1<\/p>\n
Vale make history despite VAR failure<\/p>\n
Port Vale have reached the last eight of the FA Cup once before in their entire history, in 1953-54, when they went one stage further, losing their semi-final at Villa Park 2-1 to West Brom thanks to a much-disputed winning goal. If only a video assistant referee had been present then, you might say. In their fifth-round victory over Sunderland<\/a> this weekend, they were also unfortunate despite the presence of technology. Why was Anthony Taylor not asked to check the TV monitor when George Hall was cynically taken out by the Sunderland goalkeeper Melkor Ellberg, just outside the penalty area with the match on a knife-edge? Even if the striker\u2019s run was going away from goal, he surely had the pace to have got a shot away. Let\u2019s hope VAR give the remaining lower-division teams fair shrift when it comes to the rest of the competition. Peter Lansley<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n Dowman delivers on Arsenal return<\/p>\n How do you keep a lid on the Max Dowman hype after this? Maybe by saying that the 16-year-old lacked ruthlessness in front of goal in Arsenal\u2019s FA Cup win at the League One side Mansfield. He did, after all, miss two clearcut chances. But come on! Dowman, who is still to take his GCSEs, was thrilling in his comeback game after a serious ankle injury. There was a fearlessness about him as he imposed himself from a central midfield position, a determination to showcase his touch and dribbling ability on an uneven pitch, and all of those lovely feints and turns. It was only his second start for the club and sixth appearance in total. Mikel Arteta knows he has to be careful but he could not help himself. \u201cMax was exceptional,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen the ball is bouncing all over the place and you have people in your back, the way he handles time and space and the touches that he takes \u2026 it\u2019s just incredible.\u201d David Hytner<\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n Woltemade wasted in midfield role<\/p>\n Newcastle spent \u00a369m on Germany\u2019s first-choice striker last summer, but Eddie Howe has since decided Nick Woltemade is not good enough to fill the No 9 role. It explains why Woltemade was again deployed in midfield, as a No 8, in Saturday\u2019s 3-1 FA Cup fifth round defeat by Manchester City<\/a> on Tyneside. This fairly calamitous experiment was painful to watch and totally unfair on a gifted forward who has scored 10 goals for Newcastle. Woltemade lacks the pace and pressing ability Howe sets such store by but the former Stuttgart forward is a more reliable finisher than Anthony Gordon, Will Osula or, on current form, Yoane Wissa. The problem is he remains an uneasy fit in Newcastle\u2019s default 4-3-3 formation. The solution for Barcelona\u2019s all-important Champions League visit on Tuesday? A switch to 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2 or 4-1-4-1. When Howe made Woltemade a club-record signing, he told him he would build the team around his unique skills. The time to keep that promise has arrived. His fellow summer suitors, Bayern Munich, intended playing Woltemade just behind Harry Kane. Why not try fielding him with Wissa in the same way? Louise Taylor<\/p>\n Nick Woltemade could not stop Newcastle losing to Manchester City. Photograph: Richard Lee\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n 4<\/p>\n Doyle outshines fellow City alumni<\/p>\n Chelsea have spent more than \u00a3100m on Manchester City academy graduates in recent times. Cole Palmer and Jamie Gittens missed out at Wrexham but Tosin Adarabioyo, Rom\u00e9o Lavia and Liam Delap all started a battling victory that took 120 minutes of fight and a little assistance from VAR. They were, however, outshone by Callum Doyle, who moved to the Cae Ras from the Etihad Stadium for \u00a37.5m in the summer and has become an integral part of the promotion push as part of Phil Parkinson\u2019s back three. The centre-back is very experienced for a 22-year-old, enjoying four loan spells before leaving permanently for the Championship. Against Chelsea<\/a> he collected an assist and a goal thanks to some impressive vision and skill, while looking composed on the ball and with his defensive duties. It feels only a matter of time until the left-footed defender makes it to the Premier League. Will Unwin<\/p>\n 5<\/p>\n Ngumoha takes chance in redemption<\/p>\n If Friday night under Molineux lights became a tale of veterans in the shape of Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah, Rio Ngumoha\u2019s performance promised great things for Liverpool\u2019s future. The teenager made a splash when scoring a late winner at Newcastle<\/a> in August but his involvement has been rationed by Arne Slot; he is yet to make a Premier League start. The FA Cup allowed him a chance which he grasped firmly, being far more effective than Salah during a first half in which Wolves adopted the low block that so frequently irks Liverpool\u2019s manager. It was Ngumoha\u2019s counterattack that began the move from which Robertson scored and he ran himself into the ground, his fatigue when subbed off understandable after such a buzzy performance. Slot termed the young tyro \u201cspecial\u201d but was otherwise reserved in praise, saying: \u201cA nice game as you face five defenders, defensively you don\u2019t have to do as much and he can use all his energy for the attacking part.\u201d John Brewin<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n Fulham pay for loss of focus<\/p>\n There were suggestions that Fulham could do a Crystal Palace. They are comfortable in mid-table in the Premier League and looked primed for a Cup run. Yet something holds them back when they have a chance to push on. Fulham have beaten Chelsea and drawn with Liverpool<\/a> this season. They can give anyone a game, but lose focus too often and were woeful against Southampton. Marco Silva was scathing about his side\u2019s performance. The manager, who is out of contract at the end of the season, talked about ambition and mentality. He sounded like someone thinking about his next job. Ultimately Fulham have too many inconsistent players. When Palace won the Cup, their big players stepped up. Marc Gu\u00e9hi excelled and Eberechi Eze scored in the semi-final and final. Gu\u00e9hi and Eze proved themselves in pressure moments and earned big moves. Fulham have enjoyable players but none are at that level. Jacob Steinberg<\/p>\n Marco Silva found watching his Fulham side against Southampton frustrating. Photograph: Javier Garc\u00eda\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n 7<\/p>\n Leeds show strength of depth<\/p>\n