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Everton and Manchester United advance in FA Cup

Other News Materials 15 February 2009 22:34 (UTC +04:00)

Everton and Manchester United marched on to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday, beating Aston Villa 3-1 and Derby 4-1 respectively, dpa reported.

Eleven days ago Everton beat Liverpool in a replay to reach this stage and by inflicting on Aston Villa their first domestic defeat in three months they have now put out two of the Premier League's top three.

Jack Rodwell put Everton ahead, only for James Milner to level from the penalty spot.

A penalty from Mikel Arteta and a late strike from Tim Cahill, though, sealed the victory for David Moyes's side.

In the league fixture between the sides in December - which Villa ended up winning 3-2 - the away side went ahead in the first minute.

Again there was an early goal, but this time it went to Everton.

Both their goals in December came from dead-balls, and it was a corner that brought their breakthrough again.

Cahill's header was goal-bound when Stiliyan Petrov blocked it with his arm, but before the referee Martin Atkinson could give the penalty and show what would surely have been a red card, Rodwell drove in the rebound.

It was the 17 year old's first goal for the club.

Villa levelled five minutes later, Milner squeezing a penalty under the dive of Tim Howard after Gabriel Agbonlahor had been tripped by Tony Hibbert.

Another penalty restored Everton's lead, Arteta, probably the game's outstanding player, converting after Victor Anichebe had been fouled by Steve Sidwell.

Agbonlahor headed wide from a decent position, and then, just after the hour, John Carew brought an exceptional save from Howard with a flick from Milner's cross.

But with 13 minutes remaining, Cahill wrapped things up, guiding Anichebe's cross past Brad Friedel.

United, meanwhile, booked their place in the last eight with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Derby County.

The Championship side had troubled United in the League Cup semi- final, but they rarely looked like repeating the 1-0 victory they recorded in the first leg of that tie.

Nani, cutting in from the left, put United ahead after 28 minutes, and Darron Gibson fired in a second just before half-time after a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick had been blocked.

Ronaldo headed a third three minutes into the second half.

Miles Addison pulled one back after 57 minutes, but Danny Wellbeck made absolutely sure for United with 10 minutes to go.

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