Bradford Defeat Sunderland, Arsenal Cruise

Third-division Bradford City continued their remarkable progress in the FA Cup by beating Premier League Sunderland 2-0 to reach the quarterfinals on Sunday, while holders Arsenal overcame Middlesbrough.
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Bradford, beaten League Cup finalists in 2013, stunned Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge in round four and they pulled off another upset at Valley Parade courtesy of a John O’Shea own goal and a strike by Sunderland old boy Jon Stead.
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“There is always a danger because the expectancy might have been we would win this one after beating Chelsea, but we have kept that underdog spirit,” Bradford manager Phil Parkinson told the BBC.
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“After today we would like another game at home. It is incredible for all the players to experience that sell-out atmosphere.
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“We had all three sides singing and behind the team and it raises the lads to the next level.”
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Bradford, 37 places below Premier League strugglers Sunderland in League One, have reached the last eight for the first time since 1976 and will discover their next opponents in Monday’s draw.
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Bradford’s fans witnessed home wins over Arsenal and Aston Villa during their side’s run to the League Cup final two years ago and they had a goal to celebrate within three minutes of kick-off against Sunderland.
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Filipe Morais’s free-kick from wide on the right found Billy Clarke at the back post and although his left-foot shot was flying well wide, it struck Sunderland captain O’Shea on the leg and cannoned into the net.
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Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher had a penalty appeal waved away and home goalkeeper Ben Williams saved from both Danny Graham and Patrick van Aanholt before Stead made it 2-0 in the 61st minute.
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This time Sunderland winger Adam Johnson was at fault, dallying on the ball before playing a clearance straight to James Hanson, whose header freed Stead to squeeze a shot beneath visiting goalkeeper Vito Mannone.
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The on-loan Huddersfield Town striker has now scored in all five rounds of this season’s competition.