Both the Barclays Premier League and FA Cup quarterfinals are being played this weekend.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool will be on display in the cup, while Tottenham tries to gain ground in the race for top four in the league.
Saturday: Queens Park Rangers vs Tottenham
(airing live on the four main Sporsnet channels at 9:30 am ET)
Tottenham enters the weekend with 47 points, six behind Manchester United for the fourth and final Champions League spot. However, Spurs have a game in hand. A win against QPR can pull the North London side within reach of United.
Spurs have no injuries, which is a huge relief for manager Mauricio Pochettino. However, Tottenham has played quite a few games recently, so he might rotate to rest some players.
On the other hand, QPR has some concerns with injuries. Alejandro Faurlin, Richard Dunne, Leroy Fer and Adel Taraabt are ruled out. Joey Barton is suspended for the game, while Nedum Onuoha is doubtful.
QPR has lost six of its last seven league matches, and Tottenham has picked up at least a point in four of the previous five meetings against their London opponents.
Saturday: Bradford City vs Reading
(airing live on Sportsnet World at 7:30 am ET)
The first of four FA Cup quarterfinals features League One side Bradford City against second-tier Reading at Valley Parade.
The visitors would be deemed favourites since they’re a Championship club, but Bradford has been difficult to beat in the FA Cup. The Bantams have won five of their last six games in this competition, scoring at least twice in each match.
Bradford manager Phil Parkinson has a relatively fit squad and should not make too many changes for the game. Meanwhile, Chris Gunter returned to action for Reading against Bolton on Wednesday. Gunter should see some time in the FA Cup game as well.
These two teams haven’t played each other since 2004, with Bradford winning the previous match 2-1 at home.
Saturday: Aston Villa vs West Bromwich Albion
(airing live on Sportsnet World at noon ET)
One of the two all-Premier League encounters pits Aston Villa against West Brom at Villa Park.
Both teams met on Tuesday, with Villa winning 2-1. The Baggies have only earned one victory in their last six games against the Villans, so historically the hosts have the edge.
Villa manager Tim Sherwood said there’s “no chance” he’s resting players for this game, but he’ll be forced into at least one change. Alan Hutton is suspended for two games and Ron Vlaar is doubtful, but the Dutch defender might be fit to start.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis may be without Victor Anichebe and Callum McManaman, although only the former is expected to miss the match.
Both of these teams have won three straight FA Cup games. A semifinal appearance will really boost either manager’s confidence.
Sunday: Liverpool vs Blackburn
(airing live on Sportsnet World at 10:00 am ET)
Liverpool’s resurgence has been nothing short of extraordinary. The Reds are competing for a top-four spot in the league and are the in-form team out of any of the contenders. However, the Merseyside club is also a couple of wins away from an FA Cup final. Liverpool faces Blackburn at Anfield for a spot in the semis.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is still without Lucas Leiva, while Jordan Ibe is injured and cup-tied. Mamadou Sakho is doubtful and might not be fit to play, but Steven Gerrard could feature in this game.
Blackburn Rovers manager Gary Bowyer has just two injured players in Jason Lowe and Joshua King. The latter is listed as touch-and-go after missing the team’s midweek match at Sheffield Wednesday. Canadian defender Doneil Henry, a recent loan signing, could feature for Balckburn.
Liverpool has lost just once against Blackburn in its last six meetings, but the Reds have only outscored the Championship side 9-8 in that span.
Monday: Manchester United vs Arsenal
(airing live on Sportsnet World at 3:30 pm ET)
The most scintillating FA Cup quarterfinal match on paper is Manchester United versus Arsenal at Old Trafford.
Arsenal is the defending FA Cup champion, but United was the victor in the last game against the Gunners on Nov. 22 at the Emirates Stadium. However, in a cup game of this magnitude, a lot will be on the line.
Robin van Persie is Louis van Gaal’s only injury, so he has a plethora of options available for this game.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be missing some of his key starters such as Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere. Gabriel Paulista came off injured against QPR midweek and might be unavailable in this match.
United hasn’t lost against Arsenal in any competition since May 2011, a span of seven games. However, with United in poor form, this is a perfect opportunity for the Gunners to claim a win.
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