Several Premier League clubs avoided shocks in Sunday’s FA Cup action with Arsenal, Fulham, Leeds, Wolves and Sunderland all triumphant.
There were also crucial wins for Old Firm duo Rangers and Celtic in the William Hill Premiership, with the former beating leaders Hearts.
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Four-star display increases concerns for Arteta
Mikel Arteta bemoaned Arsenal’s injury crisis despite a 4-0 triumph over Wigan in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday.
Four goals in 17 first-half minutes booked the Gunners a place in the last 32, with Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus on target.
However, Arteta lost Riccardo Calafiori to injury in the warm-up before Ben White was forced off in the second half. With Martin Odegaard not risked, Mikel Merino expected to be out for the rest of the campaign and Kai Havertz back on the treatment table, Arteta is worried.
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Asked if he was worried about the Premier League leaders’ squad getting thin, Arteta admitted: “Yes. Before it was the strikers, then it was the defenders and now it is the midfielders.
“We are coping with that. But we need some players back and fit, not only for numbers but different options in relation to the opponents we have, so the quicker they are back the better.”
James Trafford did not expect limited City role
James Trafford admits he was taken aback when Manchester City signed Gianluigi Donnarumma and does not know what his future holds next season.
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Trafford was handed the number one jersey when he rejected Newcastle to return to his boyhood club in a £27million move from Burnley last summer.
Whilst Ederson soon departed, Pep Guardiola’s men opportunistically swooped for Italy goalkeeper and Champions League winner Donnarumma on transfer deadline day last summer, which has reduced Trafford’s opportunities during a World Cup year.
“I didn’t expect the situation to happen but it happened. I just get on with it,” he said. “It is what it is, it’s football. You’ve got to keep grafting every day and when the games come, play as hard as you can.
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“I’ve obviously got a contract (but) I don’t know what happens next season. I just know that I’ll just take it a day at a time and try and improve.
“Obviously everyone knows what’s going on with me,” he said. “I’ve just got to, whenever I play, play as well as I can.”
Forest turn to Vitor Pereira
Vitor Pereira is back in the Premier League (Martin Rickett/PA)
(Martin Rickett)
Vitor Pereira has been tasked with keeping Nottingham Forest in the Premier League three months after being dismissed by Wolves.
Pereira was sacked by the division’s bottom club in November, but Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has turned to the Portuguese coach to steer the Europa League outfit away from relegation trouble.
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Sean Dyche lost his job after a 0-0 draw at home to Wolves on Wednesday, which left Forest in 17th position and only three points above the bottom three.
Ex-Porto boss Pereira signed an 18-month deal with the City Ground club on Sunday to become the fourth head coach of the campaign after Dyche, Ange Postecoglou and Nuno Espirito Santo.
Pereira will begin his Forest reign away to his old club Fenerbahce on Thursday in the play-off round of the Europa League.
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Old Firm delight
Over in Scotland, Celtic required a goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time to claim a 3-2 win at Kilmarnock and continue their revival under Martin O’Neill.
After last-gasp goals in victories against Dundee and Livingston, Julian Araujo was the hero with his late strike able to spark jubilant scenes with the travelling fans.
After his 300th game in charge of Celtic, O’Neill admitted: “Obviously, it’s unbelievably satisfying to win, and to win in the manner in which we did at the end was terrific…it’s both worrying me and, well, it’s not great for my health!”
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Rangers produced a comeback triumph over William Hill Premiership leaders Heart to move within two points of top spot after a hat-trick by Youssef Chermiti inspired a thrilling 4-2 win at Ibrox.
Boss Danny Rohl, who took over with Rangers 13 points off the summit, said: “Big respect to my group, I think we showed how big is the personality, how big is the character. Let’s not speak until the end of the season about the mentality of this group, because we have a lot of mentality.”
What’s on today?
High-flying Brentford wrap up the FA Cup fourth-round weekend action with a trip to National League North outfit Macclesfield.
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The draw for the fifth round of the competition will also take place later on Monday night.