FA Cup roundup: Chorley humble Derby, Blackpool beat West Brom in penalty shootout & more
By Max Cooper
Today is the day, people! For many, the FA Cup third round is unquestionably the most exciting day in the English football calendar, when dreams are fulfilled, nightmares are relived and upsets run wild and free.
Saturday's action has lived up to the hype, as we bore witness to the biggest shock of this edition of the competition, as well as some pretty eyebrow-raising results around the grounds.
But where to start? Without further delay, let's get into the FA Cup third round action.
We begin at Victory Park - the greatest place to start any journey. Non-league Chorley became the first sixth-tier side to knock out a club in the top two divisions since 1991, beating Derby County 2-0 in a historic day for the minnows.
Connor Hall headed home the opener on 10 minutes before Mike Calveley flicked home from close range on 84 minutes to all-but secure the victory, sending the Magpies into the fourth round of the famous competition.
The players celebrated at the final whistle with a rousing rendition of Someone Like You by Adele, a tradition which they hope will stop them from Chasing Pavements and carry them to Hometown Glory.
Manchester United defeated Watford 1-0 at Old Trafford in the evening kick-off to extend their stay in the competition, on a nervy night for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side. The only goal arrived in the fifth minute, when Scott McTominay glanced a header into the top corner, and the Red Devils held on to fight another day.
Arsenal continued their love affair with the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Newcastle United, but they were made to work hard and taken to extra-time by the stubborn Magpies. Emile Smith-Rowe, who had originally been sent off in the 90th minute - only for the decision to be overturned - broke the deadlock, drilling a lovely finish into the bottom corner with 10 minutes to play.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang killed the contest in the 117th minute, and the Gunners marched on in their defence of the trophy.
Huddersfield fell at their first hurdle on Saturday, losing 3-2 to Plymouth Argyle in a dramatic affair. The Terriers led 2-1 approaching half-time, but goals from Panutche Camara and Joe Edwards flipped the match on its head, handing an unlikely win to the plucky visitors.
Millwall avoided a humbling by seeing off Boreham Wood with a 2-0 win, thanks to goals in either half from Kenneth Zohore and Shaun Hutchinson. Brentford also dispatched of Middlesbrough in a 2-1 success, with Halil Dervisoglu and Saman Ghoddos sending the Bees buzzing into round four.
Everton supporters will be breathing a sigh of relief too, after scraping to a 2-1 win over Rotherham United at Goodison Park. The Toffees needed extra time to break the Millers' hearts, with Abdoulaye Doucoure grabbing the winning goal three minutes into the additional half an hour.
Cenk Tosun also found himself on the scoresheet for the Toffees, who avoided their biggest embarrassment since last year's third round defeat to the children of Liverpool.
Premier League side Leicester City cruised to victory against the Championship's Stoke City, beating the Potters 4-0 at the Bet365 stadium. James Justin curled in a superb goal to open the scoring, and Marc Albrighton doubled the scoreline on the hour mark.
The floodgates then opened, with Ayoze Perez and Harvey Barnes adding their names to the score sheet, as the Foxes romped into the fourth round with particular ease.
Scott Parker and Fulham had to rely on extra-time to assure their place in the next round, beating Queens Park Rangers 2-0, thanks to two goals in two minutes from Bobby Reid and Neeskens Kebano.
Sheffield United supporters were reminded of a long-lost sensation on Saturday - winning - when they beat Bristol Rovers 3-2 in an exciting FA Cup tie. Joe Day's own goal gave the Blades an early lead, but Alfie Kilgour soon brought the League One side level.
Oliver Burke put the visitors back in control on 59 minutes, but Max Ehmer cancelled out his effort only three minutes later. Rovers' joy didn't even last one minute though, when less than 60 seconds later, Jayden Bogle slotted home the winner to offer Chris Wilder a slight relief from his Premier League pain.
West Bromwich Albion suffered some serious humiliation on Saturday, after they were taken to penalties by League One's Blackpool, following a 2-2 draw after extra-time. Sam Allardyce's men endured a shootout nightmare however, missing three of their five spot-kicks, allowing the Seasiders to confirm an unexpected progression.
Another penalty shootout took place at Turf Moor, where Burnley sneaked past MK Dons, following a 1-1 draw after extra-time. Cameron Jerome sent the League One visitors into dreamland by finding the net, but Matej Vydra cruelly snatched an equaliser in injury time, and Sean Dyche's men did the job from the spot.
Swansea avoided an upset against League Two Stevenage, beating their hosts 2-0, with Wayne Routledge and Viktor Gyoekeres hitting the goals. Bournemouth also upheld their end of the bargain, putting in a superb second-half display in a 4-1 win against Oldham Athletic.
Equally, Sheffield Wednesday saw off their lower-league opponents, defeating Exeter City 2-0, while Blackburn Rovers slipped up at home to Doncaster Rovers, losing 1-0 to the League One rivals.
There were plenty of all-Championship ties on Saturday, as Luton Town defeated Reading 1-0, thanks to a George Moncur volley on the half-hour mark. Norwich City continued their good form by securing a 2-0 victory over Coventry City, with Kenny McClean and Jordan Hugill making the difference for the hosts.
Wycombe Wanderers picked up a rare win in their clash with Preston North End, hammering the visitors 4-1 in a rampant display. Fred Onyedinma kicked off the scoring after only three minutes, and Joe Jacobson's penalty doubled the advantage only six minutes later.
Josh Knight and Alex Samuel completed the scoring for the Chairboys, while Emil Riis Jakobsen notched Preston's mere consolation.
Chris Hughton's Nottingham Forest booked their place in the fourth round, holding onto a 1-0 lead from as early as the third minute against Cardiff City, after Lyle Taylor stroked a lovely volley into the top corner.
Results:
Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle United
Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Doncaster Rovers
Blackpool 2-2 West Bromwich Albion
Boreham Wood 0-2 Millwall
Brentford 2-1 Middlesbrough
Bristol Rovers 2-3 Sheffield United
Burnley 1-1 MK Dons
Chorley 2-0 Derby County
Everton 2-1 Rotherham United
Exeter City 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Huddersfield 2-3 Plymouth
Luton Town 1-0 Reading
Manchester United 1-0 Watford
Norwich City 2-0 Coventry City
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Cardiff City
Oldham Athletic 1-4 Bournemouth
Queens Park Rangers 0-2 Fulham
Stevenage 0-2 Swansea
Stoke City 0-4 Leicester City
Wycombe Wanderers 4-1 Preston North End