FRIDAY:
FULHAM V LEEDS
This is a big opportunity for Fulham to climb out of the relegation zone because a win will do exactly that and give their hopes of survival a massive boost. The Cottagers have some tough games between now and the end of the season and a win in this one will hopefully give them the confidence to help them through those games. They play three of the big six in Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United as well as some teams in the middle of the road before a season ending relegation six pointer against Newcastle. They're in a better position than they were one or two months ago where they were far off safety and needing a miracle to survive. Thankfully the teams above them dropped points at the same time they were gaining points which gave them a chance of staying up and that chance is still there for them to take.
Leeds will be hoping that top scorer Patrick Bamford will be fit for this one after the striker went off injured in their draw with Chelsea last weekend. He should be available for this one and Leeds will hope that's the case because of how important he's been for them this season. They can find goals form other positions because of the way they play but without Bamford they won't have the same threat because of the goals he's scored. Leeds have gone off the rail a bit recently with no wins in their last three which has put a dent in their hopes of finishing in the top 10. They're five points behind 10th placed Arsenal and can shorten that gap in this one if they get the result they want. Even if they don't finish in the top 10, it will still be a good season because they haven't been involved in a relegation battle which is always a good season for a newly promoted club.
I'm going for a Leeds win in this one but not as dramatic as the reverse fixture because Fulham have tightened up ever since. Whether Bamford plays or not, they should still win and I think they'll find goals from other areas of the field.
PREDICTION: 0-2
SATURDAY:
BRIGHTON V NEWCASTLE
This is a must win game for both clubs as they're both fighting it out near the wrong end of the table.
Brighton picked up a massive result last time out by beating Southampton which moved them three points clear of the drop. The experience of Adam Lallana and Danny Welbeck helped a lot because they linked up well with the other attacking players and they both played a part in the second goal scored by Leandro Trossard. Both Welbeck and Lallana have had injury troubles during their careers and if they can stay fit, Brighton could pull away from danger because the experience of those two can help them make better decisions in the final third. The Seagulls' main problem this season has been taking chances and they did that against Southampton. Graham Potter will want his side to produce more of the same because they're in a relegation battle and the only way to pull away from a relegation battle is to win games and taking your chances help you do that.
Newcastle haven't beaten Brighton in the Premier League and they'll want that run to end in this one because it is a must win game for them as well as their opponents. The Magpies are in the worse run of form out of all the teams who have a realistic chance of staying up as they're without a win in six games which is definitely relegation form. Like Fulham and Brighton, Newcastle also have a tough run in till the end of the season as they have to face four of the big six in Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City along with games against two of the current top five in Leicester and West Ham. With Allan Saint Maximin and Callum Wilson to come back, the Magpies should not be written off just yet because both them make a huge difference to them when they're available. They've been badly missed and the sooner they come back the better for Newcastle's season.
I'm going for a draw in this one because Brighton miss a lot of chances and Newcastle's don't have a clinical goal scorer available. With the Magpies reasonably solid defensively with a good keeper between the sticks, I can see it being deja vu for Brighton.
PREDICTION: 0-0
BOURNEMOUTH V SOUTHAMPTON
Bournemouth pulled off a shock in the last round by beating Premier League Burnley 2-0 and they'll be hoping to do the same against Southampton. Jonathan Woodgate has done a decent job since replacing Jason Tindall last month with some good early results being enough to give him the managers job on a permanent basis. The Cherries may have fallen out of the play off places at the hands of Barnsley but they still have a chance of finishing in those places at the end of the season as they're just two points behind 6th placed Reading in the Championship. Their inconsistent form cost them their place in those spots and they'll be hoping to reclaim it if they're to have a chance of making a swift return to the Premier League. They're in a battle with Reading and Barnsley to finish in the play offs with Middlesbrough and Cardiff not that far behind.
The FA Cup has been Southampton's shining light in a difficult second half to the season where they've fallen from the Europa League places to lower mid-table. They've beaten Shrewsbury, Arsenal and Wolves on their way to the Quarter finals and have a great opportunity in this one to book their place in the Semi finals at Wembley next month. A win in this cup tie could also give them some much needed confidence to get their season back on track after a dramatic drop off in form since the turn of the year. They've only won once in the league since beating Liverpool at the turn of the year and their cup run has been the only thing the fans have smiled about ever since. Ralph Hasenhuttl will now want it to be a welcome distraction for them so they can improve their league form and push towards the top 10.
I'm going for a Southampton win because they've done well in this competition and I think they'll have enough to beat Bournemouth. They may be without Danny Ings through injury, but they still have players who can step up in cup competitions.
PREDICTION: 1-3
EVERTON V MAN CITY
I've had Everton down as one of the dark horses for the FA Cup this season because of the manager and group of players they have. I saw them as a team who could go far and potentially go all the way as they have a manager in Carlo Ancelotti who has won a lot of trophies throughout his career including the FA Cup from his time at Chelsea. The Toffees could still win this tie as anything can happen in this competition. But it will be tough because they're up against the runaway leaders in the Premier League who could easily go all the way. It will be a test for Everton and one they'll want to pass if they're to compete with the top sides in the Premier League including Man City. It will also test their cup winning credentials because they want to win some silverware and for them to do that they need to beat the best teams in the competitions.
Man City put in a dominant and controlled display in midweek as they beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 in the 2nd leg of their Champions League last 16 tie. They took both their goals well and were excellent in all areas of the pitch despite playing without a recognised striker. Both Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero started on the bench and they'll both want to start this one having been rested in midweek. City's win against Monchengladbach kept them in the hunt for the quadruple which could still happen. They pretty much have the Premier League title wrapped up as they're 14 points clear with eight games to play, they have a League Cup final to play against Spurs next month plus they're in the Quarter finals of the Champions League as well as the FA Cup. They're easily the favourites for the FA Cup because they have a strong squad and with that they'll have more than enough to go all the way in the competition.
I'm going for a Man City win because I think they'll have more than enough to win this game. With the strength in depth they have, they'll be too strong for Everton in this one because they have top quality players in all areas of the pitch.
PREDICTION: 0-2
SUNDAY:
WEST HAM V ARSENAL
West Ham never really looked like scoring in their defeat to Man United last weekend as they had no shots on target throughout the whole 90 minutes. They may still be in the hunt for a Champions League spot, but Hammers' record against the big six this season hasn't been great and especially away from home. At home it hasn't been that bad as they've taken points off of Man City and Spurs but lost to Liverpool and Man United. With Arsenal being inconsistent at the moment, the Hammers will definitely fancy themselves because they're 5th in the Premier League and have proven that they can beat anyone on their day. They deserve to be where they are in the league and their manager deserves a lot of credit for that. They've been the surprise package of the season and they're in a good position to qualify for Europe next season.
Mikel Arteta made a bold decision in dropping captain Pierre Emerick Aubameyang for the North London Derby last weekend and it wasn't the first one he made. He's setting the standards at the club by making that decision and he'll be hoping that his players will follow those standards in order for there to be a happy dressing room at Arsenal. Aubameyang will hopefully learn from the mistake that lead him to being dropped as he is an experienced player and captain of the football club which should make him a role model for the younger players. In order for his manager to forgive him, he needs to work hard in training and put in good performances on the pitch because that is what Arteta will want him to do so he can put his error behind him and move on. A good performance in this one will be a good start on his path to redemption.
I'm going for a draw in this one because West Ham are always in games and Arsenal have been playing well over the last few games. I can see that being the case in this one and because that I can't see a winner from either side.
PREDICTION: 1-1
ASTON VILLA V TOTTENHAM
Aston Villa are likely to be without talisman Jack Grealish once again for this one as he is still recovering from a calf injury. Villa have missed him a lot whilst he's been out and they'll be hoping that he will be back after the International Break because they'll need him if they want to end the season strongly. Villa have won just once in their last five games without Grealish and Dean Smith will be hoping that his side will return to winning ways soon so they can continue their push towards European football instead of drop into mid-table. It's still been a good season for Villa because they were fighting it out near the bottom at this stage last season and on the verge of relegation. This year they find themselves 9th which is a massive improvement from them considering where they were at this stage of last season.
After a few good results Spurs were back to their negative selves against Arsenal last weekend where they were second best throughout. They've been negative whenever they've played against the big six this season and it could well be the reason why they're not in the top four. Having gone out of the Europa League in midweek to Dynamo Zagreb and a top four finish looking unlikely, Spurs will need to find a miracle from somewhere if they're to qualify for next seasons Champions League. They're very inconsistent and are six points behind Chelsea in 4th with no more games in hand which makes their task of finishing in the top four more challenging. They haven't won against any of the top 10 since Christmas which has lead to them being criticized and they need to sort that out if they're to qualify for the Champions League next season.
I'm going for a Spurs win because Villa are without Grealish who has been a big miss for them since he's been out. Spurs may be without Son, but they do have Kane available and because of that I think Spurs will win this one.
PREDICTION: 1-2
CHELSEA V SHEFFIELD UNITED
Chelsea booked their place in the Quarter finals of the Champions League in midweek by beating Atletico Madrid 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate over the two legs. N'Golo Kante looked back to his best in making vital tackles and interceptions when his team needed him to as well as using the ball well in keeping possession and playing the right pass to get his team on the attack. He was seen everywhere on the pitch and he looked like the Kante of old back in winning the ball back numerous times which is what he did when he won the Premier League with Leicester and in his first season at Chelsea. The blues went back to the three at the back in midweek and it once again worked as they kept a clean sheet and put in a good performance overall to win the game. They've looked really solid defensively since Tuchel has been in charge and they also appear to have found the right midfield partnership in Kante and Kovacic.
Sheffield United looked shaken in their 5-0 defeat to Leicester last weekend and understandably so. Chris Wilder left his post as manager hours before kick off and it clearly had an effect on the players because of what Wilder did for the players at the football club. If the Blades lose this cup tie which they probably will, they can start preparing for next season because their season is pretty much over. We all know they're going to get relegated and with no Chris Wilder at the helm, they won't have a chance of pulling off a great escape. Their run in the FA Cup has been their only shining light this season with their 3rd and 4th Round victories over Bristol Rovers and Plymouth giving them the confidence to win their following games in the league against Newcastle and Man United. But they haven't built on those results which they needed to if they were to have a chance of staying up.
I'm going for a Chelsea win because they're more confident and are still unbeaten under Thomas Tuchel. As they have more quality and a better squad than the blades I think they'll win this one fairly comfortably.
PREDICTION: 2-0
LEICESTER V MAN UNITED
Leicester reached this stage of the FA Cup last season where they were beaten by Chelsea who went on to reach the final. They would love to go on and win the cup itself because they've had a good season and they'll want a trophy to cap it off. They've coped pretty well without James Maddison and Harvey Barnes as they haven't lost a game during their absence. One player who is stepping up in their absence is Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigerian has scored in every game during their absence and is linking up well with Jamie Vardy with Ayoze Perez just behind them. He netted a hat trick in their win over Sheffield United last weekend which got me asking if he could replace Vardy in the long term with Vardy now 34 years old. He's been a good back up for the Foxes' main man this season and he could well replace him if he continues to take his opportunities.
Man United will have Paul Pogba back for this one after the Frenchman marked his return to action with a goal from the bench in midweek against AC Milan in the Europa League. Pogba has been a big miss for United because they've missed his energy and they haven't had a player who can play a good pass from midfield. United fell out of the title race during Pogba's absence and they'll now be looking to end the season strongly as well as win both the FA Cup and Europa League. United reached the Semi finals in every competition last season and will want to go one step further this season by winning the two competitions they're still in. If they can finish 2nd in the league and win at least one of those trophies, it will be a good season for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team.
I'm going for a United win because they have Pogba and back and I think he'll make a difference for them. With the Foxes without Maddison and Barnes, United will have enough to win because you need all your best players fit for a game like this one.
PREDICTION: 1-2
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