FA Cup review:Brighton contributed an amazing three own goals to Liverpool's biggest win since September 2009 as the Reds booked an FA Cup sixth round meeting with Stoke thanks to a 6-1 romp at Anfield.
Liam Bridcutt twice turned the ball into his own net, the first, just before half-time after Kazenga Lua Lua had levelled Martin Skrtel's early header proving crucial.
Lewis Dunk also scored an own goal, although Reds boss Kenny Dalglish will be more pleased that man-of-the-match Andy Carroll was also on target before setting up Luis Suarez, who had already missed a penalty as he hunted for his first goal since completing his eight-match ban.
Steven Gerrard hailed the team performance and that of striker Carroll afterwards.
“It’s always nice to first of all get the win and then to win convincingly,” he told ESPN. “In the end we went through the gears and got better and better as the 90 minutes went on and we deserved our goals.
“The important thing was to focus on this game. The Carling Cup final was in our minds because we have a massive game at Wembley next week but we want to go to Wembley again in the FA Cup so today was just as important.”
It was the first time Gerrard, Suarez and Carroll started a game together, and Gerrard hopes the end result is a sign of things to come.
“(Carroll) has been getting better and better in training and he was our man of the match today,” he said. “We believe that the more we play together, the more we’ll click. We’re all good players and good players like playing with other good players. We’re all on the same wavelength now.”
Carroll added: “Every goal feels good, but it couldn’t get any better today with the result as well and now we’re through to the next round. We haven’t played many games all together but we’ve been playing well in training and we put it into the game today.”
Dalglish, who called on Suarez to take the penalty, admitted he want the Uruguayan striker to get a goal to boost his confidence.
“That was a bad decision,” he said with a grin. “There were three of them, Andy (Carroll), Charlie (Adam) and Dirk (Kuyt) wanted to take it as well and maybe if it hadn’t been five (5-1) one of them would have done, but I wanted to give him a leg up with his confidence.
“In the end, he didn’t need my help.”
Stevenagehustled and harried Tottenhamto book a FA Cup fifth-round replay at White Hart Lane with a goalless draw at the Lamex Stadium.
Louis Saha thought he'd broken the deadlock in the 55th minute but his effort was ruled out after striking Scott Parker in an offside position.
Boro had played non-league football just two years ago but theirs was an effective game-plan right until the whistle, high balls and high pressing that forced mistakes and drew home jeers.
Harry Redknapp left his cramped dugout to implore balls to feet but though Jake Livermore went close with a glancing header, Tottenham's groove deserted them.
Stokemade light of Rory Delap's early red card to end Crawley Town'srun of FA Cup upsets with a 2-0 fifth-round win at Broadfield Stadium.
Delap's dismissal (17) came with the lowest-ranked side left on top but Jon Walters' penalty (42) and Peter Crouch's header (52) ensured there was no Premier League scalp to hang alongside a Champonship pair.
Crawley started brightly and were almost rewarded when David Hunt's corner bounced off Crouch's thigh and onto the bar.
Then came another moment to buoy the League Two side: Delap punished for a tackle that took the ball as well as Hunt. Tony Pulis fumed not only at the decision but too the deportment of Evans, quick to give his two penneth.
Tensions simmered on the benches as chances were equally traded but Pulis's blood pressure dropped a notch when Ryan Shawcross won a pot-kick that Walters tucked into the corner.
Breakthrough made, his side remerged with a new air of authority and when Crouch nodded Glenn Whelan's free-kick back whence it came, the contest lost its punch.
Red shirts swaggered forward in numbers in the closing stages and Danny Collins was forced into a last-gasp goalline block, but for all their late possession, the final ball had too often been wasted.
Liverpool will meet last season's beaten finalists after the draw pitted them together prior to kick-off at Anfield.
The draw at Wembley also paired Everton and Sunderland together. The sides will play each other at Goodison Park on the weekend of March 17th-18th, after wins over Blackpool and Arsenal respectively.
Everton last won the competition in 1995, while Sunderland's best season since reaching the final 20 years ago came in 2004 when they were beaten semi-finalists.
Spurs will have a home match against Bolton if they win their replay at White Hart Lane, while Chelsea, winners of the competition in three of the past five seasons, face a replay at Birmingham if they are to earn the right to meet Championship outfit Leicester City.
FA Cup quarter-final draw
Liverpool v Stoke City
Chelsea/Bham v Leicester
Stevenage/Spurs v Bolton
Everton v Sunderland
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