The Premier League takes a weekend off to make way for the FA Cup. Here are five of the best matches to watch this weekend.
This weekend the FA Cup subs in for the Premier League. There are plenty of exciting fourth round games to look forward to. We’ve chosen five matches we think will be the most exciting to watch. This competition always throws up shocks and surprises, so hopefully this weekend will be no different.
Derby vs. Leicester – Friday 2:55 p.m. ET
The first of the weekend’s FA Cup fixtures sees Championship side Derby host Leicester. The Rams caused an upset in the last round when they triumphed over West Brom. They’ll be hoping to pull off another shock in Friday’s match against the reigning Premier League champions.
The Foxes’ league form has been very poor this season but they did manage an impressive away win at Everton in the third round of this competition. On paper, Derby should be an easier match for Leicester, but it’s clear Claudio Ranieri’s side aren’t high on confidence at the moment. Derby haven’t lost at home since September, and will fancy their chances of exploiting Leicester’s suspect defense.
Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City – Saturday 10:00 a.m. ET
Crystal Palace made it all the way to the final of the FA Cup last year, and were a tad unfortunate to lose to Manchester United. If they’re going to make it to the final again, they’ll have to do something they couldn’t in May — beat a team from Manchester. The Eagles’ struggles haven’t stopped since Sam Allardyce took over from Alan Pardew last month, but he did get his first win with the London side in the last round of this competition.
The beauty of the cup is that league form can be forgotten for a weekend. This should give the Crystal Palace players a lift and perhaps make them more competitive against City. Pep Guardiola’s side blitzed West Ham in the last round of the competition and the Spaniard will be hoping for more of the same from his side this weekend. An early goal for Palace could rock the Citizens, though, and make for an entertaining match.
Southampton vs. Arsenal – Saturday 12:30 p.m. ET
The late kickoff in Saturday’s FA Cup fixtures is an all Premier League clash between Southampton and Arsenal. Claude Puel’s side might be tired after their midweek League Cup match with Liverpool, but they should be high on confidence. The Saints managed an impressive victory at Anfield on Tuesday which saw them progress to the final, where they’ll play Manchester United.
On the road to the final of the League Cup, they also knocked out Arsenal. That, coupled with their recent record against the Gunners, should fill them with confidence. Since Southampton came back into the Premier League Arsenal’s best result at St. Mary’s has been a draw. Arsene Wenger always takes the FA Cup very seriously and he would probably see a draw as a good result as it would give the Gunners the opportunity to progress in a replay at the Emirates.
Fulham vs. Hull – Sunday 7:30 a.m. ET
There are four FA Cup ties on Sunday and one of the games that stands out is between Fulham and Hull. It’s only a few years since Fulham were last in the Premier League while Hull were promoted from the Championship last season. The Tigers have struggled for most of the season, but have looked much stronger since Marco Silva took over at the beginning of the month. They also come into this match fresh off a victory over Manchester United in the League Cup.
Fulham aren’t far off the playoff positions in the Championship and they should fancy their chances of causing an upset against a Hull side who’s defense always seems to be their undoing. A score draw seems like a realistic result in this match up, but the cup sometimes causes teams to chase games more than they would if points were available. Here’s hoping that’s the case on Sunday.
Sutton vs. Leeds – Sunday – 9:00 a.m. ET
Sutton are one of the lowest ranked teams left in the competition and they’ll be hoping they can carry that stat into the fifth round with a victory over Leeds. If they could manage it, it would be, without a doubt, the biggest shock of the fourth round. Leeds have been in unbelievable form of late, only losing two of their last 10 matches. Gary Monk has done a great job turning the Whites into a force to be reckoned with, but they’ll know the dangers of being over-confident on Sunday.
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Away trips to lower league teams in the FA Cup are always dangerous. If Leeds can’t manage a goal in the first 30 minutes, it could become a cagey affair. In those circumstances, the phrase “giant killing” will start circulating and the home side will surely grow in confidence. If Sutton keep this match close it has the potential to be one of the games of the weekend.