Key talking points ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-finals
Liverpool and Manchester United meet in a heavyweight clash, while Coventry are the lowest-ranked side remaining.
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Your support makes all the difference.The FA Cup returns this weekend as the remaining sides look to seal a semi-final trip to Wembley.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the main talking points around the four fixtures.
Can underdogs Coventry tame Wolves?
The lowest-ranked side left in the competition travel to Gary O’Neil’s impressive Wolves on Saturday lunchtime looking to cause an upset. Coventry sit eighth in the Sky Bet Championship and are hoping to return to Wembley, where they suffered an agonising play-off final defeat to Luton at the end of last season. The Sky Blues are dreaming of a first FA Cup semi-final since they went on to win it 1987, while Wolves are determined to reach the last four for the first time since 2019.
Newcastle attempt to dump City out of another cup
Treble winners Manchester City had dreamt of making it a quadruple this season, but Newcastle had other ideas. Alexander Isak’s goal knocked Pep Guardiola’s men out of the Carabao Cup in September and the Magpies have the chance to end their other domestic cup campaign on Saturday night. The FA Cup holders are favourites to progress at the Etihad Stadium, but they will have to do without star playmaker Kevin De Bruyne through injury.
Leicester try to give Chelsea the blues
The Foxes’ main focus is making an immediate return to the Premier League, but Sunday offers the Championship leaders a free hit and break from their stuttering promotion push. Enzo Maresca’s men had looked dominant until a month ago, losing three and drawing one of their last five league matches. The 2021 FA Cup winners travel to a Chelsea side looking to put a poor Premier League campaign behind them and continue towards another final. Mauricio Pochettino’s side suffered an extra-time defeat to Liverpool in February’s Carabao Cup final and will look to avoid a shock slip-up at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool look to compound Man United’s misery
The quarter-final weekend ends with the most mouth-watering fixture as bitter rivals Manchester United and Liverpool go toe-to-toe. Jurgen Klopp’s men already have one cup under their belt this season and have the chance to end United’s last hope of silverware in his penultimate visit to Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag is under pressure after a poor season impacted by a swathe of injuries and progress to the semi-finals would be a huge shot in the arm. If United lose, there is sure to be plenty of talk about his future throughout the international break as ambitious Ineos look to turn the club around.