EPL: Time for Cup to get serious

Fantasy Football managers will be cursing this week’s stilted fixture list.

No Man City or Liverpool in Premier action, for example. Cue legions of  angry mutterings such as, ‘What? But Yaya’s my captain’ or ‘No Suarez? This weekend’s dead to me’, or for the more cunning ‘boss’ — ‘I’ll start on -4 but if I ditch Benteke and Yaya, I can bring in Hazard and I should be okay’.

FF fans will know what I’m talking about. Those of you who don’t, where have you been all season?

On a serious note, this weekend features plenty of potential story lines.

We’ll see if Arsenal can throw away another chance at winning silverware, whether we can throw egg on Man City’s face at their  quadruple prediction and if Sunderland can increase their chances of relegation by having another extended cup run.

Perhaps most crucially, and maybe even under the radar slightly, Chelsea could stealthily go seven points clear at the top of the Premier League. 

All 11am unless stated

FA Cup quarter-finals

TOMORROW

Arsenal v Everton

8:45am

The Gunners will see this as a great chance to win a long-awaited title but the Toffees are a slick outfit under Roberto Martinez and have Lukaku back after injury. At home, Arsenal should edge it, although they’ll need Olivier Giroud to snap out of his epic Britannia Stadium sulk.

Everton haven’t beaten Arsenal away in 16 attempts.

Prediction: 2-1

Sunday

Sheff United v Charlton

8am

League One Blades have a great chance to continue their romantic Cup run — and what a fine achievement a semi-final place would be for manager Nigel Clough.

Clough is turning things around at United  and they have won their past six leagues games without conceding a goal (they are now 10th in League One) and won their past eight games in all comptitions.

 The Addicks on paper are not in great form in the Championship with one win in eight. 

It’ll be tough for them in front of a vociferous Bramall Lane crowd.

Prediction: 2-1

Hull v Sunderland 

10am

Gus Poyet’s men did themselves proud in the League Cup final despite defeat but surely that will have taken something out of them. Can they rise to the occasion again? 

Hull to reach a Wembley semi-final, with their Long-Jelavic strikeforce to prove the difference.

Prediction: 1-0

Man City v Wigan

12:05pm

A repeat of last year’s final, which saw Wigan outwit City rather embarrassingly for the big spenders, seems unlikely. Revenge will be swift, one feels, especially now City have their tails up with a trophy already in the bag this season.

The Latics are in good form with four straight league wins but a trip to the Etihad is another thing altogether.

Prediction: 3-1

Premier League

Tomorrow

West Brom v Man Utd

8:45am

United won’t get a better chance to ease the pain when they take on an Albion side seemingly in a state of flux. New manager Pepe Mel was brought in after a lengthy search but it seems no-one likes his style, which begs the question: who did the research on him in the first place?

   So they are now trying to get safe with a manager who everyone has already decided is ill-suited to the club’s counter-attacking style. Great planning, well done. 

Prediction:  1-2

Crystal Palace v Saints

Tony Pulis should be in the running for manager of the year after the impact he has made at the Eagles. But it says it all about their form before he came that the club remain far from safe. A score draw.

Prediction: 2-2

Norwich v Stoke

Chris Hughton’s expression as his team were blown away by Aston Villa at the weekend was not pleasant viewing. He knows the pressure is building. Stoke looked good in beating Arsenal and they should capitalize on that momentum.

Prediction: 0-2

Chelsea v Tottenham

1:30pm

What a great chance for Blues to establish an imposing lead at the top. Nine points ahead of City would be a classic ‘points in the bank’ scenario. Spurs haven’t won at Stamford Bridge in 24 years and Chelsea have the only unbeaten home record in the Premier League.

Prediction:  2-0