FA Cup: Is a chance to claim glory while also being an annoying distraction
Liverpool manager Arne Slot on the touchline during the Premier League match defeat to Brighton at the American Express Stadium, Brighton. Picture: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire
Time to put aside the disappointment of the World Cup qualifier and look forward to action from the weekend’s FA Cup quarter finals, starting tomorrow, where three matches will be played, while the last one between West Ham and Leeds will be sorted on Sunday.
The currently mis-firing Chelsea have the chance to get their season back on track after three defeats on the trot, when they face, the choice of the draw, League 1 side Port Vale in the early evening game. Chelsea will be the strong favourites here of course. But it also has the classic FA Cup potential to set up a ‘giant-killing’ scenario. And with the Pensioners in a particularly delicate frame of mind now, it’s not beyond comprehension that the Vale could spring a trap from a counterattack.
The late evening game will see Southampton host Premier League leaders Arsenal at St Mary’s. The Gunners can look to steady the ship after their Carabao Cup final defeat to Man City.
Arsenal can still do the treble, but the emphasis will be on the Premier League and Champions League titles. And the Saints will be hoping that that distraction for the Gunners will help them claim an upset on the south coast.
Even beyond these distractions for Arsenal, this would be a tricky game for the Londoners, as Southampton are always capable opponents and are traditionally a Premier League side. And the Saints are indeed, currently in the Championship play-off places to return to the top-flight. One would still think that Arsenal have too much for Southampton, but it will be tricky for the Gunners, and an upset is not beyond belief.
The match of the round is probably tomorrow’s early kick-off when Man City host Liverpool at the Etihad at 12.45pm.
Fresh off their Carabao Cup triumph before the international break, Man City should be full of confidence going into this, especially at home.
For Liverpool it is the direct opposite, with morale at a new low under Arne Slot’s stuttering second season. An early away kick-off straight after an international break is not ideal especially after the side’s last outing was a humiliating defeat at the hands of Brighton.
With the importance of next Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final against holders PSG also looming, it might be a bridge too far for the Merseysiders, especially with a host of new injuries to Jermaine Frimpong, Alisson and Joe Gomez going into the game, while Mo Salah is still a doubt with a muscle strain.
Encounters between these sides have defined the best of football in the Premier League over the past decade. Still, it looks like City are on the up at the moment, while Liverpool are scrambling now unlike their league title-winning last season. But on their day, Liverpool can still beat anyone depending on their frame of mind.
Key to this will be their player of the season Dominik Szoboszlai who was the star player when the sides met in the league back in November at Anfield.
His brilliant free-kick goal against City may go down as the Premier League’s goal of the season for the Hungarian but it was still not enough to stop City from comfortably overcoming the hosts in the second half.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, the injury to Frimpong may see Szoboszlai forced back into full-back duties, lessening his influence in midfield where the game will probably be won and lost.
This will suit Pep Guardiola’s midfield general for City Bernardo Silva, who can hurt Liverpool if he gets the space to do so. Silva manages to hold many of his best performances against Liverpool and it’s been reported that he has informed City that he will be leaving at the end of the season. If so, he will no doubt be up for the chance of putting Liverpool out of the cup while bagging City another semi-final spot.
With City already out of the Champions League and the Premier League crown growing less realistic as the weeks go by, the chance of adding the FA Cup to the league cup will be more important for the ‘Cityzens’.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are distracted by desperately still striving to gain a Champions League spot in the Premier League table, while still facing the extremely difficult task of getting the better of a rested PSG on Wednesday.
This could and should be an exciting encounter but it’s hard to see a weakened and downbeat Liverpool side getting the better of City here.
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