Wolf cubs on the hunt
Gary O’Neil admitted his decision to start Pedro Neto against Fulham had backfired, with the Portuguese winger set to miss Wolves’ clash with Coventry on Saturday after aggravating a hamstring problem. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is also a doubt with a knee injury suffered in the same match, so opportunities could open up for those on the periphery. Nathan Fraser, the 19-year-old forward, made his full debut last time out. Noha Lemina, the 18-year-old brother of midfielder Mario who was on the bench against Fulham, was able to get his first minutes in the old gold, while 18-year-old striker Leon Chiwome – tipped last year in our Next for a bright future Generation series – is another untested option. Twenty-year-old midfielder Tawanda Chirewa could also feature but, with last week’s big decisions fresh in his mind, O’Neil will be careful not to be too bold given what is at stake. Ben Visser
Bees ready to unleash the wrath on the lowly Clarets
Brentford will hold an understandable grudge at Turf Moor after seeing Kai Havertz escape a second yellow card for a blatant act of cheating before scoring Arsenal’s late winner against them last weekend. If channeled properly against a Burnley team that looks destined to return to the Championship, it could dampen the undeserved criticism Thomas Frank has faced during a run of five Premier League games without a win . That winless run includes games against current top three Chelsea and away games against West Ham, where overall standards undoubtedly fell in the 4-2 defeat. But Frank shouldn’t be asking for perspective. Ivan Toney has not scored in his last four games but against a vulnerable Burnley defence, and in a stadium that has witnessed 11 home league defeats this season, the striker and Brentford will be confident of venting their frustrations. Andy Hunter
Relegation six-pointer up for grabs at Kenilworth Road
There is only one relegation place up for grabs – Burnley and Sheffield United are effectively down – making the prospect of 18th place 17th an intriguing prospect. With ten games to go, we can officially consider this a six-pointer, especially as Forest face potential deductions depending on Premier League profitability and sustainability rules. The bad news for both of them is that they are in pretty bad shape. Luton gave up a three-goal lead to lose to Bournemouth, while Forest have lost their last three games and their key striker is struggling with his fitness. Whatever happens on Kenilworth Road could be a turning point for both sides and the game requires strong characters. Nerves are ringing at the bottom and the psychological impact of a win for either team will dent the confidence of their relegation rivals. However each manager wants to spin it, a loss would be disastrous and neither can afford it. Will win
Scope for the resurgent Tottenham
Well, that wasn’t that difficult, was it? Spurs’ mega-clash last weekend with fellow top four chasers Aston Villa quickly turned from tense to joyous, with four second-half goals cutting the gap between the two sides to just a few points. With Villa not in action until Sunday, Ange Postecoglou’s side have the chance to jump to fourth place; With Manchester United busy looking for redemption in the FA Cup, they can widen the gap there too. James Maddison was the first to celebrate at Villa Park, getting on the end of a fine cross from Pape Sarr, while Son Heung-min scored one and headed in a couple elsewhere. Maddison’s comeback from an ankle injury, combined with Son’s return from the Asian Cup, makes it feel like the good old days, when the Postecoglou honeymoon began with a 10-match unbeaten run in the league. A trip to Craven Cottage may bring back bad memories of the League Cup exit in August, but perhaps also of the 2-0 win over Fulham in October. The goalscorers that day? Madison and son. Taha Hashim
No delay for Newcastle at Manchester City
By their vaunted standards, Manchester City are not quite the same force this season. Yet they are still good enough to achieve a historic and second consecutive treble. Newcastle enter this FA Cup quarter-final in 10th place in the Premier League, 15 points off fourth, with Eddie Howe’s position as manager under scrutiny. Pep Guardiola tends to find a way to spark his team when it really matters. As can be seen from Kevin De Bruyne’s dissatisfaction with his departure against Liverpool, City’s players are mainly trained to impress. This is bad news for Howe and his team, even if De Bruyne is sidelined. Expect City to eliminate the visitors and move on to another Wembley trip. Jamie Jackson
Leicester may be forced to pick battles
Another home game against a side pushing for automatic promotion from the Championship should suit Chelsea well. Leeds turned against them in the fifth round and it could be a similar story when Leicester visit Stamford Bridge. Things will be exciting for Enzo Maresca’s side, whose lead at the top of the table has been reduced to three points after a run of one win in five games. Leeds are closing in and Leicester are uncomfortably close to Ipswich Town, who are in third place. This is no longer a procession to the title and Maresca could be forced to prioritize the league. It would not be a surprise if Leicester, who defeated Chelsea in the final three years ago, are not at full strength on Sunday. Jacob Steinberg
West Ham and Villa are experiencing problems in midfield
West Ham and Aston Villa both have problems in midfield. For David Moyes, the challenge of reviving Kalvin Phillips’ career has proven more difficult than expected. West Ham could do with a change after playing in Europe on Thursday night, but can Moyes take the risk of starting Phillips again after his disappointing performance against Burnley? Probably not, although Villa is certainly unlikely to be fresher than West Ham. Villa, who defeated Ajax in the Europa Conference League, are also in the middle of a selection dilemma. The influential John McGinn is suspended following his red card in last weekend’s defeat to Spurs, the excellent Boubacar Kamara is out for a long period of time and Jacob Ramsey suffered an ankle injury against Luton earlier this month. JS
Ten Hag’s chances are running out now that Liverpool is looming
Erik ten Hag and Manchester United are in the last chance salon of ‘FA Cup glory’ when it comes to claiming silverware this season and if arch-rivals Liverpool throw them out of the tavern it will be particularly bitter. To stretch the metaphor further, what hangover could there be for the manager, who auditions for Jim Ratcliffe’s new minority ownership to keep his job? United tend to sack managers when Champions League qualification is no longer possible, so although the gap to fourth-place Aston Villa is just eight points, the Dutchman can remain in place. The downside is that, should United end Jurgen Klopp’s dream of ending his tenure with a quadruple, Ten Hag’s share price will skyrocket. JJ