Never, never, never, never, 1938, 1957, 1959, 2023.
Those are not only random words and numbers, but the last time that the FA Cup quarterfinalists of this season have lifted the trophy.
And apart from that of a conviction of a man, the majority was the ultimate success in the oldest cup competition in the world long before their time – or never happened.
This season there is a real chance that can change. The side of Pep Guardiola remains the favorites, but given the way their campaign has been plotted to date, success is far from cut and dried.
Prior to the tires of this weekend, here is the reason why this year's FA Cup is important for the eight teams that remain.
Fulham
Runner-Up (1): 1974/75
A little more than two years ago, Fulham was 1-0 of the man in Old Trafford, thanks to a goal from Aleksandar Mitrovic, and apparently on the way to their first FA Cup semi-final since 2002. Then they imploded within a few seconds.
First, Willian was sent after a VAR review for blocking Jadon Sancho's shot on the line with his hand. Then head coach Marco Silva walked to his furious protests before Mitrovic pushed aggressively referee Chris Kavanagh and also received a red card.
The Serbia International received a ban from three games for the Red Card, another three for violent behavior and two more for “incorrect, insulting, offensive and threatening language”. He also received a fine of £ 75,000.
Within five minutes, a fine from Bruno Fernandes and the daring finish by Marcel Sabitzer had turned the game. Deep in the stop time, Fernandes got in a third. Fulham had thrown it all away.
They received their redemption in the fifth round of this year with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory and now have the chance to come back to the semi-final, almost a quarter of a century since their last performance.
Crystal Palace
Runner-Up (2): 1989/90, 2015/16
Crystal Palace was one of the form teams in 2025.
In 12 games in all competitions they won nine – including the last four on the trot – one signed and two lost. Allegedly Oliver Glasner is being drawn up for a new contract and Jean -Philippe Mateta -who needed 25 stitches in his right ear after a horror challenge of Millwall -goalkeeper Liam Roberts in the fifth round -has received the All -Clear again to play again.
There is of course enough to be positive about, but also the persistent concern about whether their season is on the journey of this weekend through the capital to Fulham. Since New Year's Day 2005 they have not won in Craven Cottage and, with seven of the current top 10 that still have to do in the Premier League, the defeat can have an impact on how the rest of the season goes.
The Eagles seem to end up halfway through the table every season, but last year they only waived a top half of the second time last year and produced on it with two top half of finishes in a row for the first time should be high on the agenda.
But if one of the Premier League clubs in the midst of a long waiting time for a large trophy, what is more out of it?
Brighton
Runner-Up (1): 1982/83
Brighton has become part of the furniture in the Premier League since they were promoted to the division for the first time in 2017. With the way in which this season and the three prior have been pronounced – with constant improvement of the field and in a recruitment and financial sense – the fact 2024/25 is only seasonal number eight is hard to believe.
With that theme in mind, the next step in the FA Cup would be to reach the final. They did it in 1982/83, when they lost 4-0 to Man Utd in a repeat five days after a 2-2 draw at Wembley, but only once in the following 34 seasons did the seagulls reach the quarterfinals.
It is now three times since they have reached the semi -final. After waiting for more than three decades, such as London buses, they all came immediately. And she has only avoided a place in the final; Man City beat them 1-0 in 2019 and Man Utd recovered 7-6, after a 0-0 draw, in 2023.
The beating of the sixth placed finish in 2022/23 – the highest position of the club ever – is still on the maps, with only two points between Chelsea in the fourth and Brighton in the seventh. No matter how impressive that would be, the chance of lifting silverware is certainly more attractive.
Nottingham Forest
Winners (2): 1897/98, 1958/59runners-up (1): 1990/91
Nobody can deny that Nottingham Forest was the biggest surprise package of the Premier League this season. She avoided relegation with four points in their first season, then six last term. To have the tricky trees four points behind the second Arsenal placed with nine games to play completely and completely unexpected.
A return to European competition is in the hands – and gets closer. The double European Cup winners have been absent since the UEFA Cup in 1995/96.
As a result of their competition position, winning the FA Cup sees to secure that this return does not seem like it will be necessary. Someone else would benefit in that case.
Nevertheless, lifting the FA Cup would undoubtedly be the ultimate icing on top of an extraordinary season. It would also put an end to a waiting time of 66 years since they canceled the trophy for the second time. Even reaching the semi -final would be an achievement, since they did not do so since they reached the 1991 final.
And, given that Nuno Espirito Santo's side beat Brighton 7-0 in the Premier League on 1 February, they will seduce their chances.
Preston
Winners (2): 1888/89, 1937/38runners-up (5): 1887/88, 1921/22, 1936/37, 1953/54, 1963/64
From this point everything is a bonus for Preston.
In recent history, reaching the FA Cup third round is customary, the fourth fairly rare and the fifth even more. Reaching the quarterfinals was unheard of since 1965/66, before England even started to think about the possibility of lifting the Jules Rimet trophy.
But Paul Heckingbottom led to North End again this year. With promotion from the question and relegation unlikely, his party can afford to do everything to get as far as possible in the competition.
In the previous five seasons together, a total of eight championship teams reached the last eight, but only two reached the semi -final last season – Coventry and Sheffield United the season before. Preston has nothing to lose because they want to be the next.
Aston Villa
Winners (7): 1886/87, 1894/95, 1896/97, 1904/05, 1912/13, 1919/20, 1956/57runners-up (4): 1891/92, 1923/24, 1999/00, 2014/15
Just like Nottingham Forest, as one of the oldest clubs in England, Aston Villa has a rich history in the FA Cup.
They reached the semi -final on 10 occasions, but are not progressed further. Four more times they finished second, the most recently in 2014/15, when they lost 4-0 to Arsenal in Wembley.
And only five teams (Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs) have lifted the trophy more often than they have. But although Villa has won the competition seven times, they have not done this since 1957, when Eric Houghton was in charge.
Under Unai Emery they are another club in the elevator. They returned to Europe last season and reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League this season. The next step is certainly to direct a kind of trophy.
It is 29 years since Villa won the Coca-Cola Cup final against Leeds in 1996 and although it is not nearly as long as the 70-year-old trophy-dried that Newcastle experienced before he won the Carabao Cup in Wembley earlier this month, it was a long wait. The end would be a great weight of their shoulders.
Bournemouth
Quarterfinalists (2): 1956/57, 2020/21
Bournemouth only played for the first time in the top flight in their history in 2015/16, so it is still relative newcomers to even pass the third round of the FA Cup.
They reached the quarterfinals in 1956/57, when they were a South team of the third division, but it was only the performance in 2020/21. And an enormous amount of water had passed under the bridge during those 64 years, not least when they started the League Two season 2008/09 in minus 17 points, due to financial issues, and somehow retained their EFL status.
So it was cruel that when they came to the last eight, Covid restrictions prevented fans who attended the final 3-0 defeat for fellow-South-Coast Club Southampton.
But now they are back. In addition to a serious decline, they will set a new club record for the most deserved points of League and end in the top half for the second time. This season is on course to be one of the best in the history of Bournemouth – but to add an incredible shine with a scream of large silverware.
Man
Winners (7): 1903/04, 1933/34, 1955/56, 1968/69, 2010/11, 2018/19, 2022/23runners-up (6): 1925/26, 1932/33, 1954/55, 1980/81, 2012/13, 2023/24
It's simple: the FA Cup is the only chance that Pep Guardiola will have to win a big trophy this season.
During the previous seven campaigns they won six Premier League titles, two FA cups, four competition cups and one Champions League, but the era of infallibility is over for the time being.
They were dumped from the Carabao Cup in the fourth round by Tottenham, lost 6-3 on total of Real Madrid in the Champions League Knock-Out Phase Play-Offs and are 22 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, who have already lost more matches (8).
And despite their crushing 8-0 win over Salford in the third round, they had to come from behind to defeat further EFL opposition in the form of Leyton Orient and Plymouth, which may be symptomatic for their struggles this term.
City has to beat Bournemouth to earn their place in the semi -final for the seventh year in a row, but the cherries – who defeated them 2-1 in the Vitality Stadium in November – certainly seem to give their strictest test in the competition of this season.
You can stay informed of all FA Cup quarte finals of this weekend on Sky Sports News and via our special live blogs on Skysports.com.
Comments