Advertisement

What absolutely will happen in the Premier League (and FA Cup) this weekend

The FA Cup returns this weekend, but there is also some crucial Premier League business to take care of at the top and bottom of the table
The FA Cup returns this weekend, but there is also some crucial Premier League business to take care of at the top and bottom of the table

Spurs to be able without Kane, Zaha so good for Palace, Wigan’s Cup run to continue, drama at the King Power… and is it culturally acceptable to call the FA Cup sixth round the “quarter-finals”?

Some questions and answer ahead of a busy league and cup weekend…

READ MORE: Gossip – Chelsea ‘eye Ramsey’, United ‘want Bellerin’ and more

READ MORE: Yahoo Sport Football – with special guest Viv Anderson

Swansea vs Tottenham (FA Cup)

Put your mortgage on…

Spurs to prevail, even without Harry Kane. Swansea’s recovery under analogy enthusiast Carlos Carvalhal has manifested itself in seven straight home wins, and just one defeat of any kind since Tottenham took all three Premier League points from the Liberty Stadium right back at the start of January. But do they have a Son Heung-min to fall back on? No. Do they have a Lucas Moura knocking around at the back of the cupboard? Nope. Do they even have a Fernando Llorente? Not any more.

The match, according to Ceefax…

How will the FA Cup quarter-final unfold?
How will the FA Cup quarter-final unfold?

Retro indulgence

October 1991: Spurs hammer Swansea 5-1 at White Hart Lane, with Gary Lineker quite literally chipping in with a Panenka penalty, no less.

Bournemouth vs West Brom

Put your mortgage on…

Another West Brom defeat, another half-hearted Alan Pardew rallying-cry-by-numbers afterwards. While his side look doomed, the Premier League brand is such that every place in the Premier League is worth about £2m at the end of the season. If Pardew can drag the Baggies up to 19th, they might be able to afford to sack him.

The match, according to Ceefax…

How will the match unfold?
How will the match unfold?

Retro indulgence

The impossibly posh Sir Gordon Craig presents British Movietone News highlights of Bournemouth’s attempts at giantkilling FA Cup holders West Brom back in 1955:

Huddersfield vs Crystal Palace

Put your mortgage on…

Wilfried Zaha to the rescue. Palace’s gamechanger-in-chief should make his first start in six weeks against Huddersfield, and he is essentially the difference between Premier League football or Championship scrapping for his club next season.

The match, according to Ceefax…

How will the match unfold?
How will the match unfold?

Retro indulgence

August 1999: Huddersfield annihilate Palace 7-1 (SEVEN) at the McAlpine Stadium, with Clyde Wijnhard sealing his hat-trick with a bicycle kick:

Stoke vs Everton

Put your mortgage on…

Another point for a Stoke side who sorely need all three. Paul Lambert has made them sturdy, but they remain stodgy: as the relegation fight unravels over the next two months, an addiction to drawing is not a helpful habit.

The match, according to Ceefax…

How will the match unfold?
How will the match unfold?

Retro indulgence

January 1977, and what passed for crowd-pleasing skill in those days: Duncan McKenzie is fortunate to escape this dribble around the entire Stoke midfield without getting booted up the backside:

Liverpool vs Watford

Put your mortgage on…

Liverpool’s unrotatable front three making light work of Watford’s defence. Perhaps only the tireless Roberto Firmino came away from Old Trafford with any credit last weekend, but Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will have far more joy this time round.

The match, according to Ceefax…

How will the match unfold?
How will the match unfold?

Retro indulgence

Liverpool + Watford = John Barnes.

So, here’s John Barnes dribbling all the way for Watford against Liverpool in 1986:

Manchester United vs Brighton (FA Cup)

Put your mortgage on…

A day off for Alexis Sanchez. His signing from Arsenal felt like a no-brainer – the sort of mid-season boost that turns a challenging side into a trophy-winning one – but his failure to settle into Jose Mourinho’s 4-3-3 has been a puzzler. Anthony Martial and, certainly, Marcus Rashford both deserve 90 minutes ahead of him on current form.

The match, according to Ceefax…

How will the FA Cup quarter-final unfold?
How will the FA Cup quarter-final unfold?

Retro indulgence

10 years after the “…And Smith Must Score!” final of 1983, Brighton travel to Old Trafford for a fourth-rounder, and hold their own…until Ryan Giggs intervenes from 25 yards:

Wigan vs Southampton (FA Cup)

Put your mortgage on…

Wigan’s fairytale run to continue to Wembley. Both of these sides have bigger fish to fry – League One promotion and Premier League safety respectively – but that only emphasises the FA Cup’s appeal as blessed relief from the weekly grind. Wigan will surely fancy this one more.

The match, according to Ceefax…

How will the FA Cup quarter-final unfold?
How will the FA Cup quarter-final unfold?

Retro indulgence

These two last met in the FA Cup back in 1986, when Southampton wiped the floor with a Third Division Wigan. That’s not on YouTube, though, so here’s the Saints’ lively semi-final with Liverpool, which ended up being Ian Rush vs Peter Shilton…

Leicester vs Chelsea (FA Cup)

Put your mortgage on…

A sixth-round classic. Chelsea – who look worryingly like the new Arsenal – could well regard the FA Cup as their last remaining realistic hope for the season, while mid-table Leicester have no excuses to put all their eggs in this basket.

The match, according to Ceefax…

How will the FA Cup quarter-final unfold?
How will the FA Cup quarter-final unfold?

Retro indulgence

Back to February 1997. On the way to FA Cup glory, Chelsea needed two attempts to kill off Leicester: Erland Johnsen’s highly dubious tumble and Frank Leboeuf’s 117th-minute penalty settled the replay, but only after the Blues had squandered a two-goal lead at Filbert Street in the original tie.