The FA Cup fifth round begins this Saturday with 10 teams from the Barclays Premier League competing in the last 16, including Manchester United and Arsenal.
Six sides from England’s lower tiers are still alive and will be looking to upset a few of the big boys.
Here are the five matches to watch from this weekend’s round:
Saturday programming alert: Watch West Bromwich Albion vs West Ham United on Sportsnet World at 7:45 am ET, Blackburn vs Stoke City on Sportsnet World at 10:00 am ET, and Crystal Palace vs Liverpool on Sportsnet World at 12:30 pm ET. || Also, watch Derby County vs Reading at 10:00 am ET online at Sportsnet World NOW || Broadcast schedule
West Bromwich Albion vs West Ham United
West Ham and West Brom will battle in one of three Premier League matchups in the FA Cup on Saturday at The Hawthorns.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis has guided the team to 15th place in the league table, but remains just four points above relegation. Advancing in the cup would be a nice consolation for fans, but could also add fatigue to the players if they’re fighting to stay in the league.
As for West Ham, the club has dramatically improved and is competing for a spot in Europe next season. However, the Hammers are five points behind Tottenham for a Europa League berth.
Both teams have some injury concerns, but West Ham’s absentees are more significant. Goalkeeper Adrian is suspended and Andy Carroll is out for the rest of the season after suffering an injury in the 0-0 draw against Southampton on Wednesday.
Victor Anichebe is doubtful for West Brom, but will be assessed before kickoff. Other than that, Pulis has everyone else available to him.
Three of the last six games between West Ham and West Brom ended in draws. The Baggies have earned just one win in that span.
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
If the Premier League began on Boxing Day,Liverpool would be at the top of the table. The Reds could cap that dramatic turnaround with a trophy at the end of the season. However, the Merseyside club has a tough test against Crystal Palace, who has lost just once since Dec. 28th in all competitions.
Both Brendan Rodgers and Alan Pardew will be missing some key players. Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva is ruled out with injury. Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling are touch-and-go, while Jordon Ibe isn’t registered, so Rodgers will have to rotate.
Palace’s captain Mile Jedinak is still hurt, as is Jerome Thomas. Yaya Sanogo, Lee Chung-yong and Scott Dann are listed as doubtful.
Crystal Palace has been surprisingly successful against Liverpool in recent times. They have only lost two of the previous six matches against the Reds. This trend could continue at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Sunday programming alert: Watch Aston Villa vs Leicester City on Sportsnet World at 7:30 am ET, and Arsenal vs Middlesbrough on Sportsnet World at 11:00 am ET. || Also, watch Bradford City vs Sunderland at 9:30 am ET online at Sportsnet World NOW || Broadcast schedule
Leicester City vs Aston Villa
Aston Villa sacked manager Paul Lambert on Wednesday, who won just 24.5 percent of his matches in charge of the West Midlands side. Scott Marshall and Andy Marshall, who are unrelated, will be the caretakers beginning on Sunday against Leicester City.
Villa has won just two of its last 21 games under Lambert, scoring a league-low 12 goals in 25 lague matches. Both the Villans and Leicester are in the relegation zone, so an FA Cup triumph could be a lifesaver for either side.
Aston Villa captain Ron Vlaar is expected to return this weekend and might even start against Leicester. Philippe Senderos and Libor Kozak are still hurt, so they’ll be unavailable.
Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and striker Chris Wood are still injured, but other than them, manager Nigel Pearson has a plethora of options to choose from on Sunday.
The Claret and Blue may be struggling, but they’ve traditionally performed well against the Foxes. Villas has won four of the last six matches against Leicester, although the last game resulted in a 1-0 loss, so this should be a close one.
Arsenal vs Middlesbrough
FA Cup holders Arsenal are still alive in the competition and could repeat as champions. The Gunners face Championship leaders Middlesbrough on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium.
Middlesbrough eliminated Premier League winners Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the fourth round on last month, so another upset is possible.
Jack Wilshere returned to training, but due to the latest smoking scandal, he may not feature in this game. New signing Gabriel Paulista could make his Arsenal debut, whether it’s off the bench or from the get-go.
Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Debuchy, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all ruled out with injuries. Top scorer Alexis Sanchez is doubtful with a hamstring problem, but it isn’t serious.
Damia is Middlesbrough’s only injured player, but defender Daniel Ayala is a major doubt. Manager Aitor Karanka will have some decisions to make at the back, especially if Sanchez starts.
Monday programming alert: Watch Preston North End vs Manchester United on Sportsnet World at 2:45 pm ET. || Sportsnet World NOW || Broadcast schedule
Preston North End vs Manchester United
Manchester United earned a much-needed win against Burnley on Wednesday to move back into the Premier League’s top four. Now the Red Devils switch their focus to the FA Cup where they’ll face League One side Preston North End on Monday.
United manager Louis van Gaal won’t have Michael Carrick, Daley Blind and Phil Jones for this match after the latter two suffered injuries on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is on loan from United, and can’t play because he’s cup-tied having appeared for Doncaster earlier in the competition. Midfielder Daniel Johnson is in the same boat.
When Lilywhites manager Simon Grayson was at Leeds United in 2010, he led the third-tier side to a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, so he’s no stranger to defeating United in the FA Cup.
