THINGS WE LEARNED from the FA Cup fourth-round (2023)

The FA Cup fourth round provided another intriguing weekend full of action.

There were controversial VAR decisions, goals disallowed, debuts handed out and surprising results.

Tottenham cruised to a 3-0 victory over Championship side Preston, while Manchester United dismantled Reading. Brighton also secured their second win over Liverpool in as many weeks thanks to a fantastic effort from Kaoru Mitoma.

Wrexham's 3-3 draw with Sheffield United provided plenty of twist and turns along the way but it wasn't the Hollywood endingRyan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney had been hoping for.

Elsewhere, Manchester City got one over on Premier League leaders and title rivals Arsenal, while Fulham drew with Sunderland in one of the pick of the ties.

Here are the things we have learned from a memorable and eventful weekend of FA Cup fixtures.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is taking the FA Cup seriously with star-studded line-up

Erik ten Hag's not messing around when it comes to the FA Cup. The 52-year-old Dutch manager fielded a strong side for United's fourth-round tie with Reading on Saturday.

He selected a side that included a host of first-team regulars. The likes ofCasemiro, Christian Eriksen, Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Wout Weghorst all started.

The backline also consisted of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Tyrell Malacia.

Speaking ahead of the 3-1 win over Reading, Ten Hag told MUTV: 'I don't know why we shouldn't [take the FA Cup seriously]. We want to win every game, so you play a good team, you play a strong selection.'

Arnaut Danjuma could be the answer to Tottenham's problems this season

New signing Arnaut Danjuma hit the ground running for Tottenham during their FA Cup clash with Preston. The 25-year-old made the decision to join Spurs after originally agreeing terms with Everton and undergoing a medical at the Merseyside club.

Danjuma was handed his Tottenham debut on Saturday as Antonio Conte decided to rest Harry Kane following his illness. The Italian manager also leftRicharlison out of the squad due to a minor niggle.

Danjuma came off the bench afterSon Heung-min's second goal and made an instant impact as he added to Tottenham's tally in the 87th minute of the game after finishing offDejan Kulusevski's cross.

Conte will be hoping to see more goals from Danjuma before the end of the 2022-2023 campaign as Tottenham look to climb back up the Premier League table.

Danjuma's versatility across the front three positions will be very useful for the Italian manager, who will no doubt be looking to utilise the 25-year-old's pace and creativity.

Stoke's fans are the secret to their success and Alex Neil says his side needs their support to succeed

Stoke have been struggling for form in the Championship. They are currently sitting 18th in the table after losing to Sheffield United, Preston and Burnley.

As a result, the fans have become frustrated with the players. However, Sunday's FA Cup tie proved to a turning point for the relationship between the supporters and the players.

Speaking after the game Alex Neil said:'We've spoken a lot about getting a connection with the fans, which is vitally important for any successful team. If your fans believe in you, it really is like a 12th man on the pitch at times.

'We want to give them something to shout about and a team they can relate to and be proud of. We know we've still got a lot of work to do but we're doing our best to get there as quickly as we can.'

Leeds' youngsters could be the secret to their survival this season

Leeds United made light work of Accrington Stanley on Saturday afternoon. They oozed confidence upfront and beat the League One side 3-1 despite missing several key players.

Jesse Marsch was forced to look at alternative options as he was withoutWilfried Gnonto (due to suspension) andCrysencio Summerville (due to injury).

Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra did a phenomenal job down the left-hand-side of the pitch.Harrison scored his side's opening goal of the game in the 23rd minute, whileSinisterra netted their third and final goal.

New signingGeorginio Rutter was also handed an opportunity to prove himself after being left as an unused substitute for their goalless draw with Brentford last weekend.

Rutter - who signed from Hoffenheim for a club-record £32million - looked dangerous in attack. He occupied all the right positions and managed to get five shots off during the game.

Patrick Bamford was particularly complimentary of his team-mate after the game. He told BBC Radio Leeds:'There's lot of things about his game I quite enjoy. He's got a lovely first touch.

'He's very quick, he's deceptively quick. And that's something I think we can use to our abilities really well, if we use it in the right way.'

Steve Evans' anger after the game highlights issues with refereeing

Steve Evans' reaction to Stoke's penalty on Sunday afternoon highlighted the discrepancies within the English league.

Stoke were awarded a penalty in the 80th minute of the game when Jonathan Tomkinson tackled Jacob Brown inside the box.

It appeared to be a clean challenge but referee David Webb pointed to the spot. And, given there was no VAR on standby, Webb's decision was final.

Evans and his Stevenage side were furious with the decision as Lewis Baker converted from the penalty spot to finish the game off.

After the match, Evans refused to take part in his normal media duties and refrained from sitting down with the print journalists that were present.

However, Evans did say that the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Board) chief referring officer, Howard Webb, should give him a call to discuss the matter.

Evans' was clearly frustrated as other teams have benefitted from video technology in their games. For example, Marcus Rashford's goal againstReading was chalked off by VAR.

It seems unfair that some teams have been benefitting from the use of technology and others haven't been despite the fact they are playing in the same competition.

Weghorst's pressing style will benefit United's stars

Many questioned the logic behind signing Wout Weghorst until the end of the 2022-2023 campaign. They worried he would struggle in the English top-flight after his dismal spell at Burnley.

However, the 30-year-old - who is desperate to prove his worth to the Old Trafford faithful - could end up being the secret to United's success this season and his FA Cup performance proved why.

Weghorst's work ethic against Reading was top class. He chased down every ball and would have registered an assist if Rashford's goal had not been controversially ruled out by VAR.

Weghorst also pressed relentlessly during the game. He refused to give the reading backline a moment to breath.

This will be particularly beneficial during United's Premier League campaign as they look to close the gap between themselves and Manchester City.

The Dutch international will help the Red Devils win the ball higher up the pitch.

But it's unrealistic to say that Weghorst will be United's long term solution. They will need to do some additional business in the summer transfer window to reinforce their attacking line.

Fabinho's challenge on Evan Ferguson makes a mockery of VAR

Fabinho was very fortunate to escape a red card during Liverpool's FA Cup clash with Brighton on Sunday afternoon.

He chopped down 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson in the 86th minute of their 2-1 defeat to the Seagulls.

Fabinho knew it was a bad tackle and instantly raised his hands in the air to apologise and take his punishment.

Jordan Henderson was equally as horrified by Fabinho's tackle and apologised to the Brighton players around him.

Referee David Coote was quick to reach for his pocket but fans across the world were shocked when he pulled out a yellow card instead of a red.

However, many thought his decision would be overturned by VAR, butthe video assistant stuck with Coote's on-field decision.

The whole situation made a mockery of VAR. It discredits the entire system and sets a very unfavourableprecedent.