FA Cup fifth round talking points: Man Utd take on a matured Fulham, Plymouth eye giant-slaying at Man City | Football Newsnews24

Stars aligning for Villa to end wait for silverware?

Aston Villa vs Cardiff City, Friday, 8pm

“We are not a contender in the FA Cup to win the title.”

Those are strong words from the Villa boss ahead of Friday’s clash at home against Cardiff in the fifth round.

Villa have been spinning plates throughout the entire campaign with Champions League progression and qualification through their position in the Premier League the priority.

However, the volume of games have taken their toll. Tuesday’s 4-1 defeat to Crystal Palace marked an opportunity wasted to move into the top six, and with Newcastle, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Man City, Fulham and Brighton now ahead of them in the race, they face an uphill battle to keep their spot amongst Europe’s elite.

Whether he is just tempering expectations or truly believes his side are not in the running to end their nearly 30-year wait for silverware remains to be seen – but is it wrong to suggest the FA Cup represents Villa’s best chance at capping off an already historic season? Emery certainly does not think so.

“It is a way for a trophy, a way for Europe, in the Europa League,” he continued. “It could be (the best way).”

Man City are faltering, Newcastle go head-to-head with Brighton, Man Utd are their own worst enemies and Nottingham Forest face top-flight opposition in Ipswich.

Villa have lifted the trophy on seven different occasions and the stars could now be aligning to make it eight.
Patrick Rowe

South London bragging rights up for grabs

Crystal Palace vs Millwall, Saturday, 12.15pm

Just a park and a stretch of Copers Cope Road separate the Crystal Palace and Millwall training grounds in a leafy part of south London.

For the first time in three years, the two clubs meet in a competitive game, having been regular adversaries before the Eagles’ promotion to the Premier League. Perhaps more importantly, local bragging rights are up for grabs.

Crystal Palace currently hold them. In January 2022, goals from Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta saw Crystal Palace to a 2-1 FA Cup win. In fact, Millwall’s last win against their local rivals stretches back to New Year’s Day 2011 in the Championship, when they won 3-0 at The Den.

Neither side head into this one on a particularly stunning run of form – but both picked up wins in their last games. Crystal Palace thrashed Europe-chasing Aston Villa, while Millwall beat struggling Derby.

Oliver Glasner’s side have beaten all of their lower-league opposition so far in the competition, and will be the favourites as a Premier League team, but Millwall beat high-flying Leeds in the last round.

And with the unpredictability of the FA Cup, added to a local derby, anything can happen.

Whatever the outcome, this game will have intensity and one almighty atmosphere at Selhurst Park. Certainly a fifth-round tie not to miss.
Charlotte Marsh

All-Championship battle as Lancashire rivals go head-to-head

Preston vs Burnley, Saturday, 12.15pm

Among the eight FA Cup fifth round ties, four will be contested by teams from the Premier League, three will feature one Premier League team and one Championship team, but just one will feature two from the second tier: Preston vs Burnley.

There will doubtless be more fashionable ties to take in over the weekend but, if you didn’t know, these are teams with a rich history in the FA Cup; between them, they have appeared in the final 10 times and won the trophy on three occasions. Not forgetting just over 20 miles separates them.

Both league encounters this season have ended goalless. Eight yellow cards were produced in a bad-tempered affair at Turf Moor in October – when North End striker Emil Riis had an early strike incorrectly ruled out for offside – and there were another five less than a fortnight ago, when the Clarets kept their 11th clean sheet in a row in the return meeting.

At this late stage of the competition, whether progress will be detrimental to league form goes out of the window, to an extent. Burnley are right in the automatic promotion mix, but reached the quarter-finals in 2022/23, when they won the Championship under Vincent Kompany. Preston, meanwhile, are sat in 15th, with slim hopes of reaching the play-offs diminishing by the week. As a result, they have little to lose, particularly having not reached the last eight since 1965/66.

That said, when you factor in the fact Burnley have conceded just 12 goals in 37 games in all competitions this term – an average of 0.32 per game – the task at hand becomes a little more daunting.
Dan Long

Potential in the cup for the Cherries

Bournemouth vs Wolves, Saturday, 3pm

Bournemouth’s form in recent weeks has faltered. They remain in touching distance of the European spots but three losses in their last five league games has invited other interested parties for fourth and fifth. One of those losses was at the hands of their fifth-round opponents, Wolves.

However, there’s no question that a potential trip to Wembley lies within Bournemouth’s reach. Their FA Cup displays so far have been a blend of both professional and impressive. A thrashing of League One side Wigan was followed up by raining on Goodison Park’s final taste of FA Cup football by easing past Everton.

Bournemouth have never got beyond the quarter-finals but the Cherries have shown that they are a side not to be reckoned with this year. Andoni Iraola will hope his side can get back on track with a win against Wolves.
William Bitibiri

Plymouth ‘Pil-Grim Reaper’ knocking at Man City’s door

Man City vs Plymouth, Saturday, 5.45pm

The Plymouth ‘pil-grim reaper’ will be knocking on the doors of the Etihad as they eye another giant-slaying.

A late Morgan Whittaker goal saw Plymouth overcome Brentford but when they were drawn against the Premier League leaders in Liverpool for the fifth round, there was a feeling their FA Cup race was run. However, the only place that didn’t believe that was Home Park. The Pilgrims were good value for their victory despite sitting bottom of the Championship at the time.

Plymouth’s fearsome counter style unnerved Arne Slot’s much-changed Liverpool side and it’s a style that Manchester City have shown they are far from comfortable with this campaign.

The Premier League title is out of the question and City crashing out of Europe means the FA Cup remains their only chance of silverware this season meaning you’d expect it to be one that Pep Guardiola’s side takes seriously.

Plymouth’s fortunes have improved somewhat in the league but a trip to City will offer another opportunity to create more FA Cup history.
William Bitibiri

Newcastle and Brighton meet in potential cup cracker

Newcastle vs Brighton, Sunday, 1.45pm

The FA Cup is opening up and Newcastle and Brighton will both know they have a huge chance to get back to Wembley in this competition this season – and this looks like a brilliant tie too tricky to call.

The visitors already have the psychological boost of having won at St James’ Park this season, with Danny Welbeck making the difference in October. He remains a key part of a Brighton attack which has helped fire Fabian Hurzeler’s side to four wins on the spin since their 7-0 thrashing at Nottingham Forest. The defensive restructuring since that game has also turned them into a daunting proposition right now.

But while Newcastle have failed to demonstrate their own considerable threat at Man City and Liverpool this month, they showed their own attacking thrust at home against Nottingham Forest last weekend in a 4-3 thriller and their place in the Carabao Cup final, courtesy of two wins over Arsenal in the semis, underlines their appetite to end their silverware wait this term.

Newcastle and Brighton – semi-finalists in the FA Cup in 2019 and 2023 – are now major players in this field reduced of Premier League heavyweights. But only one of them can take the next step into the quarters. The stage is set for a cup cracker.
Peter Smith

Man Utd to face matured Fulham in FA Cup repeat

Man Utd vs Fulham, Sunday, 4.30pm

The last time Man Utd and Fulham met in the FA Cup back two years ago, there were sparks.

The Cottagers were leading 1-0 before Willian’s handball on the goal line, Marco Silva’s touchline rage, then Aleksandar Mitrovic’s on-pitch anger saw the west Londoners reduced to nine men, allowing United to complete a 3-1 comeback win.

Fulham have shown a lot more maturity since then. Silva has turned his side into a newly-promoted outfit into one very much in the hunt for Europe. They have learned not to rely so much on one player such as Mitrovic, who gave them the lead at Old Trafford that day – while if xG decided Premier League games, the Cottagers would sit fourth in the table.

United, meanwhile, have arguably gone the other way. The club won two cup trophies in that 2022/23 season the last time they met Fulham, but this FA Cup arguably stands as their best chance of silverware to get the Ruben Amorim show on the road.

The stakes are high, so will tensions boil over again?
Sam Blitz

Forest and Ipswich – familiar foes with contrasting fortunes

Nottingham Forest vs Ipswich, Sunday, 7.30pm

It wasn’t too long ago Nottingham Forest and Ipswich were somewhat stuck in the Championship; too good to be in relegation contention, but not good enough for promotion to the Premier League.

That has all changed in recent years, with Ipswich dropping to League One then returning to the top flight after 22 years away, two years after Forest ended their own 23-year exile. Now they are both there, their fortunes are greatly contrasting. Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tricky Trees are seemingly destined for the top four, while the Tractor Boys look destined for the drop.

Forest’s standing in the Premier League is something Ipswich will certainly have in their short to medium-term sights, though they can only dream of it right now. Over the past 26 years, they’ve been dreaming of a win at the City Ground, too – but have failed in the 15 attempts in that time.

This weekend, though, this pair – who have won three FA Cups between them – are on a level playing field. Form goes out of the window in knockout football and, as we all know, anything can happen in this competition.

Which team will get a shot in the arm as the end of the season’s conclusion draws in?
Dan Long