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Angelo Ogbonna broke Scouser hearts seconds away from a penalty shoot out during extra time against Liverpool in an enthralling and entertaining FA Cup 4th round replay that saw both sides able to win the tie. Hammers prevailed in the end in what some would see as a Karmic balance of a footballing match, of course the last time both teams met in the FA Cup proper was the 2006 Gerrard/Scaloni Cup final, a match that still has the West Germany 3-2 England 1970 Mexico world cup finals parallel firmly embedded in certain Hammers fans memories.

West Ham: Randolph, O'Brien, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Obiang, Antonio, Kouyate, Payet, Valencia.
Subs: Adrian, Carroll, Collins, Moses, Oxford, Cullen, Parfitt-Williams.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Flanagan, Lucas, Ilori, Smith, Stewart, Chirivella, Teixeira, Coutinho, Ibe, Benteke.
Subs: Ward, Enrique, Milner, Henderson, Sturridge, Origi, Randall.

It is a strange anomaly, that while Barclays Premier League teams are intoxicated by the fiscal windfall they are about to receive, that they may have taken their eye of the proverbial ball! The signs were there when Chinese clubs were the biggest shakers and movers in the transfer market recently, but because they are not party to the same legislation as European clubs, they are allowed to sign players outside of the transfer window. This situation does ask the question as to the possible advantage the Chinese clubs have over their European competitors.