Holders Liverpool and last season's runners-up Manchester United were both knocked out of the League Cup in the fourth round on Wednesday by Bolton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion respectively.
Liverpool, fielding a strong side, went down 3-2 at Anfield as Youri Djorkaeff scored a last-minute penalty for Bolton while United, using a mixture of youth players and reserves, were deservedly beaten 2-0 at first division leaders Albion.
Premier league leaders Chelsea also advanced with a 1-0 win at first division Reading, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink getting the only goal after goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann had kept them at bay for almost an hour.
Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester City 3-1, helped by a first goal for the club by 6.75 million pounds ($11.67 million) Portuguese striker Helder Postiga, while Aston Villa eased past first division Crystal Palace 3-0 to set up a home quarter-final against Chelsea.
The night's other game went to penalties after Middlesbrough and Everton were goalless for 120 minutes at The Riverside, Boro eventually going through 5-4 in the shoot-out after Mark Schwarzer saved substitute Leon Osman's kick.
They will visit Tottenham in the next round.
Manchester United showed 10 changes from the team beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in the premier league on Sunday and the new-look team were overpowered by in-form Albion, the only non-premier league side left in the quarter-finals.
West Brom, who knocked Newcastle United out in the last round, went ahead after six minutes with an expertly executed mid-air volley by Bernt Haas but were denied a second when Roy Carroll brilliantly saved a Jason Koumas penalty in the 24th minute.
Danny Dichio hit the bar with a header for West Brom early in the second half while Kleberson's curler, well saved by Russell Hoult, was the best of United's efforts.
The game was settled in the 56th minute when substitute Scott Dobie, on the pitch for less than a minute, glanced in a clever header.
"One or two big names not there but right the way through they are a quality team," West Brom manager Gary Megson said of the visitors.
"You can understand United putting the team out they did but this is an important competition for us and that was a great result."
West Brom's reward is a home quarter-final against Arsenal, who thrashed Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-1 on Tuesday.
A Mario Jardel header after four minutes had Bolton ahead at Anfield but Danny Murphy equalised in the 66th minute.
Jay-Jay Okocha's superb free kick restored Bolton's lead in the 79th minute only for Vladimir Smicer to level again in the 88th.
Salif Diao then brought down Kevin Davies in the box and former French international Djorkaeff kept his cool to score with the resulting penalty.
"It's an enormous result for Bolton," said manager Sam Allardyce, whose side will host Southampton in the last eight.
Tottenham seemed to be cruising after Darren Anderton and Postiga had them 2-0 up at halftime at White Hart Lane.
Robbie Fowler pulled one back after a defensive howler by Gary Doherty 10 minutes from time and City launched a furious late assault only to be caught out on the break as Freddie Kanoute got Spurs's third in injury time.