The FA Cup fifth round saw Port Vale shock Sunderland to reach the quarter-finals, while Manchester City dominated at St James’ Park to beat Newcastle United.
Elsewhere, Chelsea battled past Wrexham in a closely fought contest and Liverpool got revenge against Wolves.
Here, Sport Just Sport writer Alex Rhodes breaks down the winners and losers.
Manchester City – Winner
Man City’s commanding victory clinched their spot in the quarter-finals.
Despite going 1-0 down, City dominated possession and recorded over 20 shots on goal.
Their consistent pressure was rewarded with three goals, two of which were scored by Omar Marmoush.
The Egyptian has now scored seven goals in five games against the Magpies in all competitions, with Pep Guardiola’s side winning four games against an opponent in the same season for the fourth time under the Spaniard.
City last failed to reach the quarter-finals in 2017/18, when they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic.
They have reached the final in the last two seasons but lost both to Manchester United and Crystal Palace.
Sunderland – Loser
Sunderland missed a key chance to reach the sixth round for the first time in over 10 years.
Régis Le Bris fielded a side with just two changes from the fixture against Leeds, but he still required captain Granit Xhaka and Wilson Isidor to bolster his line-up during the match.
The Frenchman felt his younger players “do not realise what an opportunity is” and praised Port Vale for playing with “intensity and passion”.
The Black Cats next face Brighton in the league at the Stadium of Light and will look to rediscover the form they had at the start of the season as they battle to finish in the top half of the table.
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Liverpool – Winner
Just three days after a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Wolves at Molineux, Liverpool reacted emphatically to secure a 3-1 win and progress in the cup.
Three second-half goals, which included a spectacular low-driven finish from Andy Robertson, were enough to put the Reds out of reach despite a late Wolves goal from Hwang Hee-chan.
Liverpool won the competition in 2022, yet Arne Slot’s side has only reached the quarter-finals three times in the last 10 years.
Seventeen-year-old Rio Ngumoha played a vital role in their victory and may be utilised on Tuesday night when Liverpool travel to Turkey to face Galatasaray in the Champions League round of 16.
Newcastle United – Loser
For Newcastle, a fourth defeat to Man City since January 13 marks a difficult period for the club.
“I thought they were excellent,” was Eddie Howe’s post-match assessment of City’s performance.
“We seemed to lose our energy, but they do that to you.”
Harvey Barnes gave the Magpies the initial advantage as he opened the scoring, but they lacked attacking threat from then on, managing just 37% possession by the final whistle.
The season appears to be unravelling for Newcastle, who may have just 11 games left to play.
They remain 12th in the league and play La Liga leaders Barcelona in a midweek Champions League clash at St James’ Park.
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Port Vale – Winner
For the second time in the club’s history, Port Vale have reached the FA Cup quarter-finals, previously managing the feat in 1954.
However, manager Jon Brady described this success as a “pain in the bum” as his side is locked in a battle to avoid relegation from League One.
The Valiants are 11 points adrift of safety with 14 games left and have scored as many goals (26) in 14 cup games across all competitions as they have in 32 league games.
Vale had not eliminated Premier League opposition since Everton in 1995, with Brady noting their position was a “privilege but tough as well”.
Fulham – Loser
Fulham had won their last four fixtures against Southampton, but a 90th-minute penalty was enough to send the Cottagers out of the competition.
Despite 68% possession and two disallowed goals, Fulham created only one clear chance against an opposition in strong form.
Southampton have not lost since a 2-1 defeat to Hull City on January 17 and have won eight of their last 10 games.
Marco Silva’s side will turn their focus to the league, with the London club sitting eight points off the European places.
Their next test comes away to Nottingham Forest, who are embroiled in a relegation battle with West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur.
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SportJustSport writers 
Aidan Leo