You can say what you like about the Carling Cup but, personally, I think we've had two cracking nights of knock-out football - although obviously players and fans of those teams who didn't make it in the hat for round four might beg to differ. Take Sir Bobby Robson and the Toon Army as an example.
I didn't see the game myself and have only been able to watch brief TV highlights, but the Newcastle boss assures us that his United side, effectively, battered the Baggies to death but still came out worse off after what he described as a 'bizarre' cup tie.
A baffled Robson said: "Football has a habit of kicking you in the teeth and I feel like I've been kicked in the teeth. I've been told we had 30 shots and 26 corners. What does that tell you about the game?
"At 1-1, there was nobody in the ground who would have been willing to bet £1 on West Brom winning. We missed big chances. They've had two chances, two shots at goal all night. I've just had to sit and watch them get an amazing result with courage and heroic defending."
And West Brom's reward for that courage and heroism, following Lee Hughes' extra time winner, is a fourth round tie with Manchester United - a glamour clash Albion boss Gary Megson didn't exactly expect to have to prepare for.
"You look at the way the game was going and you think if they score, they'll gain the momentum, which they did," said Megson. "We tried to change it about ten minutes from the end of normal time because I couldn't see us just holding out for half an hour in extra time."
So it's back to the big time, briefly, for the Baggies although it's anybody's guess what side Sir Alex Ferguson will put out this time. But a new-look XI still had more than Leeds could handle the other night and what a thriller it was at Elland Road as the big guns definitely took the competition seriously.
After a ding-dong battle which was finally settled by Eric Djemba-Djemba's extra-time winner, Fergie admitted: "I couldn't envisage us winning the game at half time. Leeds could have been two or three up at half time, but once they did score we started to play.
"I felt it was the type of game that if we win, fine, but if not, it was good experience for the young players," added Fergie who will no doubt use the West Brom clash in the next round as another opportunity to send out his young guns.
Premiership title rival Arsene Wenger did likewise, as we predicted, and his even younger starting eleven only just squeezed through against a gutsy Rotherham side.
The fourth round draw has certainly set up a south coast sizzler with rivals Southampton and Portsmouth being paired together - to the delight of Pompey boss Harry Redknapp who described it as an 'amazing' draw.
Portsmouth, who beat Nottingham Forest in extra time last night, said: "I think it's true to say if there wasn't Carling Cup fever on the south coast before, there certainly will be now.
"It's an amazing draw and it'll be a big game for everyone on the south coast, but we have a lot of big games coming up and we've also got to keep our focus on where we're going in the league. But our fans will be looking forward to playing Southampton for sure."
FOURTH ROUND DRAW
Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
Reading v Chelsea
Tottenham v Manchester City
Southampton v Portsmouth
Liverpool v Bolton
West Brom v Manchester United
Arsenal v Wolves
Middlesbrough v Everton
* Ties to be played week commencing 1st December 2003
