Five talking points from the EFL and FA Cup weekend, including Cambridge's upset on Tyneside
- Gabriel Sutton
- 10 January 2022
After a thrilling round of FA Cup ties and further action in the EFL, pundit Gab Sutton has his say on the action from the weekend.
The third round of the FA Cup promises thrills, upsets and plenty of drama - as always, it delivered just that this weekend, and with further EFL games taking place, there's plenty to discuss.
From Cambridge's unlikely ginatkilling at Newcastle to Tranmere's thumping of Scunthorpe, engross yourself in five major talking points from this week's action.
Cambridge fly the EFL flag
Joe Ironside's second-half goal saw Cambridge United defeat the richest club in world soccer in the third round of the FA Cup, at St James' Park.
The U's required goalkeeping heroics from Dimitar Mitov to secure their passage to the next round, but the victory was no less than they deserved for a spirited, gallant display on Tyneside.
Mark Bonner has worked wonders for the CB5 outfit, leading them to promotion in his first full season in charge and into mid-table in League One on top of this fairy tale.
Shrewsbury and Morecambe led in their respective ties at Liverpool and Tottenham and deserve immense credit for their contributions to the magic of the cup, while Nottingham Forest knocked out Arsenal to continue their incredible resurgence under Steve Cooper.
Outside the EFL, National League North side Kidderminster Harriers came from behind to beat Championship opposition in Reading, setting up a glamour tie with West Ham.
'Lochness Drogba' strikes again
The Scot earned the praise of opposing manager Gareth Ainsworth after Sunderland's 3-3 draw at Wycombe, where Stewart bagged a brace for Lee Johnson's side.
The 6ft 2in forward has a gangly build but can also gain an extra few inches in the air through his excellent spring, in which he has an uncanny ability to almost hover at key moments.
On top of that, Stewart is incredibly hardworking and highly mobile, which means he is more than just a target man slumped up top; he can also slot in key passes as well as bag the old-fashioned headers.
With exquisite link-up play and ruthless finishing, Stewart looks every inch good enough to ply his trade in the Championship.
Whittaker starts well
Lincoln have had troubles up top this season, with Tom Hopper spending a fair portion on the sidelines and Southampton loanee Dan N'Lundulu unable to live up to his initial billing.
N'Lundulu has since left, and been replaced by Morgan Whittaker, another loanee, this time from Swansea.
Tranmere hit four
Crawley creeping up
After an eye-catching run of three straight wins, Crawley Town are now a mere four points off the play-offs with two games in hand on seventh-placed Newport.
The Red Devils have shown their credentials, too, not only by convincingly beating Colchester 3-1 in Sussex, but also defeating promotion contenders Leyton Orient and Northampton on their own turf.
Creative forward Tom Nichols and nippy finisher Ashley Nadesan have linked up very nicely in recent weeks. Joel Lynch and Tony Craig have added much-needed experience at the back for John Yems' side, while George Francomb has relished a central midfield role.
Mansfield, one point better off, are considered contenders for a top-seven berth - so why not Crawley?
