Villa a formidable roadblock in Chelsea’s pursuit of cup double
Aston Villa have already won at Stamford Bridge once this season
Chelsea vs Aston Villa – 7.45pm, Friday
Chelsea have already set up a Carabao Cup final with Liverpool this week. It will be a repeat of their 2022 Wembley showdown, which the Reds edged on penalties. They did the same in the FA Cup final at the end of that season – and both clubs will have eyes on going all the way in this competition again too.
For Mauricio Pochettino a cup success of any sort feels almost essential if he is to launch this Chelsea project in a meaningful way. While their inconsistent Premier League form looks set to lead to another underwhelming campaign, a trophy lift would be a fillip and something for his young side to build on.
However, standing in their way this Friday night is a side far more formidable than the Middlesbrough team they swept aside in midweek. Villa have already won at the Bridge this season and have lost just two of their last 21 games in all competitions. Add in cup-specialist Unai Emery’s tactical nous and it is clear Chelsea have a huge task on their hands to maintain their cup-run momentum and make this a potentially pivotal week.
Peter Smith
Can Forest’s distractions allow Bristol City to strike again?
Bristol City’s Tommy Conway scored the only goal of their FA Cup third-round replay win over West Ham
Bristol City vs Nottingham Forest – 7.45pm, Friday
Bristol City’s 38-year-old boss Liam Manning was still in primary school the last time his side saw off an opponent of West Ham’s stature as they did in the last round of this competition.
That was Graeme Souness’ Liverpool, back in 1994, and the Reds were evidently so shocked they sacked the club legend the following day.
In the three decades since, Huddersfield’s David Wagner, in 2019, is the only Premier League manager to taste the bitter pill of an FA Cup humbling at the hands of the Robins… and that was their ninth consecutive defeat in all competitions.
Just 10 days after David Moyes’ side finally joined those ranks, now Bristol City will be hoping the domineering main stand at Ashton Gate can invite lightning to strike twice against Nottingham Forest on Friday.
On paper Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are favourites, arriving as they do having beaten Newcastle and Man Utd in their last three Premier League games.
But for a club whose legacy is built on its trophy cabinet, there are bigger issues at play with the outcome of the hearing into their PSR breaches to come at some point this season.
The degree of their excess spending is unknown, so the manner of the punishment to follow is anyone’s guess.
But using the 10-point deduction handed down to Everton earlier this season, there must be a fear of similar, if less severe, sanctions around the City Ground.
And with that in mind, a four-point cushion above the relegation zone feels rather fragile. Premier League survival is the Forest’s sole concern this season – and the FA Cup presents far more of a priority to their mid-table Championship hosts.
Ron Walker
Will Maddison return continue Man City’s horror record at Spurs?
Tottenham vs Manchester City – 8pm, Friday
Man City have lost and failed to score in each their five visits to Tottenham’s new stadium and they may just be playing Ange Postecoglou’s side at the wrong time as they make Friday’s trip south.
That is because James Maddison is back for Tottenham after a three-month injury absence. Before his ankle blow, Spurs were unbeaten at the top of the Premier League and his injury sparked back-to-back defeats before they fell out of the top four.
Maddison was the most creative Premier League player before his injury. Even though he has spent the last three months out, he still has the most chances created per 90 minutes than any Premier League player to play over 800 minutes.
Postecoglou’s Spurs do not actually need a creativity boost – they had 16 shots in their 2-2 draw at Manchester United and have lost just once in their last seven games.
But with the likes of Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner in need of a creative fulcrum as they struggle for goals, Maddison could be the boost Spurs’ top-four and trophy-chasing ambitions need.
Sam Blitz
Remarkable Maidstone enter the dream factory
Ipswich vs Maidstone – 12.30pm, Saturday
When Maidstone United rocked up at Steyning Town in the FA Cup second qualifying round in September who knew it would be the start of a journey that has catapulted them into the national spotlight. But that is the beauty of this competition. Teams have the chance to dream. The unremarkable nature of a fixture with Steyning Town can quickly become the remarkable.
Six games later – and Maidstone United head to Ipswich Town, on the hunt for a giant-killing.
Managed by former Wolves man George Elokobi, the National League South side are the lowest-ranked team left in the competition.
Such dizzy heights of the FA Cup fourth round would have been an impossible dream for a club that went out of business in 1992 and had to regroup in the Kent County League Fourth Division. It has been a steady climb back. The likes of Warren Barton and Chris Smalling have come through the ranks while promotion was finally secured back to the National League in 2016. Last season’s relegation back to the sixth tier has somewhat disrupted that trajectory but the club have stuck with the inspirational figure of Elokobi and have struck gold in this competition.
With Ipswich running hot in the Championship, this is where the Maidstone story is likely to end. Yet, this is the FA Cup. The dream factory where remarkable results occur. They couldn’t, could they?
Lewis Jones
Will Calvert-Lewin be played into form?
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s only home goal this term was against Luton
Everton vs Luton – 3pm, Saturday
For all the uncertainty surrounding their Premier League status, Everton boss Sean Dyche will be happy to put that particular fight to one side again this weekend in search of a place in the fifth round.
The Toffees have a strong recent record when it comes to FA Cup matches at Goodison Park, winning 11 of their last 14 home games in the competition, including their last outing 10 days ago against Crystal Palace to set up Saturday’s home tie against Luton Town.
Rob Edwards’ side have fond memories of travelling to Merseyside as back in September they recorded their first Premier League victory. Everton’s consolation that day in a 2-1 loss was scored by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but it remains the striker’s solitary goal this term in front of his own fans.
Given how January has been dominated by headlines concerning a second PSR charge, the spotlight has been taken off Calvert-Lewin’s struggles to get back to form after two stop-start seasons.
Dyche resisted calls to take the 26-year-old out of the firing line against Palace following the 10th big chance missed in the goalless draw with Aston Villa, which perhaps says more about his understudies Youssef Chermiti and Beto.
Despite not scoring for the 14th straight game – stretching back to October – Calvert-Lewin’s overall display was far more encouraging. The majority of a sold-out Goodison will hope Dyche’s continual show of faith in his first-choice striker pays off.
Ben Grounds
Another must-win cup game for Newcastle?
Newcastle beat 10-player Fulham 3-0 in the Premier League
Fulham vs Newcastle – 7pm, Saturday
Newcastle’s tie at Sunderland in the previous round was the match Eddie Howe dare not lose. But while victory brought a desperately-needed respite from the mounting pressure on his stretched squad, a last-gasp loss at home to Manchester City returned a familiar feeling.
Newcastle performed well for long periods but, with energy sapped, were eventually undone in the end. It is a storyline their fans have seen too many times this season.
A week on, the hope will be the FA Cup can once again be another pick-me-up. They may have caught Fulham at a vulnerable moment, too, with Marco Silva’s side wounded from Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final exit to Liverpool.
Last season we saw the impact a cup run can have for Newcastle, with their Carabao Cup streak enthralling the city. Those Newcastle fans dare not look too far ahead right now – especially with a Premier League trip to Aston Villa looming – but the magic of this cup could keep their season alive. It is an opportunity they cannot afford to miss.
Peter Smith
High stakes in long-awaited Black Country derby
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Gary O’Neil says that both Pablo Sarabia and Rayan Ait-Nouri should be fit to be in the squad to play West Brom in the FA Cup.
West Brom vs Wolves – 11.45am, Sunday
It is an early start on Sunday for this one with the game kicking off at 11.45am but expect an intense occasion at The Hawthorns as West Bromwich Albion host Wolverhampton Wanderers. It is 12 years since the Black Country derby was played in front of fans.
That meeting saw the Baggies thrash Wolves 5-1 at Molineux and Mick McCarthy sacked as a result. The fortunes of the two have flipped since then with Wolves impressing in the Premier League under Gary O’Neil while Albion find themselves in the Championship.
Wolves are unbeaten in six games since beating Chelsea on Christmas Eve and have the potency to cause any team problems with the in-form Matheus Cunha and the fit-again Pedro Neto in attack. Craig Dawson will face a hot reception against his former club.
But Carlos Corberan will be optimistic, having won four home games in a row to have his side in the play-off positions, and the atmosphere should be electric. Wolves have not won at The Hawthorns for 28 years and West Brom will defend that derby record with pride.
Both managers, both sets of supporters, will be looking forward to this – but they will be wary too. Victory in this fixture could set up a season, bringing momentum that carries beyond the cup tie. Defeat could deflate and even derail. The stakes are high.
Adam Bate
Reds’ Quadruple push continues against Canaries
Liverpool vs Norwich City – 2.30pm, Sunday
Liverpool fans are starting to get a feeling of deja vu about this season as the more the campaign progresses, the more it resembles that of 2021/22 when Jurgen Klopp’s side were within only two games of winning it all.
In the end, the Reds had to settle for a domestic cup double after just missing out on the Premier League and Champions League, overcoming Chelsea on penalties in both finals – the same opponents they take on at Wembley in the Carabao Cup next month.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg between Fulham and Liverpool at Craven Cottage
This weekend, though, sees Liverpool play Norwich City at Anfield in the FA Cup fourth round – they were also incidentally drawn against the Canaries in the FA Cup quarter-finals two years ago – as the Reds look to maintain their push for the Quadruple.
Klopp has been a master of rotation so far this season, managing his at times limited resources brilliantly, so expect the German to once again ring the changes ahead of key league clashes with Chelsea and Arsenal.
However, see off an improving Norwich team on Sunday lunchtime and Liverpool will keep alive the dream of a history-making Quadruple come May…
Richard Morgan
Can Newport scupper Man Utd trophy hopes?
Man Utd reached the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 third-round win at Wigan
Newport vs Man Utd – 4.30pm, Sunday
While the Sir Jim Ratcliffe revolution has brought a renewed sense of optimism to Old Trafford, on the pitch, there remains very little by way of stimulation for Manchester United fans.
Already out of European competition, the odds look stacked against Erik ten Hag’s side qualifying for the Champions League via a top-four finish.
United head to Newport looking to take a step towards FA Cup salvation, but with a forgettable campaign a cupset defeat away from fizzling out in January, the trip to South Wales is riddled with jeopardy.
The FA Cup draw gods have looked down favourably on Ten Hag’s side, with a trip to League Two Newport bestowed upon United after labouring past League One Wigan.
But with the unconvincing nature of their third-round victory the latest episode in a season plagued with inconsistency, Newport presents a sizeable obstacle, providing they can once again punch above their weight like they have so often in cup competitions.
Jack Wilkinson
Dragons’ Cup run has the Wrex-Factor
Tom O’Connor (far right) scored the winning goal for Wrexham at Shrewsbury
Blackburn vs Wrexham – 7.30pm, Monday
The Hollywood story at Wrexham is showing no signs of slowing down – and now they are looking to revive past FA Cup glories.
It has been three years since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s extraordinary takeover of the Welsh side but over 32 years since their historic cup victory over George Graham’s top-flight winners Arsenal.
Wrexham’s 2-1 victory at the Racecourse Ground remains one of the most famous FA Cup upsets in history and after negotiating ties against Mansfield, Yeovil and Shrewsbury this season, the latest stop on their cup adventure sees them visit the Championship’s Blackburn.
Phil Parkinson’s Dragons sit second in League Two, looking for back-to-back promotions, with star striker Paul Mullin on 10 league goals although midfielder Elliot Lee has been grabbing the headlines with his 13 strikes.
They will be backed by 7,000 travelling fans at Ewood Park against an out-of-form Blackburn side with just one win in 10 league games. The cameras are rolling…
David Richardson