Stars that connect to villa to end waits for silverware?
Aston Villa vs Cardiff City, Friday, 8 p.m.
“We are not a competition in the FA Cup to win the title.”
These are strong words of the villa boss prior to Friday's collision against Cardiff in the fifth round.
Villa runs the priority through their position in the Premier League during the entire campaign with Champions League progression and qualifying.
However, the number of games has taken their toll. On Tuesday's 4-1 defeat against Crystal Palace marked an opportunity to go to the top six, and with Newcastle, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Man City, Fulham and Brighton now in the race, they are confronted with a tough fight to hold their place between Europe's elite.
Whether he simply pays the expectations or really believes that his side is not in the race to end their nearly 30 -year -old waiting for silverware – but is it wrong to suggest that the FA Cup represents the best chance of villa to end an already historical season? Emery certainly doesn't think that.
“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 is faltering, Newcastle is going against each other with Brighton, Man Utd are their own worst enemies and Nottingham Forest Face Flight Opposition in Ipswich.
Villa has lifted the trophy on seven different occasions and the stars can now connect to make it eight. Patrick Rowe
Southern and bragging for the taking
Crystal Palace vs Millwall, Saturday, 12.15 pm
Just a park and a piece of Copers Cope Road separate the training grounds of Crystal Palace and Millwall in a leaf -rich part of South Londs.
For the first time in three years, the two clubs meet in a competitive match, which have been regular opponents before promoting the Eagles to the Premier League. Perhaps even more important, local bragging are for the taking.
Crystal Palace is currently holding them. In January 2022, goals from Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta Crystal Palace saw to a 2-1 FA Cup victory. Millwall's last victory against their local rivals extends even further to New Year's Day 2011 in the championship, when they won 3-0 at the Den.
Neither parties go on a particularly amazing run of form – but both have collected victories in their last games. Crystal Palace hit Europe-hunting Aston Villa, while Millwall defeated the wrestling derby.
The side of Oliver Glasner has so far defeated all their opposition of the lower league in the competition and will be the favorites as a Premier League team, but Millwall defeated high-flying Leeds in the final round.
And with the unpredictability of the FA Cup, added to a local derby, everything can happen.
Whatever the outcome, this game will have intensity and one almighty atmosphere in Selhurst Park. Certainly a fifth round draw not to Miss.Charlotte Marsh
All-championship struggle while Lancashire Rivals are against each other
Preston vs Burnley, Saturday, 12.15 pm
Of the eight FA Cup Fifth Round tires, four will be disputed by teams from the Premier League, three will contain one Premier League team and one championship team, but only one will contain two from the second layer: Preston vs Burnley.
There will undoubtedly be more fashionable ties to take on the weekend, but if you didn't know, these are teams with a rich history in the FA Cup; Between them they appeared in the last 10 times and they won the trophy three times. Don't forget that just over 20 miles separates them.
Both competition meetings this season have ended on scoreless. Eight yellow cards were produced in a poorly accelerated affair in Turf Moor in October – when Spits in North End Emil Riis had wrongly excluded an early strike for offside – and there were five fewer than fourteen days ago, when the Clarets held their 11th clean leadership in a row in the return meeting.
In this late stage of the competition, whether the progress will be harmful to the competitions, goes out to a certain extent. Burnley is exactly in the automatic promotion mix, but reached the quarterfinals in 2022/23, when they won the championship under Vincent Kompany. In the meantime, Preston is seated on the 15th, with a slim hope to reach the play-offs that decrease every week. As a result, they have little to lose, especially if they have not reached the last eight since 1965/66.
That said, if you take into account the fact that Burnley has only admitted 12 goals in 37 games in all competitions This period – an average of 0.32 per game – becomes the task that is obvious.
Potential in the cup for the cherries
Bournemouth vs Wolves, Saturday, 3 p.m.
The form of Bournemouth in recent weeks is staggering. They remain at a moving distance from the European places, but three losses in their last five league games have invited other interested parties for the fourth and fifth. One of those losses was opponents, wolves because of their fifth round.
However, there is no doubt that a possible trip to Wembley is within the reach of Bournemouth. Their FA Cup displays so far have been a mix of both professional and impressive. A thrashing from League One Side Wigan was succeeded by raining on the last taste of Goodison Park of FA Cup football by illuminating past Everton.
Bournemouth has never gone beyond the quarterfinals, but the cherries have shown that they are a side not to take this year into account. Andoni Iraola will hope that his side can get back on the right track with a victory against Wolves.william Bitibiri
Plymouth 'Pil-Grim Reaper' is right on the door of Man City
Man City vs Plymouth, Saturday, 5.45 p.m.
The Plymouth 'Pil-Grim Reaper' will knock on the doors of the Etihad while keeping an eye on another gigantic barn.
A late Morgan Whittaker -goal saw Plymouth Brentford overcome, but when they were pulled against the Premier League leaders in Liverpool for the fifth round, there was a feeling that their FA Cup race was run. The only place that did not believe that was home park. The pilgrims were a good prize for their victory despite sitting the championship at that time.
The frightening counter-style of Plymouth, the much-changed Liverpool side of Arne Slot, and it is a style that Manchester City has shown that they are far from comfortable with this campaign.
The Premier League title is excluded and the city that crashes from Europe means that the FA Cup will remain their only chance of silverware this season, which would expect it to take the side of Pep Guardiola seriously.
The fortunes of Plymouth have somewhat improved in the competition, but a trip to the city offers another chance to create more FA Cup history. William Bitibiri
Newcastle and Brighton meet in potential cup cracker
Newcastle vs Brighton, Sunday, 1.45 pm
The FA Cup will open and Newcastle and Brighton will both know that they have a huge opportunity to return to Wembley in this competition this season – and this looks like a brilliant tie that is too difficult to call.
The visitors already have the psychological boost to have won this season in St James' Park, with Danny Welbeck making a difference in October. He remains an important part of a Brighton attack that helped Fabian Hurzeler's side to shoot four victories on the spider since their 7-0 Thrashing in Nottingham Forest. The defensive restructuring since that game has now also turned them into a discouraging proposition.
But although Newcastle did not demonstrate their own considerable threat in 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, thanks to two wins in the Semis, underlook their appetite for their appetite.
Newcastle and Brighton – semi -finalists in the FA Cup in 2019 and 2023 – are now important players in this area reduced from Premier League heavyweights. But only one of them can take the next step in the quarters. The stage is set for a cup cracker. Peter Smith
Man Utd to be confronted with adult Fulham in Fa Cup repetition
Man Utd vs Fulham, Sunday, 4.30 p.m.
The last time that Man Utd and Fulham met two years ago in the FA Cup, there were sparks.
The cottagers led 1-0 before Willian's handball on the goal line, the touchline rage of Marco Silva, when the anger of Aleksandar Mitrovic on the anger of Mitrovic saw the West Londoners back to nine men, allowing United to complete a 3-1 comeback victory.
Fulham has shown much more maturity since then. Silva has turned a newly promoted outfit into one in the hunt for Europe. They have learned not to trust one player such as Mitrovic, who led them that day in Old Trafford – while if XG Premier League matches decide, the Cottagers would be fourth in the table.
United has now demonstrably gone the other way. The club won two cup trophies in that season 2022/23 The last time they met Fulham, but this FA Cup is demonstrable as their best chance of silverware to get the Ruben Amorim show on the road.
The bet is high, so will tensions cook again? Sam Blitz
Forest and Ipswich – Known enemies with contrasting fortunes
Nottingham Forest vs Ippswich, Sunday 7.30 pm
It was not that long ago Nottingham Forest and Ipswich were somewhat stuck in the championship; Too good to be in relegation, but not good enough for promotion to the Premier League.
That has all changed in recent years, with Ipswich descending to League One and then returns to the top flight after 22 years, two years after Forest ended their own 23-year exile. Now they are both there, their fortunes are enormously contrasting. The difficult trees of Nuno Espirito Santo are apparently intended for the top four, while the tractor boys look destined for the drop.
The State of Forest in the Premier League is something that Ipswich will certainly have in their short to medium term sights, although they can now only dream of it. In the past 26 years they have also dreamed of a victory over the city ground – but have failed in the 15 attempts at the time.
This pair, however, this pair – that three FA cups between them won – is on a level playing field. Form goes out of the window in Knock -Out football and, as we all know, everything can happen in this competition.
Which team gets a shot in the arm as the end of the conclusion of the season draws? Then lung
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