Wayne Rooney has fought back the tears after watching his younger brother John Rooney guide Macclesfield to perhaps the biggest shock in FA Cup history by knocking out holders Crystal Palace in the third round.
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National League North side Macclesfield became the first side from the sixth tier of the English football pyramid to knock out a Premier League team with their 2-1 victory at their incredulous 5900-capacity Moss Rose ground in the northwest of England on Saturday.
The Silkmen, reformed in 2020 after Macclesfield Town were wound up, sit 117 places below Palace but still out-fought and out-thought a flat Eagles side to make new history for a club rising from the ashes of the old.
Macclesfield deservedly led 2-0 through captain Paul Dawson's first-half header and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, before Yeremy Pino pulled one back for Palace in the 90th minute -- too little, too late.
It left England great Rooney telling the BBC: "I'm getting emotional... to see my younger brother, who's not long been a manager, beat a Premier League team.... I'm so proud.
"It's such an achievement. What he's achieved today, absolutely superb."
It was the first time the holders had lost to non-league opposition since Palace themselves beat Wolves back in 1909 while in the Southern League.
John Rooney, who was a player at the club too, admitted he couldn't believe his side were winning in the closing stages.
"When we got later on in the game, we were thinking about slowing it down. I never thought we'd be in that situation. We still can't believe it. Can't get my head around it.
"I thought it was incredible from the first minute. The message at halftime was to manage the game. Can we slow the game down? But I didn't see that coming. But, you know, I thought we were well-deserved winners. I thought we were incredible to a man."
It was a hugely emotional win, too, with the manager paying tribute to the club's former forward Ethan McLeod, who died aged 21 in a car accident last month when driving back from the game at Bedford.
"We've all stuck together through it. It's never, ever going to get easier. We've still got pictures up in the changing rooms that never go. It's been really tough," he said.
Elsewhere, there was not much FA Cup romance as seven-time winners Manchester City hammered third division Exeter 10-1, matching the club's biggest victory, with new signing Antoine Semenyo grabbing a debut goal and an assist.
2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri was among their scorers too, while Rico Lewis bagged a double.
Chelsea marked new coach Liam Rosenior's first match in charge by beating second-tier Charlton Athletic 5-1.
Defender Jorrel Hato and Tosin Adarabioyo scored either side of halftime for a heavily rotated Chelsea before Marc Guiu and substitutes Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez added more goals.
A spirited second-half rally could not prevent Tottenham exiting after a 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa to further increase the pressure on coach Thomas Frank.
A cup run bought Frank's predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, time last season, but first-half goals by Villa duo Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers were enough to inflict a fourth defeat from Tottenham's last seven matches.
Premier League Fulham trailed to Hayden Hackney's goal for Championship side Middlesbrough but second-half strikes from Harry Wilson, Emile Smith Rowe and Kevin wrapped up a 3-1 victory.
Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs saved penalties from James Garner, Thierno Barry and Beto to knock out Everton in an all-Premier League clash.
Garner had scored from the spot to cancel out Enzo Le Fee's strike and take the tie to penalties after a 1-1 draw, but the Black Cats won the shoot-out 3-0.
Australian Associated Press
