Liverpool ended their 85-year Manchester United jinx when a first-half Peter Crouch header gave them a deserved 1-0 win in the FA Cup fifth round at Anfield on Saturday.
They will be joined in the quarter-finals by Newcastle United, who beat second division Southampton 1-0 with a goal by Kieron Dyer in his first start since August following his recovery from a mystery illness.
Third division Brentford, who beat Sunderland in the last round, went out after a 3-1 defeat at Charlton Athletic while Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United drew 0-0 in a turgid all-Premier clash at the Reebok Stadium.
Liverpool had not beaten United in nine FA Cup ties spanning 85 years, including the 1996 and 1977 finals, but were always in command of a shot-shy lunchtime kick off.
United, record 11-times winners of the Cup and runners-up last season, were desperately disappointing despite fielding an attacking side and Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina was not forced to make a worthwhile save on his return from suspension.
Although Liverpool face Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, coach Raphael Benitez also put out a full-strength side who took control of midfield from the start.
EXCELLENT HEADER
The goal came in the 19th minute when a deep Steve Finnan cross reached an unmarked Crouch whose excellent header went in off both posts.
United failed to make any impression in the first half and were only marginally more involved in the second despite the addition of halftime substitutes Louis Saha and Alan Smith after 77 minutes.
Their first serious shot on goal did not arrive until the 80th minute when Ryan Giggs drove a right-footer over the bar.
Last month United grabbed a last-minute 1-0 league win at Old Trafford and they had also scored two late goals to snatch a 2-1 win in the teams' last FA Cup meeting in United's 1999 treble year.
This time, even with seven minutes of added time, there was to be no comeback.
That extra time was a result of lengthy treatment for Smith, who landed in agony after trying to block a John Arne Riise shot late in normal time and suffered a broken leg and dislocated ankle .
"It's a really bad one and it's going to be very long term -- it is one of the worst I have seen," United manager Alex Ferguson told MUTV.
Ferguson also claimed that Liverpool had played for "only five minutes", felt his side had dominated the second half and said the luck had been against them.
Match-winner Crouch said of his goal: "Liverpool against Man United is probably the biggest fixture in English football and so to get the winner is something special.
"We were heartbroken to lose in the last minute at Old Trafford in the league and so this makes up for that and I thought we deserved it overall," he told the Liverpool website.
Newcastle, who sacked manager Graeme Souness two weeks ago, kept their season alive by reaching the last eight for the sixth time in 10 years.
They dominated the first half but Southampton's 18-year-old Polish goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski was equal to their efforts, saving particularly well from Shola Ameobi and then aided by the post when Jean-Alain Boumsong beat him to a corner.
He could do little about the goal in the 68th-minute, however, as Charles N'Zogbia's break set up Dyer to tuck home.
The four remaining fifth round games will be played on Sunday, including Chelsea at home to third division Colchester United and an all-Premier clash between Aston Villa and Manchester City.
The draw for the quarter-finals takes place on Monday.
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