MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Leeds and Leicester avoided potential upsets to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday, but Premier League survival remains the priority for both clubs.
Leeds won 3-1 against third-tier Accrington Stanley, while Leicester overcame fourth-tier Walsall 1-0.
The wins provided a temporary distraction for both teams who each sit just one point above the relegation zone in the league.
Goals from Leeds’ Jack Harrison, Junior Firpo and Luis Sinisterra ended any chance of a fairytale for Accrington in front of its home fans at Wham Stadium. Leslie Adekoya, however, gave them something to cheer with a late consolation goal.
It was only Leeds’ second win since Nov. 5 with both of those victories coming in the cup.
Leicester — the cup winner in 2021 — needed a 68th minute goal from Kelechi Iheanacho to end Walsall’s resistance in a match that also saw Youri Tielemans miss a penalty.
Leicester’s only other win since Dec. 20 was in the previous round of the cup.
While the chance of major silverware remains a possibility for both Leeds and Leicester, the fight to preserve their top-flight status is of far greater concern.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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