Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Chelsea will host London rival Tottenham in the quarterfinals of the F.A. Cup, the only English soccer trophy that Blues manager Jose Mourinho has failed to win.

Both clubs reached the last eight of soccer's oldest Cup competition with 4-0 wins. Chelsea, the two-time defending league champion, beat Norwich at home, while Tottenham downed Fulham away.

Chelsea is seeking four trophies this season to add to Mourinho's haul since he took over three years ago. Chelsea faces Arsenal in the League Cup final in six days, is six points behind leader Manchester United in the league, and meets Porto in the last 16 of the elite Champions League, which resumes this week.

Elsewhere in the Cup, Arsenal or Blackburn hosts Manchester City, Manchester United or Reading visits Middlesbrough or West Bromwich Albion, and Plymouth hosts Watford.

Matches take place March 10 and 11, with the final scheduled for May 19. According to media reports yesterday, the showpiece will probably be played at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium for the seventh straight time because the rebuilt Wembley Stadium in London won't be ready.

Spurs, knocked out of the League Cup semifinals by Arsenal, handed the Blues a 2-1 Premiership loss in November after falling behind. Their last F.A. Cup meeting was in 2002, a 4-0 win for Chelsea, and they met in the first all-London final in 1967, a 2-1 Tottenham victory.

Arsenal Replay

Arsenal, seeking a fourth title in six seasons, must get past Blackburn in a fifth-round replay Feb. 28. They tied 0-0 in London two days ago. City, which won the last of its four F.A. Cups in 1969, was eliminated in the quarterfinals last campaign.

Manchester United, the record 11-time champion, was held to a 1-1 tie by Reading at home two days ago. Their replay is on Feb. 27, the same day West Brom of the Championship hosts Middlesbrough. Boro has never won the F.A. Cup.

Plymouth, 11th in the Championship and the lowest club in the draw, hosts Watford, last in the Premiership. An Argyle win would match its best F.A. Cup showing in 1984, the year it got to the semifinal -- where it lost to Watford.

``To get a home tie for the people of this town is great,'' Plymouth manager Ian Holloway told Sky Sports. ``(Watford) never stop working their socks off and there's all sorts of desire and belief, but they've got a long journey -- let's see if we can make it uncomfortable for them.''

Chelsea was made the 7-4 favorite to win the competition by U.K. bookmaker Coral following the draw in London, with United the second favorite at 10-3 and Arsenal third at 4-1. West Brom is last at 80-1.

United survive stirring Reading fightback

Having appeared to give themselves the rest of the night off with three goals in the first five minutes, this turned into a fixture that must have felt like unending torment before Manchester United at last staggered on to an FA Cup quarter-final at Middlesbrough. The sight of their crossbar twanging in stoppage-time from the effects of a Brynjar Gunnarsson volley had to be endured as Reading nearly equalised in this replay.

The visitors must have been steeling themselves for extra-time after letting slip the opportunity to grant a few first-team players the gentlest of outings before Saturday's demanding venture to Anfield in the Premiership. In truth it is better to acclaim Reading than to blame United.

What could have been more natural than for Steve Coppell's team to slip into permanent dismay over a miserable start? There might have been recriminations mixed with rueful exasperation over letting the prestige of this occasion cloud their concentration. Even the diehards would never have anticipated the substitute Leroy Lita climbing to put a magnificent header from a Ulises de la Cruz cross past Edwin van der Sar in the 84th minute for his side's second goal.

This was an occasion for transformations, particularly for initially chastened Reading fans who were stunned to discover themselves launching into an ovation at full-time. The mysteries were abundant. Most observers, for instance, even thought they had watched the referee Howard Webb emulate Graham Poll, in his World Cup fiasco, by showing two yellow cards to a single player while letting him remain on the field.

Andre Bikey had been widely recorded as receiving a first-half booking for fouling Louis Saha and when he brought down the same opponent after 63 minutes his departure seemed inevitable. It was explained eventually that the initial caution had really gone to De la Cruz. So Webb was not still in a daze after attending to the brawl in Sunday's Carling Cup final.

He would have been pardoned for boggling at the teeming incidents in this tie. Like Reading, United had crammed fringe players into their team but many have such experience that there was high-level substance to the selection.

After two minutes a John O'Shea cut-back eluded Kieran Richardson and the ball ran to Gabriel Heinze 25 yards from goal. He struck it firmly but cannot have envisaged his first goal since August 2005. The effort found the net because Adam Federici permitted it to squirm under his body. There was pathos in that for a goalkeeper who had been elected player of the round for his resistance at Old Trafford. The Australian, who is understudy to Marcus Hahnemann, speaks of the time when, looking for his chance, he was "knocking on doors and sleeping on floors". After eventually getting on to Reading's books, the 22-year-old had loan spells at Maidenhead United and Carshalton. His recent endeavours mean that he is close to agreeing a new deal with Reading but he got his reminder here that he is far from established yet.

Federici was not alone in looking bewildered. With four minutes gone it was far too simple for Saha to dartbetween De la Cruz and Bikey before finishing with an excellent shot. The Frenchman has been downgraded since Henrik Larsson arrived, but the latter will be going back to Sweden in a couple of weeks and the dynamism of Saha at the Madejski Stadium wasencouraging for United as they contemplate the run-in to the Premiership.

Sir Alex Ferguson had another jolt of satisfaction here in the sixth minute. Richardson slung the ball to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the right and the craftsman finisher squeezed a shot just inside the far post. There was nearly a fourth, but a Saha effort missed the target by a fraction.

In the circumstances Reading's spirit was remarkable, despite the fact that United were lax to concede a goal after 22 minutes. Seol Ki-Hyeon's corner was nodded on by Ivar Ingimarsson and headed in by Dave Kitson. With Van der Sar needing to turn a drive by Seol behind at the close of the first half an air of competitiveness had been revived even if Reading's condition was still grave.

Know-how was almost entirely the preserve of United, but with Federici saving a deflected shot by Richardson after 70 minutes there was no route back to the comfort zone. Though Reading by then had been anguished to have a penalty appeal rejected they were far beyond discouragement.

Kitson could have equalised shortly before Gunnarson struck the bar but was thwarted by Van der Sar. It was proof of a gloriously baffling night that a goalkeeper who had been surplus to requirements at the outset was indispensable by the end.

Guardian.co.uk

Sir Alex Ferguson restated his intention not to plan retirement any time soon. “I have another couple of years, a couple of songs left in me yet,” he said. The prospect of another replay will not have the old boy crooning, but how the FA Cup needed the music Manchester United and Middlesbrough made.

There have been too many dirgeful matches to make this year’s competition a classic, but this was a tie of glorious convulsions led by United and then Middlesbrough before arriving at a draw and a replay on March 19. The home team felt aggrieved at the decision by Rob Styles, the referee, which enabled Cristiano Ronaldo to make it 2-2 from the penalty spot but, as an outcome, parity was just.

Gareth Southgate’s men were excellent, keeping their nerve after going behind during an early period where United threatened to shred them and taking charge through the attacking of their midfield quartet, of which Lee Cattermole and then George Boateng scored. Boateng, though, was left anguished when Henrik Larsson flicked on a Ryan Giggs corner and, having raised his hands involuntarily, the ball struck him on an arm. It was one of those grey-area decisions and Styles elected to award the penalty. Ronaldo, checking his run and staring out Mark Schwarzer, rammed the equaliser to the goalkeeper’s right.

The FA Cup, this year, has had a shocking lack of shocks but there was a surprise when Ferguson’s team emerged. Edwin Van der Sar, down on the original teamsheet, had strained his calf warming up and Tomasz Kuszczak took his place.

A Pole without polish is the verdict on this goalkeeper of many, but Peter Schmeichel could not have done better when Kuszczak faced Stuart Downing in the seventh minute. Slipped clear by a gorgeous reverse pass from Julio Arca, Downing was 10 yards out and with time to compose his finish but Kuszczak ensured he presented as large a barrier as possible by standing wide and tall and blocked Downing’s shot with his body.

He was impressive again when fashioning a one-handed save to deny Yakubu, who turned sharply on a Mark Viduka head-flick and leathered in a left foot shot. Thirty minutes were played by then but Middlesbrough had spent the time between their chances being pulled around by United’s movement and been punished by Wayne Rooney’s right boot.

United’s other surprise had been the composition of their lineup. Rooney was deployed not alongside Larsson but on the left of a three-man attack which launched their manoeuvres from behind the Swedish striker. Ryan Giggs, the deepest lying, played centrally — a role he is likely to fulfil when Larsson goes. Middlesbrough could not quite pin down Giggs, Rooney or the other of the trio, Ronaldo, and Larsson exacerbated their uncertainties by staying mobile and taking up clever positions.

After 11 minutes Rooney found Larsson who spread a pass to Michael Carrick and Carrick returned the ball to Larsson from the left. With a cushioned touch the Swede teed up Rooney but Rooney eschewed the better option of a first-time shot in favour of an extra touch, got his body in the wrong position and volleyed wide.

The next time Rooney and Larsson were involved in a penetrating move Middlesbrough were afforded no such leniency. One of their own thrusts broke down in midfield and United countered with deadly intent, Larsson finding Giggs and Giggs finding Rooney in a trice. Rooney was on the left edge of the area and cut inside, shaping to bend his shot round Schwarzer and with the goalkeeper and his defenders moving to their collective left Rooney thumped a shot to their right, scoring low.

The home players had reacted positively to going behind and with Arca probing, and Viduka and Yakubu combining muscularity with movement, fissures in Ferguson’s defence were turning into gaps. On half-time Kuszczak undid his previous good efforts and the equaliser came. Downing had crossed, Rio Ferdinand lurked under the ball ready to head clear, but the goalkeeper rushed forward to punch and collided with Yakubu to leave both players flat on the floor. Ferdinand’s header fell to Arca, who nodded the ball back towards danger and Cattermole controlled it as he swivelled before hooking a volley into the unprotected goal.

United were the first side out after the interval but it was Middlesbrough who emerged with intent. With a move that came straight from the training ground they burst into a lead.

Boateng lurked amid a phalanx of attacking players around the penalty spot as Downing lined up a corner, but as the other moved towards the near post, taking United’s defenders with them, Boateng peeled in the direction of the far post, into open space. Downing’s inswinger was perfectly delivered and given flawless treatment by the Dutchman who planted the ball past the groping Kuszcak.

United’s fans had been singing “Que Sera” and about going to Wem-ber-ley but Middlesbrough’s adopted the song once Boateng scored. For a while they looked like being right. United surged back onto the offensive but blood rushed through them a little too hard and a hideously sliced cross by Giggs was emblematic of their lack of composure. Rooney could have had a penalty when pushed by Stuart Parnaby but Middlesbrough, with Jonathan Woodgate holding their defensive line and Boateng and Arca launching counter-attacks, were playing the more orderly footbal

Timesonline

Chelsea and Manchester United will not meet in the FA Cup semi-finals, should the Premiership title rivals negotiate quarter-final replays.

In the draw for the semi-finals, Blackburn Rovers will meet either Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur.

The second tie will see Premiership strugglers Watford tackle either The Red Devils or Middlesbrough.

Blackburn, semi-finalists two years ago, reached the last four this time around after a 2-0 home win over Manchester City in the quarter-finals.

Mark Hughes' side will await the winners of the 19th March replay between Chelsea and Spurs, who drew 3-3 in a thrilling game at Stamford Bridge.

Watford, runners-up to Everton in the 1984 FA Cup, advanced to the semi-finals after a scrappy 1-0 success at Championship club Plymouth Argyle.

The Hornets will face either Premiership leaders United, or Middlesbrough, who drew 2-2 at The Riverside and will meet again on 19th March.

Venues for the semi-finals will be decided at a later date, with ties taking place on the weekend of 14th/15th April.

SkySports