Tottenham, Stoke, Reading and Aston Villa each secured their passage to the FA Cup quarter final on Wednesday night after Wednesday night’s fifth-round replays.

On a night when all eyes were on Europe’s premier club competition the UEFA Champions League, there were four fifth-round ties to be settled in England’s premier cup competition.

Tottenham 4 Bolton 0

Bolton paid the price for not finishing off the job in the first meeting between these side as they were demolished 4-0 by a rampant Tottenham Hotspur.

The sides drew 1-1 in the Reebok Stadium first time out, but Harry Redknapp’s face proved too strong at White Hart Lane with in-form striker Roman Pavlyuchenko continued his new found confidence with his second brace in consecutive games.

The Russian opened the scoring after 23 minutes and, with a pair of own goals courtesy of Jussi Jaaskalainen (35) and Andy O’Brien (47) sandwiched in between, he rounded of the night with his second three minutes from full time.

Tottenham’s next task in the cup is to overcome Roy Hodgson’s Fulham, but they’ll have to do so at Craven Cottage.

Stoke City 3 Man City 1 (AET)

At the Britannia, meanwhile, Stoke and Man City met for the third time in twelve days and for the third time the pair were deadlocked at 1-1 after 90 minutes. It took until the 79th minute for the opener through Dave Kitson, only for Craig Bellamy to grab an instant reply two minutes later.

Emmanuel Adebayor then received his marching orders for an apparent shove on Ryan Shawcross and with the full time whistle sounding soon after, extra time was required to decide the tie. Stoke took full advantage of the extra man in the extra 30 minutes, as first Shawcross headed the Potters into the lead on 95 minutes before Tuncay Sanli put the game beyond doubt four minutes later.

Stoke’s reward is a trip to Stamford Bridge where they will face holders, and tournament favourites, Chelsea.

Aston Villa 3 Crystal Palace 1

There were penalties galore at Villa Park as Crystal Palace’s cup run came to an end as they went down 3-1 to Aston Villa. The home side took the lead shortly before half-time through Gabby Agbonlahor’s well taken header.

In-form Palace midfielder Darren Ambrose got his 17th goal of the season from the spot on 73 minutes as the Londoners looked to be taking their Premier League opponents into extra time but it wasn’t to be as two more penalties spoiled their night.

Mathew Lawrence was the guilty player as he brought down John Carew inside the area and the big Norwegian picked himself up and scored from the resulting penalty to send Villa on their to the quarters.

There was still time for another penalty, however, as Lawrence once again brought down the Villa striker for a second time and for a second time Carew rose to his feet to find the back of the net.

Villa will now travel to Reading, who also won on Wednesday night, for their quarter final tie.

West Brom 2 Reading 3 (AET)

Elsewhere, Reading’s remarkable FA Cup run continued as they once again dumped out higher ranked opposition, this time West Brom were the victims in a 3-2 defeat at the Hawthorns.

Robert Koran gave the Baggies an early lead before Jimmy Kebe levelled for Reading just three minutes later. Koran restored the lead for West Brom, who are riding high in the Championship as opposed to Reading’s relegation fight in the same division, but they were be denied by a late equaliser.

That came via the right foot of Brian Howard, sending the away section in the Hawthorns Stadium wild. Extra-time beckoned and a deflated Baggies side struggled in the extra half hour with Gylfi Sigurdsson grabbing his tenth of the season with an emphatic long range drive to seal progression.

Tottenham Hotspur have turned their attention to try and sign Aston Villa versatile player, Nigel Reo-Coker. Spurs had been reported as trying to track Arjen Robben of Real Madrid, a high class player who has been put on the transfer list. However, with a number of clubs interested in him, Harry Redknapp has been forced to turn his attention to the domestic transfer market.

Reo-Coker has been proved a very agile player who can play in a wide variety of positions. This could have been the club’s undoing because Reo-Coker is said to have been getting increasingly frustrated by Martin O’Neill’s reluctance to allow him to play outside of the right back slot where he feels he is at his most effective.

Although Reo-Coker clearly wouldn’t be as high a quality signing as Robben, Spurs would be getting a player who has captained a club from a very young age and someone who undoubtedly has a lot of quality and experience to offer for a very young man. However, if Sours can revitalise a bid for Robben then it is unlikely he would join according to his agent, who is also his father.

He said: “It’s absolute nonsense. Arjen will certainly not join Tottenham. I will even bet a bottle of wine Arjen won’t play there.”

It’s a done thing then, especially when a large quantity of alcohol is put on the table to substantiate any doubts that anyone would have had. Many people would say that Spurs would be better off without Robben. Originally he was meant to join Manchester United but snubbed them for Chelsea where it was proved his quality was not good enough for the Premier League.

He subsequently went to join Real Madrid and now that better players than him are being bought like sweets from a candy shop he will be forced to join a club that is not as high in calibre as the big sides that he has already played for.

Reo-Coker would be a better bet in all the aspects that don’t relate to quality or skill of perfromance. He would sweat blood for the side and has already proved that he can play any role that the manager has asked him to. He also doesn’t seem to have an ego and this will please Redknapp at Spurs as this is one of the main attributes of a player that he will be looking for, all the time he is the boss at White Hart Lane.

Spurs are set to lose some quality in the middle of their team over the coming days and Redknapp will need someone who can play alongside Wilson Palacios and make good of the ball winning to turn it into quality for the likes of Robbie Keane to latch onto.

There are also reports that Spurs tried to sign the player in January so there is already an over lying interest in him from Spurs. Once a bid has been lodged or the club have been able to talk to the player then it could be a near formality that personal terms are agreed and a deal can be done.

Steve Bruce will make his first signing as Sunderland manager by luring England international, Darren Bent, to the Stadium of Light. Bent has been in and out of the Tottenham Hotspur side all season long and is not thought to be highly rated by Harry Redknapp. With the news emerging today that Spurs are looking to try and sign Jan Huntelaar from Real Madrid, it could mean that a deal for Bent has already been negotiated and it could be the first step in Sunderland taking a move forward with the backing of new owners.

Bruce has received a mixed reaction for his decision to manage Sunderland but his intent is clear and if Bent does go to Tyneside then it would be a very good move for the club. On too few occasions Bent has shown that he has all of the attributes needed in order to become one of the best strikers in the Premier League. He is technically very good and has a lot of pace, as well as being strong. However, as is so often the case with talented strikers they do not have the ability to consistently perform and this is the main reason why Bent has not been able to nail down a regular slot in the Tottenham first team. A move to Sunderland could inspire him as a person and player and ignite his career and his chances of international football. He has not been a permanent fixture in any of Fabio Capello’s squads and he will not be able to become one unless he is granted an extended run in a decent top-flight side.

He also appears good value at £10 million. This is staggering considering a couple of seasons ago this amount of money would be considered huge but it will be good business in the current economic climate if Sunderland could pull of a deal. In a summer where players are going to different clubs for world record breaking amounts of money, the Black Cats could well get themselves a decent little player, staying under the radar. Redknapp will want the money for ventures down in London as he has promised a harder push for European football next season. Spurs have already had an offer for Inter Milan’s, Sully Muntari, turned down and doubtless the manager will have a big list of names he would like to approach with a view to a possible transfer.

Both Steve Bruce and Harry Redknapp are wise enough to be able to see what is a good deal for both parties and it seems as though the transfer of Bent would suit each down to the ground. On the one hand Spurs would get a squad space and room to develop a better side and on the other Sunderland would get a striker hoping for a new chance and someone who does not appear to be bringing an ego along with him. It could be a deal that is included over the next few days and it is good to see some sensible trading as opposed to ridiculous speculation and sums of money exchanging hands.

There’s plenty of off-pitch action still going on in England. Gareth Barry has finally left Aston Villa, but has gone to Manchester City and not Liverpool, for £12m. The 28-year-old England international signed a five-year contract with City after spending 12 years and playing over 400 matches for Villa. It’s thought that he’ll pull in about £80,000-a-week at his new club.

Barry originally said he wanted to play for a club in the Champions League, so somebody better tell him it’s City he has signed for, not United. Mark Hughes’ squad had a brutal season and finished six spots and a whole 22 points behind this season’s top four. City was so far out of it, they were quite close to the relegation zone at various points of the season.

Over in the capital, Chelsea has signed 32-year-old German international Michael Ballack to a new one-year contract that will keep him at the London club until June 2010. The midfielder moved to Stamford Bridge from German Bundesliga team Bayern Munich in 2006 and has won two FA Cups and a Carling Cup so far with Chelsea. But he’s also missed quite a few games through injury in that time. I think it’s a good move as Ballack still has quite a bit to offer the team. I just wonder if new manager Carlo Ancelotti was consulted on the signing.

Also in London, Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has been questioned by the Old Bill again as “a mere formality.” It seems the police want Redknapp to help them in their ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in English football. It’s reported that the 62-year-old manager was grilled by City of London Police officers and tax investigators.

The cops are looking into several transfers that were made at Redknapp’s former clubs, Portsmouth, and Birmingham. A spokesman for Spurs said it was a mere formality relating to a tax issue. That may be true, but it’s not the first time Harry has been the guest of the police. In May last last year, he and his missus were awarded £1,000 in damages against the City of London Police after High Court judges ruled the police raided their home in an unlawful manner. After the raid, Redknapp said he believed he had only been busted because he was a high-profile figure. Apparently, the police investigation is continuing.

Up in Hull, it looks like manager Phil Brown is cleaning house as he’s unloaded a ton of players including team legend Dean Windass, who’s 40 years old now. Windass scored the goal in the Championship League playoffs that propelled Hull City into the Premier League last year. Hull got off to a good year in the top flight, but Brown wouldn’t play him. Windass wasn’t too happy about it and made it known to the press. He was sent out to Oldham on loan, but things didn’t work out there either and he ended the season in the reserves.

Other players that are being shown the door include midfielder Ryan France, former Sunderland and Leeds striker Michael Bridges, John Welsh, James Bennett, Joe Lamplough, Matthew Plummer and Tom Woodhead. You’re forgiven if you’ve never heard of any of them.

And further north, Blackburn has signed midfielder Elrio van Heerden from Brugge in Belgium on a free transfer. The 25-year-old South African international has signed a two-year contract at Ewood Park. He was signed to help fill the gap left after Aaron Mokoena went to Portsmouth and Tugay retired. Van Heerden started out at FC Copenhagen in Denmark, in 2002 before going to Brugge four years later. He’s been capped 25 times by South Africa. So he could help the Rovers out, provided Sam Allardyce doesn’t leave him on the bench.

Reports have emerged this morning suggesting that Liverpool and Manchester United are likely to slug it out in a possible transfer war this summer in order to gain the services of Tottenham Hotspur winger, Aaron Lennon.

Lennon’s performances have slowly been getting more consistent and he has been one of the first names to be put down each week by Harry Redknapp. However, these improved performances could back fire for Spurs as they now look set to receive a number of bids for one of their best players.

Lennon has also been in and out of the England side under manager Fabio Capello but looks set to finally hold down his place as his end of season form continues to get better and better.

Manchester United will want to sign the winger as it will allow the transition of Cristiano Ronaldo into a striker to be completed. With the retirement of Ryan Giggs also likely to happen in the next couple of seasons as well as the inexperience of the Portuguese star, Nani, he could be just the player that Sir Alex Ferguson is looking to bring in.

Liverpool also have a strong case as they don’t have an out and out candidate to fly up and down the right flank in every game. Numerous players have often done the job as manager, Rafa Benitez, often draws criticism for playing Steven Gerrard out there and out of position from the middle, which is undoubtedly his best spot.

If a bidding war breaks out then United may well just have the edge but this depends on the future of one or two of their players. If Carlos Tevez decides to pack his bags and move to Spain then it could in effect finance a bid for Lennon making the move a virtual certainty. However, Fergie may want to replace a striker for a striker, which would pave the way for Liverpool to make a bid for a player that they desperately need.

Spurs are reportedly asking around the £20 million mark for Lennon which, is a price United have a better chance of raising. Liverpool will have to sell first to have any realistic chance to snatch him but the players that will make way from the Liverpool squad look likely to be equally realistic to their cause causing Benitez a massive headache.

Harry Redknapp won’t want to let Lennon leave as he has already targeted a Champions League spot for next season. However, football continues to prove that every player has their price and based on the assumption that Manchester City won’t sneak in on the move and offer a stupid sum of money for Lennon then their city rivals, United, look like the most obvious destination for Lennon.

No doubt Liverpool will have a good go at buying him but the Berbatov affair showed that regardless of any amount of late bids once Sir Alex gets his nose in and is interested then the player he targets is rarely persuaded to go elsewhere. Lennon could well be wearing a United shirt at the start of next season.

Manchester United proved again what can be achieved when you put your mind to it and go for goals. After trailing 2-0 to 10th place Tottenham at Old Trafford with 33 minutes to go, they banged in five goals to come out of it with a 5-2 win. It was eerily similar to a game a few years ago when Spurs had a 3-0 lead over United, only to have the red devils storm back in the second half and escape with a 5-3 win.

It was a huge three points for United in the English Premier League title race as Liverpool had beaten 17th place Hull 3-1 earlier and third-place Chelsea had taken care of eighth-spot West Ham 1-0 at Upton Park. Hull have only won one of their last 18 games and are dangerously close to the relegation zone now, just three points ahead of Middlesbrough (31 pts), who looked pretty bad in a 2-0 loss to fourth-place Arsenal in London on Sunday. Arsenal has now gone 20 games without a league defeat.

Meanwhile, bottom feeders West Brom managed to thump 15th place Sunderland 3-0 at home, while Blackburn gained a much needed three points with a 2-0 win over 11th place Wigan to jump into a 14th place tie with Portsmouth at 37 points each. Portsmouth plays the other relegation-zone team, Newcastle on Monday night in a huge game for both clubs. Wolverhampton Wanderers have clinched the Championship Division and will be back in the Premier next season. League One side Peterborough United clinched second place and have now earned promotion in two successive seasons. It will be their first time in the second tier of English football since 1994.

Off the pitch, West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2013. In my eyes this is too long a contract and it’s no wonder clubs are going into debt all over the place. If Zola does a brutal job a couple of years from now, West Ham will need to buy him out. There’s no reason to give managers contracts of over two years. On a sad note, the half brother of England and Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe died after being attacked in daylight on an east London street. DJ Jade Defoe, 26, died on April 24th from serious head injuries he received on April 20th afternoon in the Leytonstone district.

In Spain, La Liga leaders Barcelona dropped two important points in the title race with a 2-2 at Valencia on April 25th. Thierry Henry saved a point for Barcelona with his 17th of the season in the 86th minute.

Barcelona moved seven ahead of second place Real Madrid, who play at Sevilla today (April 26th). Barcelona leads with 82 points, Madrid has 75, Sevilla 57 and Valencia 56.

Deportivo La Coruna drew 1-1 at Malaga in a match holding European qualifying implications as both teams stayed in the race to clinch a spot in next season’s Europa League, the renamed UEFA Cup. Malaga occupies the final European place with 51 points, while Deportivo has 50 and Atletico Madrid 49.

Over in France, Bordeaux won the French League Cup for the third time after beating second-division Vannes 4-0. Bordeaux also won the League Cup in 2002 and 2007.

In Italy, Fiorentina beat AS Roma 4-1 to improve its chances of securing a Champions League spot for next season. The loss just about ends Roma’s hopes of qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition next season. Fiorentina moved ahead of Genoa into fourth place. In the other match yesterday, Udinese beat Chievo Verona 2-1.

Reigning German champions Bayern Munich lost 1-0 at home to Schalke, leaving Bayern in third place, three points behind leaders Vfl Wolfsburg, with five games to play.