FA Cup magic returns as the quarter-finals deliver giant-killings

The round in numbers

There is nothing quite like the FA Cup's third-round weekend, and this year's edition served up the full menu: penalties, late winners and a non-league fairytale that has captured the national imagination.

The giant-killings have come with a familiar rhythm — a packed away end, a febrile atmosphere and a first-half goal that forces the favourites to chase the game on a pitch that was never built for it.

For the managers of the league's biggest clubs, the cup remains a balance: the romance is real, but so is the fixture congestion. The fans, as ever, feel differently.

• Three lower-league sides reached the quarter-finals
• The biggest shock came via a stoppage-time winner
• A record number of goals scored in the opening round

The magic is not gone. It was just waiting for a weekend like this.