Bristol City helps restore romance to the cup
In an era where it seems there is a strange urge to reduce cup competitions at every opportunity, it was heartening to listen to Bristol City striker Tommy Conway discuss what it meant to him to score the goal that defeated West Ham defeated in their FA Cup. repeat of the third round. Conway was a fan in the Lansdown Stand on the night his boyhood club defeated Manchester United in the Carabao Cup in 2017 and seven years later it was his goal that secured another draw against Premier League opposition. Seb Palmer-Houlden, the City striker who will play for Newport against United on Sunday, was a ball boy as the Robins gave Jose Mourinho’s side a bloody nose. City made many friends during that cup tie, which ended in the semi-final against Manchester City, and on Friday they host Nottingham Forest with another opportunity for the club to enhance its reputation. Ben Visser
The fit again Chukwuemeka prepared himself for an opportunity for Chelsea
There was surprise when Carney Chukwuemeka switched from Aston Villa to Chelsea in the summer of 2022. Was it a wise move for the teenage midfielder? Last season he was on the periphery and faded into the background as Chelsea’s shares plummeted and expensive signings came in. But pre-season presented the England youth international with a new opportunity. Mauricio Pochettino gave him chances, starting Chukwuemeka in Chelsea’s first two games of the new season. Yet the challenges continued. Chukwuemeka seriously hurt a knee minutes after scoring a brilliant goal against West Ham in August. He was on the treatment table for a long time, but now he is back. He will be hoping for an opportunity when Chelsea host his old team on Friday evening. Jacob Steinberg
Blossoming Porro out to show old friends what he can do
Tottenham fans’ eyes will be on James Maddison, who is set to return after a nearly 12-week break due to an ankle injury and will face Manchester City on Friday evening. But also prominent will be Pedro Porro, one of the players who has emerged in Maddison’s absence. The right-back, who spent three seasons on City’s books without appearing for them from 2019, has provided six of his eight assists for the season since Maddison was ruled out. And it was his long-range strike that earned Spurs a 1-0 win over Burnley in the third round of the FA Cup. Porro struggled in the second half of last season after his move from Sporting, not helped by what Ange Postecoglou described on Thursday as a “really unstable environment”. However, he has done well since the manager arrived last summer, especially when he moved into midfield. David Hytner
Stones rolling up for a test trip to Ipswich
Maidstone head to Portman Road with dreams of becoming the lowest-placed team to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup since Blyth Spartans’ famous run in 1978. The odds are of course against the National League South in Ipswich, and the English match is much more unequal now than 46 years ago. Maidstone’s cause will also not be helped by the absence of suspended defender Raphe Brown and injured forward Sol Wanjau-Smith. Their new Dutch signing, Manny Duku, could be one to look out for and the much-traveled striker is feeling optimistic. “Imagine winning 1-0 and I get the goal. That would be unbelievable, but it doesn’t matter who scored,” he said this week. Stones also have a promotional campaign to concentrate on, as do their opponents, and the non-league players can only hope that distracts Ipswich enough to have a bad day here. But Kieran McKenna’s side have a ruthless streak that could take a beating. Tom Davis
Barkley returns to Goodison with a glint in his eye
The manner in which he leaves Everton means Ross Barkley is unlikely to receive the warmest of welcomes when he returns to his boyhood club on Saturday, even if it has been more than five years. for the way the midfielder has revived a weak career. Barkley, now 30, never reached the heights that former Everton managers David Moyes and Roberto Martínez envisioned for the creative midfielder but has flourished this season under Rob Edwards. It is no coincidence that Barkley has his manager’s full confidence for the first time since leaving Everton for a disappointing spell at Chelsea, then Aston Villa and then Nice, plus a consistent run of starts. There will be some irony if Everton are the ones to suffer from their renaissance in this season’s FA Cup and Premier League relegation battle. Andy Hunter
How seriously will Wilder take the FA Cup?
Football managers like to talk about ‘the next match is the most important match’, but in reality the vast majority prioritize their matches. It is far from inconceivable that Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder and Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi are, at least privately, happy to sacrifice FA Cup progress to pursue other goals. Wilder’s side are bottom of the Premier League and seven points adrift of safety and have a potentially crucial relegation six-pointer at Crystal Palace on Tuesday. Brighton are seventh in the top level and in the last sixteen of the Europa League. Does Wilder field a weakened team and focus on the trip to Selhurst Park or perhaps believe a cup win could help build some much-needed confidence and momentum in South Yorkshire? Does De Zerbi also think that Brighton can compete on three fronts? Only one thing seems absolutely certain; neither manager will want a repeat of the fourth round. Louise Taylor
Can Wilson help Fulham recover from their loss at Liverpool?
Fulham were too passive for much of the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool. They struggled to recover from an early goal and didn’t do enough to go ahead, but they perked up when Harry Wilson came off the bench in the second half. The winger made a positive impact and hopes to start when Fulham host Newcastle on Saturday evening. The question is whether Marco Silva’s team has recovered from the disappointment of not beating Liverpool. A new cup competition offers the opportunity for a quick response. JS
Everything up for grabs in the Black Country derby
There can be no excuses for West Brom or Wolves not going full throttle when they meet in the first Black Country derby since May 2021, and the first in front of supporters for 12 years, when Albion relished a 5-1 thrashing bring to Molineux. Wolves are in good form in the Premier League and are in no real danger of relegation, so they are well placed to prioritize the cup. Albion, too, while focused on the Championship play-off race, could really benefit from the money and profile a run would bring to a club that has been plagued by protests, ownership disputes and financial problems in recent years. Owner Guochuan Lai, who has drenched the club in debt, will remain in place for now amid protracted talks with the Warmfront Holdings consortium, but on the pitch West Brom have impressed under Carlos Corberán’s management and have chance to show what he can do. capable of taking on the team Baggies fans most want to beat. T.D
Quansah solves Klopp’s defensive dilemma
The answer to the question of why Liverpool did not sign a new central defender last summer is Jarell Quansah. The 20-year-old put in another good performance to help Jurgen Klopp’s team, and a much-changed, inexperienced defense, reach the Carabao Cup final at Fulham on Wednesday. It was the Warrington-born defender’s 16th appearance in his breakthrough season and he is the latest example of Liverpool flourishing thanks to Klopp’s policy of always keeping a path open for academy talent as they pursue another quadruple talent, continuing with Norwich’s visit to the FA Cup on Sunday. . “The preparation was super positive,” said Klopp about Quansah, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Bristol Rovers. “We have been asked a lot that we should sign a new central defender, and of course we have thought about that. It is not that we ignore possible problems, but when we saw him it was clear that we were not going to go for it, that we would have our own solution.” AH
Visit to Manchester United caps off great week for Newport
It may slip under the radar given everything else happening on Rodney Parade this week, but on Wednesday evening the news that Huw Jenkins’ takeover had finally been sanctioned by the English Football League provided Newport County supporters with a new boost. Jenkins, the former Swansea City chairman, has acquired a 52% majority stake from the supporters trust, which owned and ran the club for the past nine years. Last summer Newport lost key players due to financial constraints, posting a record £1.2m loss, but the visit of Manchester United will deliver a £400,000 windfall. “It’s been a turbulent summer but I think we’ve put together a really good group of boys and staff and have gone from strength to strength,” said Newport manager Graham Coughlan. “We’re in a good place, but we’ve had to weather a lot of storms to get here.” B.F