FA Cup: Man Utd to face matured Fulham in FA Cup repeat

Newcastle and Brighton meet in potential cup cracker

Newcastle vs Brighton, Sunday, 1.45pm

The FA Cup is opening up and Newcastle and Brighton will both know they have a huge chance to get back to Wembley in this competition this season – and this looks like a brilliant tie too tricky to call.

The visitors already have the psychological boost of having won at St James’ Park this season, with Danny Welbeck making the difference in October. He remains a key part of a Brighton attack which has helped fire Fabian Hurzeler’s side to four wins on the spin since their 7-0 thrashing at Nottingham Forest. The defensive restructuring since that game has also turned them into a daunting proposition right now.

But while Newcastle have failed to demonstrate their own considerable threat at Man City and Liverpool this month, they showed their own attacking thrust at home against Nottingham Forest last weekend in a 4-3 thriller and their place in the Carabao Cup final, courtesy of two wins over Arsenal in the semis, underlines their appetite to end their silverware wait this term.

Newcastle and Brighton – semi-finalists in the FA Cup in 2019 and 2023 – are now major players in this field reduced of Premier League heavyweights. But only one of them can take the next step into the quarters. The stage is set for a cup cracker.
Peter Smith

Man Utd to face matured Fulham in FA Cup repeat

Man Utd vs Fulham, Sunday, 4.30pm

The last time Man Utd and Fulham met in the FA Cup back two years ago, there were sparks.

The Cottagers were leading 1-0 before Willian’s handball on the goal line, Marco Silva’s touchline rage, then Aleksandar Mitrovic’s on-pitch anger saw the west Londoners reduced to nine men, allowing United to complete a 3-1 comeback win.

Fulham have shown a lot more maturity since then. Silva has turned his side into a newly-promoted outfit into one very much in the hunt for Europe. They have learned not to rely so much on one player such as Mitrovic, who gave them the lead at Old Trafford that day – while if xG decided Premier League games, the Cottagers would sit fourth in the table.

United, meanwhile, have arguably gone the other way. The club won two cup trophies in that 2022/23 season the last time they met Fulham, but this FA Cup arguably stands as their best chance of silverware to get the Ruben Amorim show on the road.

The stakes are high, so will tensions boil over again?
Sam Blitz

Forest and Ipswich – familiar foes with contrasting fortunes

Nottingham Forest vs Ipswich, Sunday, 7.30pm

It wasn’t too long ago Nottingham Forest and Ipswich were somewhat stuck in the Championship; too good to be in relegation contention, but not good enough for promotion to the Premier League.

That has all changed in recent years, with Ipswich dropping to League One then returning to the top flight after 22 years away, two years after Forest ended their own 23-year exile. Now they are both there, their fortunes are greatly contrasting. Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tricky Trees are seemingly destined for the top four, while the Tractor Boys look destined for the drop.

Forest’s standing in the Premier League is something Ipswich will certainly have in their short to medium-term sights, though they can only dream of it right now. Over the past 26 years, they’ve been dreaming of a win at the City Ground, too – but have failed in the 15 attempts in that time.

This weekend, though, this pair – who have won three FA Cups between them – are on a level playing field. Form goes out of the window in knockout football and, as we all know, anything can happen in this competition.

Which team will get a shot in the arm as the end of the season’s conclusion draws in?
Dan Long