FA Cup preview: 32 teams left looking for silverware
FA Cup Fourth Round preview
The English FA Cup resumes this weekend with places in the round of 16 up for grabs across various centres in England.
Only three Premier League teams failed to make it into the fourth round, namely Arsenal after a penalty shoot-out loss to Manchester United, Brentford fell 1-0 to Plymouth Argyle and West Ham United were knocked out by Aston Villa.
As we get ready for 16 games for this weekend, Rant Sports has previewed five key matches to look out for.
Manchester United vs Leicester City
Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to return to a familiar ground where he shone as a player and most recently as an interim coach before becoming Leicester City manager.
The last time the Foxes made a trip to Old Trafford in the Premier League back in November, it ended in a 3-0 win in favour of the Red Devils.
Friday’s outing provides an opportunity Leicester City to delight their fans and get a sigh of relief as they struggle to beat the Premier League drop.
Van Nistelrooy’s men cruised to a 6-2 win the last time in the FA Cup in January while United needed a penalty shoot-out to overcome Arsenal after a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium.
Brighton vs Chelsea
Following a 7-0 bashing against Nottingham Forest last Saturday, Brighton will hope to make amends and delight their supporters with an improved result and a win.
Chelsea, on their part, put in a spirited performance against West Ham United on Monday to fight back from a goal deficit to claim a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.
Saturday’s encounter at the Amex Stadium is tipped to be a keenly contested one, as both teams have been impressive in the Premier League this season.
Earlier in the FA Cup, Fabian Hurzeler’s side trumped Norwich City 4-0 in the third round and Chelsea made light work of League Two outfit Morecambe with a 5-0 triumph.
Stoke City vs Cardiff City
Stoke City and Cardiff are unarguably struggling for results in the Championship this season and they are separated by just a point with relegation staring at them.
Cardiff were humiliated 7-0 at Leeds last Saturday as Stoke City emerged 2-1 winners at Hull.
Four of the last five games between the two teams have ended in draws, however, Saturday’s game must produce a winner to progress to the round of 16.
Back in January, Cian Ashford scored the only goal that handed Cardiff City a 1-0 victory against Sheffield United while Stoke City had to wait deep into extra-time to defeat Sunderland 2-1.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur find themselves struggling for results in the Premier League but they could boost their chance for a silverware this season by advancing in the FA Cup against Aston Villa.
Spurs are in the running for the UEFA Europa League and EFL League Cup but they face an uphill task at Villa Park to be in contention for the oldest cup in the world.
Aston Villa’s dynamic midfield talents got the job done against West Ham in the third round, courtesy of goals from Amadou Onana and Morgan Rogers while Tottenham survived a stern test from Tamworth to win 3-0 after 120 minutes of football.
The most recent game between Spurs and Villa ended 4-1 in favour of Ange Postecoglou’s team in November
Full Fixtures: Friday, February 7
Manchester United v Leicester City
Time: 3pm EST
Venue: Old Trafford
Full Fixtures: Saturday, February 8
Leyton Orient v Manchester City
Time: 7.15am EST
Venue: Brisbane Road
Leeds United v Millwall
Time: 7.15am EST
Venue: Elland Road
Coventry v Ipswich Town
Time: 10am EST
Venue: Coventry Building Society Arena
Preston North End v Wycombe Wanderers
Time: 10am EST
Venue: Deepdale
Stoke City v Cardiff City
Time: 10am EST
Venue: bet365 Stadium
Southampton v Burnley
Time: 10am EST
Venue: St. Mary’s Stadium
Everton v Bournemouth
Time: 10am EST
Venue: Goodison Park
Wigan Athletic v Fulham
Time: 10am EST
Venue: Brick Community Stadium
Birmingham v Newcastle United
Time: 12.45pm EST
Venue: St. Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium
Brighton & Hove Albion v Chelsea
Time: 3pm EST
Venue: American Express (Amex) Stadium
Full Fixtures: Sunday, February 9
Blackburn Rovers v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Time: 7.30am EST
Venue: Ewood Park
Plymouth Argyle v Liverpool
Time: 10am EST
Venue: Home Park Stadium
Aston Villa v Tottenham
Time: 12.35pm EST
Venue: Villa Park
Full Fixtures: Monday, February 10
Doncaster Rovers v Crystal Palace
Time: 2.45pm EST
Venue: Eco-Power Stadium
Full Fixtures: Tuesday, February 11
Exeter City v Nottingham Forest
Time: 3pm EST
Venue: St James Park
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