortable win. David Brooks contributed with three assists, and the team’s performance was a promising one for manager Andoni Iraola.
Leicester’s attack was too much for Championship side QPR, as they secured a 6-2 win. James Justin, a defender, scored twice, including the opener. QPR equalized through Jonathan Varane’s long-range strike, but Leicester regained control with goals from Stephane Mavididi, Facundo Buonanotte, Jamie Vardy, and Wout Faes, completing the rout. Leicester’s offensive strength overwhelmed QPR, who struggled to keep up with the Premier League side.
Stoke’s early penalty from Tom Cannon was canceled out by Milan Aleksic’s first-ever goal for Sunderland, sending the match into extra time. With penalties looming, Niall Ennis scored a solo effort to give Sunderland a 2-1 win, marking a successful debut for new manager Mark Robi
In a surprise result, Exeter City, a League One side, defeated Championship team Oxford 3-1. Demetri Mitchell scored twice, and Vincent Harper extended the lead. Oxford had initially taken the lead through Matt Phillips, but a red card for Tyler Goodrham dashed their hopes of a comeback. Exeter’s win was one of the biggest shocks of the day.
Burnley, despite conceding a rare goal to Reading’s Lewis Wing, progressed after extra time. Burnley’s keeper Václav Hladky made a costly error, but the Clarets responded with Zian Flemming, who scored twice to secure the win. Blackburn also advanced, defeating Middlesbrough 1-0 thanks to Andreas Weimann’s goal.
Birmingham, top of League One, beat Lincoln 2-1, with Ayumu Yokoyama scoring early and Lyndon Dykes adding a second. Lincoln’s late penalty by Jovon Makama was a mere consolation. Coventry, last year’s FA Cup semi-finalists, also advanced, defeating Sheffield Wednesday in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.
Matches between Preston and Charlton, as well as Leyton Orient and Derby, were postponed due to frozen pitches and rescheduled for Tuesday evening, along with Mansfield’s clash against Wigan.
