1
History awaits at Wembley
For seven of the eight clubs left in the competition, this year’s FA Cup represents a historic opportunity. Four of the quarter-finalists – Fulham, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Brighton – have never won the Cup, while Nottingham Forest (1959), Aston Villa (1957) and Preston (1938) last lifted the trophy before the advent of colour television. With the international break ending and midweek league fixtures coming for every team, there will be a temptation to rotate starters and rest tired legs. Still, the delirious scenes at Wembley as Newcastle ended their trophy drought in the Carabao Cup final should be on every manager’s mind. With Manchester City, the tentative favourites, in an usually vulnerable state, this is the most open race the FA Cup has delivered in years, with a prize not to be taken for granted. NMc
2
Mateta back in boost for Palace
It has been almost a month since Liam Roberts’s horrific head-high tackle on Jean-Philippe Mateta left the Crystal Palace striker requiring 25 stitches to an injury to his left ear. The France international will wear a protective mask while the healing process continues, but he is ready to play after a return to training. Many will have feared the worst when he lay on the Selhurst Park pitch amid lengthy treatment, but he has made a swift recovery. Palace supporters will be desperate to see him back for a chance at what would be a fifth FA Cup semi-final since 1990. It will be a huge boost for teammates and fans alike to see the talismanic Mateta return, and it might just give Oliver Glasner’s side – who won at Craven Cottage in the league last month – the edge. WU
3
Awoniyi to step up in Wood’s absence
There is nothing like a 48-hour round trip to prepare a player for one of the biggest games of his career. Chris Wood wandered off to Wellington to plunder a hat-trick for New Zealand against the 148th best team in the world, Fiji, before netting another in a 3-0 win over New Caledonia, but was later substituted owing to injury as the All Whites secured World Cup qualification. Wood, who covers more than 100,000 miles a year to keep up with his international commitments, is now unavailable for Nottingham Forest’s quarter-final trip to Brighton. His absence will give Taiwo Awoniyi an opportunity from the start. Before Wood’s resurgence, the Nigerian was an imperative part of Forest’s success but injury and lack of minutes have stifled his development. He still has the ability to terrorise defences and could be the man to make the difference and take his side to Wembley. WU
4
Kesler-Hayden misses historic day
Aston Villa very considerately sent Kaine Kesler-Hayden to Preston last summer for the fifth loan spell of his career. The 22-year-old has made only five senior appearances for his parent club, hence the requirement for him to gain experience in the Championship. It seems extremely unfair that he is not eligible to play against Villa on Sunday, leaving Preston short of a player and Kesler-Hayden to miss out on an incredible opportunity. Surely Unai Emery is not afraid that his third-choice right-back is better than what he currently has in his squad, and would like to see what he can do to prove he has a long-term future at Villa Park. Admittedly, it would put Kesler-Hayden in an awkward position but he would no doubt prefer a chance to reach the top of the game. An FA Cup quarter-final is not a regular or guaranteed occurrence in anyone’s playing career. WU
5
Ederson leads City’s rescue mission
Ederson missed Manchester City’s final game before the international break, against Brighton, with an abdominal injury, forcing him to withdraw from the Brazil squad. In what is likely to be a summer of change at Manchester City, the goalkeeper’s future looks uncertain and he could be sold to make way for a new acquisition. Having won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League with City, he has nothing to prove but after a subpar season the run-in could be crucial for his legacy. The FA Cup is the only piece of silverware left on the table for City before they head to the Club World Cup. If fit Ederson will almost certainly replace Stefan Ortega at the Vitality Stadium, where cracks in City’s title defence first began to show in November. Pep Guardiola will want his goalkeeper to set the tone for the rest of the team, who must overcome Bournemouth and get to Wembley to salvage something from a disappointing season. WU
6
Tech issues threaten Cup drama
Whatever the outcome of the weekend’s four ties, we can all hope that video technology is not among the main talking points come Monday morning. The frantic fifth-round drama was punctuated by a record-breaking VAR delay of eight minutes during Bournemouth’s tie against Wolves, which was partly down to the failure of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT). Despite working with barely a hitch in the Champions League and major international tournaments, SAOT appears to have been sucked into the twilight zone of Stockley Park during its trial phase on English soil. Having already been held back by the Premier League, plans to introduce SOAT in the next round of top-flight games have been postponed, but the experiment continues in three of the four Cup quarter-finals. Second-tier Preston’s Deepdale home is not equipped for the technology, adding an unwelcome layer of inequality – but at least shortening the odds of that particular game finishing on time. NMc