Crystal Palace endured a night to forget as they crashed out of the FA Cup in the most dramatic upset the competition has ever seen, suffering a 2-1 defeat against sixth-tier Macclesfield. The Premier League holders were stunned by goals from Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts at Moss Rose, with the non-league side overcoming a 117-place gap to rewrite FA Cup history. Palace manager Oliver Glasner did not hide his frustration, criticising his team’s lack of pride and defensive errors as the Eagles extended their winless run to nine matches.
In contrast, Chelsea enjoyed a confident start under new head coach Liam Rosenior, who guided the Blues to an emphatic 5-1 victory over Charlton at The Valley. Jorrel Hato opened the scoring before Tosin Adarabioyo doubled the lead after the break. Despite a brief Charlton response, goals from Marc Guiu Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez sealed a dominant win and ended Chelsea’s five-game winless streak. Rosenior praised his squad’s attitude and performance, expressing optimism about the club’s future under his leadership.
Elsewhere in the FA Cup, Tottenham’s struggles continued with a 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa, increasing pressure on manager Thomas Frank. Villa took control with first-half goals from Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers, and despite a second-half fightback from Spurs, the equaliser never came. Manchester City had no such problems as they demolished Exeter in a one-sided encounter, while Newcastle edged Bournemouth on penalties after a thrilling draw. Sunderland also progressed via a shootout victory over Everton, rounding off a dramatic weekend of cup action.
