City
Epaper

Top-flight teams gear up for FA Cup at weekend

By IANS | Updated: January 27, 2024 10:45 IST

London, Jan 27 This weekend sees the fourth round of the FA Cup in England, with no matches ...

Open in App

London, Jan 27 This weekend sees the fourth round of the FA Cup in England, with no matches in either the Premier League or the second-tier Championship.

Bournemouth opened the 4th round of the cup with a 5-0 win at home to Swansea on Thursday night, ahead of four matches played on Friday, reports Xinhua.

The most attractive of those sees Tottenham, who could have James Maddison fit after three months out and who have reasons for optimism against Manchester City, who have lost and failed to score in their last five visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Chelsea booked a place in the Carabao Cup final in midweek, but Aston Villa will be a difficult obstacle as Mauricio Pochettino's side looks to progress in the FA Cup.

Villa won at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League and has just two defeats in their last 21 games in all competitions.

Bristol City knocked West Ham out of the last round and the Championship side could have a chance against Nottingham Forest, a rival focused on avoiding relegation from the Premier League and with the threat of a points deduction hanging over them for breaching financial fair play regulations.

Saturday sees some all-Premier League clashes, with Everton at home to Luton, while bottom side Sheffield United entertains Brighton and Fulham hosts Newcastle United.

Fulham lost their Carabao Cup semifinal to Liverpool on Wednesday and has little recovery time against a rival that will see the Cup as the hope of saving a season that has been hit badly by suspension and injury.

Saturday's game between Championship high-fliers Ipswich Town and Maidstone will also attract a lot of attention as the side from the National League South looks to continue their incredible FA Cup adventure that began back in September in the second qualifying round.

Sunday starts with a Black Country derby that renews the traditional rivalry between West Brom and Wolves in the first competitive match between the two sides in 12 years.

Wolves is favorites after a six-game unbeaten run, but their Championship rivals have won their last four home games and the Hawthorns will be a hostile place for the visitors.

Liverpool should have few problems as they take on Championship rivals Norwich City, with the big question being how many changes coach Jurgen Klopp will make to his starting 11.

Fourth-tier Newport County entertains Manchester United looking for a giant-killing act. Erik Ten Hag's side clearly has a lot more quality than Newport, but a hostile crowd and a tight, muddy ground will test their determination and defeat would be a huge blow to an already questioned coach.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Open in App

Related Stories

BusinessAnil Ambani’s Reliance Power and Reliance Infra Shares Crash by 60% After ED Action on ADAG Group — Should You Buy the Dip or Sell Now?

BusinessEaseMyTrip named among the top 10 of "Forbes India presents DGEMS 2025 - The Select 200," strengthening its global growth outlook

NationalPresident Murmu offers prayers at Tirumala temple

BusinessUS-China Commission flags 10 urgent recommendations for US Congress, warns of expanding Beijing threat matrix

EntertainmentDe De Pyaar De 2 Box Office Collection Day 7: Ajay Devgn–Rakul Preet Film Crosses Rs 50 Crore Mark; Check Day-Wise Earnings Report

Other Sports Realted Stories

Other SportsAustralian Open: Lakshya Sen defeats Ayush Shetty to enter semis

Other SportsTelangana CM congratulates Nikhat Zareen on bagging gold in World Boxing Cup Finals

Other SportsMitchell Starc completes 100 Ashes wickets, becomes 13th Australian to reach milestone

Other SportsYusuf Pathan inaugurates the 38th center of Cricket Academy of Pathans (CAP) in Dibrugarh (Assam)

Other SportsRoach, Hodge return to West Indies squad for NZ Tests