Kian Gadsby
With only 16 teams remaining, the FA Cup is reaching the business end of the tournament. With many of the pre-tournament favourites already out, the competition is becoming more and more exciting.
From the 8 matches in this round, there are only 3 matches taking place between teams of different divisions. The lower league sides will be dreaming of achieving an upset and moving one closer to Wembley. Let’s take a look at their chances.
Aston Villa vs Cardiff City
After signing Marcus Rashford and three-time Champions League winner Marco Asensio in January, Aston Villa are primed for an exciting end to their season. They will play Club Bruges in the last 16 of the Champions League, and they currently sit 7th in the Premier League, 2 points behind Manchester City in 4th place.
The FA Cup represents their best opportunity to win a major trophy since the 1996 League Cup. With many of the traditional favourites already eliminated, Villa will see themselves as contenders to win the trophy. They will expect to progress past a Cardiff City side who are battling to avoid relegation in the Championship.
The Bluebirds, however, will not be a pushover. City progressed past fellow Championship sides Sheffield United and Stoke City in the previous two rounds, and they will be hoping that Ruben Colwill and former Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi can score the goals to cause the upset.
Crystal Palace vs Millwall
After progressing past League One Stockport County and League Two Doncaster Rovers in rounds three and four, Palace take on an opponent from a third different lower league as they face Championship side Millwall.
The Eagles have had a mixed season and are currently sitting in 13th place in the Premier League. Striker Jean-Phillipe Mateta will provide the likely goal threat for them, and he’ll spearhead an attack containing Eberechi Eze and Romain Esse. Esse signed from Millwall in January and will be eligible for this game as he was not in Millwall’s squad for the third round so he is not cup tied.
Millwall have largely impressed since manager Alex Neil was appointed. They are up to 10th in the Championship, 6 points behind the play off places, and they recently beat Derby County 1-0 thanks to a late winner from Josh Coburn. In a London derby Millwall will fancy their chances at upsetting Palace and earning themselves a place in the quarter final.
Manchester City vs Plymouth
Manchester City have had a dismal season by their recent standards. The 4 consecutive Premier League champions currently sit 20 points behind league leaders Liverpool, are out of the Carabao Cup and were eliminated from the Champions League by Real Madrid before the last 16.
This means the FA Cup is their last realistic chance at silverware. City were rattled by League One side Leyton Orient in the fourth round, but they came from behind to win 2-1 at Brisbane Road. New January signings Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov have impressed since they arrived, and City will expect to continue their improved recent form and progress against Plymouth.
Plymouth Argyle are currently in the relegation zone of the Championship, but the Pilgrims have shown plenty of fight and have impressed in the FA Cup this season. In the third round they knocked out Brentford with their first away win of the season, and Miron Muslic’s side followed it up by stunning Liverpool 1-0 in the fourth round.
Despite their lowly league position, Plymouth’s form has picked up recently. They followed that Liverpool victory up by defeating midtable Millwall 5-1 and have secured valuable points in draws against relegation rivals Luton Town and Cardiff City. They will need to be at their very best to knock out last year’s runners-up in this round, but if they play like they did against Liverpool they will believe they can pull off the upset.
Kian Gadsby
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In article image 1 courtesy of @emiratesfacup via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 2 courtesy of @emiratesfacup via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 3 courtesy of @emiratesfacup via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
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