Casemiro's late winner kept Manchester United in with a chance of ending a disappointing season with silverware as Erik ten Hag's men edged past Nottingham Forest to set up an FA Cup quarter-final clash with Liverpool.
Ten Hag won the Carabao Cup during a promising first campaign but has come under increasing pressure during a troubled second season that threatened to unravel if they lost at the City Ground.
But last year's FA Cup finalists dug deep and Casemiro turned home Bruno Fernandes' free-kick at the death to secure a 1-0 win against Forest and set-up a mouth-watering quarter-final at Old Trafford.
The 89th-minute winner, which took several minutes to clear by the VAR, keeps United's season alive having been dumped out of Europe in December and long since played themselves out of the Premier League title race.
CASEEEEEE 🇧🇷
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 28, 2024
The Brazilian puts it all on the line to give @ManUtd a late lead!#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/FrNtI56wEa
Victory also provides a welcome shot in the arm for injury-hit United, who not only bounced back from the home loss to Fulham but avoided extra-time exertions before this weekend's derby clash with Manchester City.
Jurgen Klopp's kids did him proud again as Lewis Koumas scored on debut and fellow 18-year-old Jayden Danns registered his first two goals as a depleted Liverpool side beat Southampton 3-0 at Anfield - coming just three days after an exhausting 120-minute Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea.
Whether the academy players will be required for the quarter-final at Manchester United on the weekend of 16-17 March will depend on how fast the club can rehabilitate the 13 players currently injured in the next fortnight but regardless they have done their job.
Koumas, son of former Tranmere and West Brom midfielder Jason, was one of six players 21 or under in the team.
And it was one of his fellow academy colleagues Bobby Clark, one year his senior and making his 10th appearance, who supplied the assist just before half-time.
Danns, the son of former Crystal Palace midfielder Neil and who only made his debut at Wembley, came off the bench to score the second in the 73rd minute which allowed Anfield to breathe a sigh of relief.
That allowed Klopp the luxury of sending on Trey Nyoni, who at 16 years and 243 days became the club's youngest player in the competition and third youngest in the club's history.
JAYDEN DANNS THAT IS CHEEKY 🫢
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 28, 2024
Another @LFC academy graduate grabs their first goal for the club! 🔴#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/DaDU5X4s5g
That was the signal for the party atmosphere to kick in with the Kop singing "we haven't won a trophy - since Sunday afternoon" - just before Danns fired home his second in the 88th minute after goalkeeper Joe Lumley parried Conor Bradley's drive.
Southampton, however, were left ruing a missed opportunity against under-strength opponents having created enough chances in the opening half-hour to have made life difficult for their hosts but Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhoin Kelleher came away from the game with another clean sheet.
Chelsea survived a scare as Conor Gallagher came off the bench to score a last-minute winner and seal a 3-2 victory over Leeds at Stamford Bridge.
The substitute lashed the ball past the visitors' goalkeeper Illan Meslier to grab what had looked an unlikely victory for much of the game, never more so than when the Blues fell behind inside eight minutes to the first of two goals from Mateo Joseph.
Mauricio Pochettino's side rallied and looked to have put their woeful start behind them when first Nicolas Jackson and then Mykhailo Mudryk netted to send them in 2-1 up at the break.
Leeds would not lie down easy though, and Joseph headed them level after evading Trevoh Chalobah at the far post on the hour mark.
The home support bubbled with disquiet, sensing another cup mishap after Sunday's Carabao Cup final loss to Liverpool.
Then came Gallagher's late intervention to keep hopes of a Wembley return in May alive. Chelsea will be at home to Leicester City in the quarter-finals.
Mario Lemina fired Wolves into the quarters after a nervy 1-0 win over Brighton.
The hosts reached the last eight for just the second time in 21 years and the first time since 2019, when they made the semi-finals.
There is now a path to Wembley for O'Neil's side, who will host Championship side Coventry in the next round, but they lived dangerously at Molineux.
Facundo Buonanotte wasted a fine opening and goalkeeper Jason Steele, up for a late corner, missed the chance to take the tie extra time.
But last season's semi-finalists - who dominated for long spells - could not find a way back from conceding the winner after just 77 seconds.
Brighton - missing eight regular starters including Ireland striker Evan Ferguson (striker) Solly March, Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma and James Milner - were already underdogs even before going behind early.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde's fine turn sent him scampering away from Jan Paul van Hecke down the left and Steele could only flap at his deflected cross.
Lemina and Pervis Estupinan arrived at the far post, with the Wolves midfielder reacting first to slide the ball in at the second attempt.
Quarter-final draw
(Games to be played 16/17 March)
Wolverhampton v Coventry City
Manchester United v Liverpool
Chelsea v Leicester City
Manchester City v Newcastle United
