The FA Cup sixth round draw

Guus Hiddink condemned the Chelsea supporters who threw coins at Manchester City players while they celebrated their goal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as the FA Cup suffered another flashpoint on fifth-round weekend.

Manchester City boss Pellegrini carried out his threat to play a shadow side because of the club’s Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine on Wednesday.

Diego Costa put Chelsea ahead and, although David Faupala equalised for the visitors, second half goals from Willian, Gary Cahill, Hazard and Bertrand Traore handed City a third successive defeat.

“I have 13 players (fit), I can not take the risk to have one player more injured” Pellegrini said, when asked if he had devalued the FA Cup by fielding a weakened team.

When Chelsea took the lead after 35 minutes, it was two of Pellegrini’s senior players – rather than the youngsters – who were at fault.

“We played against a very good team and that’s why they won”. But I think there are a lot of positive things about the young players.

That’s why we won two previous games in the FA Cup.

“So it is better for England if we play on Saturday”.

“Speaking shortly after the draw was made on Sunday evening, the Dutchman told reporters: “[That final] was a long time ago.

“I think Chelsea will react”.

Crystal Palace produced the upset of the day by beating Tottenham 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in 21 years.

On the prospect of facing Everton at Goodison Park in the last eight, Hiddink said: “I have good memories of the 2009 final, but that is in the past”. Both teams finished with 10 men after Blackburn’s Chris Taylor was shown a second yellow card and West Ham’s Cheikhou Kouyate saw straight red for a foul as the last man back.

“Unfortunately for us, in five minutes we threw away all the good work we’d done”.

“We are just in the fifth round of the FA Cup”. Also we couldn’t risk any more injuries. You have got a 25-man squad and those teams that are going to be competing in three, four competitions generally have the most money which means they have the biggest and best squads, and they should be able to cope.