Cup trap
LONDON- The Emirates FA Cup is back again with a raft of fixtures spread out across the entire weekend all the way through until Monday night.
Reigning champions Manchester City will face Fulham on Sunday for only the fourth time in the competition and for the first time in 106 years, a 2-0 win for City all the way back in 1914.
Pep Guardiola’s men have won their last seven FA Cup matches, scoring 30 goals and conceding just four since a 1-0 defeat to Wigan in February 2018 while star striker Sergio Aguero needs just one more to be outright fourth-highest scorer in the competition.
Sunday is also reserved for Liverpool’s trip to Shrewsbury Town with the teams having only ever faced once previously, a fourth-round tie in February 1996 – the Reds won 4-0 at Gay Meadow.
The Shrews should not be underestimated having lost just one of their last 17 home matches in the competition (W10 D6), a 3-0 defeat against Manchester United in February 2016.
Saturday afternoon kicks off with Brentford against Leicester and the Bees don’t have the best record against top flight opposition in the competition having progressed from just one of their last 12 meeting with Premier League opponents - a 2-1 win against Sunderland in January 2006.
In the Foxes’ dugout, Brendan Rodgers has progressed from his last six FA Cup ties against lower-league opposition since losing 3-2 to Oldham Athletic in the fourth round in 2012-13 as Liverpool boss.
In his entire managerial career, Tottenham Hotspur boss José Mourinho has only lost two games against an opponent in the same calendar month once previously, losing two Champions League games against Real Madrid in February, 2002 as FC Porto manager.
Southampton’s 1-0 Premier League win on New Year’s Day put that record in jeopardy and the Saints will hope to recreate the 4-0 third round victory they managed over Spurs the last time the clubs met in the competition back in 2002-03.
Another all-Premier-League clash comes via Norwich’s trip to Burnley having only met once previously in the competition, with the Canaries winning 4-1 in the third round during the 2011-12 season.
Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez has scored nine goals in his last 13 Emirates FA Cup appearances, netting in his last three games in the competition for the Clarets, including a goal in a 4-1 defeat to Norwich in January 2012.
And Saturday will be wrapped up with a repeat of 2017-18’s fifth round meeting between Chelsea and Hull City in which the Blues won 4-0, scoring all for before half time.
EMIRATES FA CUP FIXTURES
TODAY, JANUARY 25
Brentford vs. Leicester (SS3, 3.30PM)
Southampton vs. Tottenham (SS3, 6PM)
West Ham vs. West Brom (SS8, 6PM)
Newcastle vs. Oxford (SS11, 6PM)
Hull City vs. Chelsea (SS3, 8.30PM)
TOMORROW, JANUARY 26
Man City vs. Fulham (SS3, 6PM)
Shrewsbury vs. Liverpool (SS3, 8PM)
MONDAY, JANUARY 27
Bournemouth vs. Arsenal (SS3, 11PM)
