FA Cup fifth round: talking points from the weekend’s action

Port Vale have only ever reached the last eight of the FA Cup once before in their entire history, in 1953-54, when they went one stage further, losing the semi-final at Villa Park 2-1 to West Brom thanks to a much-disputed winning goal. If only VAR had been present then, you might say. In their fifth-round victory over Sunderland this weekend, they were also unfortunate despite the presence of technology. Why was referee Anthony Taylor not asked to go and 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’s run was going away from goal, he surely had the pace to have got a shot away. Let’s hope VAR give the remaining lower-division teams fair shrift when it comes to the rest of the competition. Peter Lansley

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’s FA Cup win at League One 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, 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. “Max was exceptional,” he said. “When the ball is bouncing all over the place [on an uneven pitch] and you have people in your back, the way he handles time and space and the touches that he takes … it’s just incredible.” David Hytner

Newcastle spent £69m on Germany’s first-choice striker last summer, but Eddie Howe has since decided Nick Woltemade is not good enough to fill the No 9 role at Newcastle. It explains why Woltemade was again deployed in midfield, as a No 8, in Saturday’s 3-1 FA Cup fifth round defeat to Manchester City on Tyneside. This fairly calamitous ongoing experiment was painful to watch and totally unfair on a gifted forward who has already 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’s default 4-3-3 formation. The solution ahead of Barcelona’s 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

Nick Woltemade of Newcastle United looking dejected against Manchester City. Photograph: Richard Lee/Shutterstock

Chelsea have spent more than £100m on Manchester City academy graduates in recent times. Cole Palmer and Jamie Gittens missed out at Wrexham but Tosin Adarabioyo, Roméo 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 Racecourse Ground from the Etihad Stadium for £7.5m in the summer and has become an integral part of the promotion push as part of Phil Parkinson’s 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 he collected an assist and 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

If Friday night under Molineux lights became a tale of veterans in the shape of Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah, Rio Ngumoha’s performance promised great things for Liverpool’s future. The teenager made a splash when scoring a late winner at Newcastle 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, far more effective than Salah during a first half where Wolves adopted the low block that so frequently irks Liverpool’s manager. It was Ngumoha’s 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 “special” but was otherwise reserved in praise, saying: “A nice game as you face five defenders, defensively you don’t have to do as much and he can use all his energy for the attacking part.” John Brewin

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 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’s 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 Guéhi excelled and Eberechi Eze scored in the semi-final and final. Guéhi and Eze proved themselves in pressure moments and earned big moves. Fulham have enjoyable players but none are at that level. Jacob Steinberg

Fulham Manager Marco Silva watches the action against Southampton. Photograph: Javier García/Shutterstock

Plenty has been made of Premier League managers resting players in the FA Cup this season, though Daniel Farke was well within his rights to make nine changes for the fifth round visit of Norwich given Leeds’ precarious league standing, and especially when the excellent left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson was one of the two players retained. Also in Farke’s favour was the strength in depth available to him. Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto have been waiting in the wings champing at the bit to start games in recent weeks, but Farke’s preferred system has no room for the wingers. Ao Tanaka and Sean Longstaff, meanwhile, are more than serviceable top-flight midfielders, the latter chipping in with a timely goal – a smart turn and volley – having not started a league game since November. Leeds may not yet be clear of trouble in the league but the strength of their fringe players could be a factor in sealing survival. Dominic Booth