Category: FA Cup

News and discussion ahead of the FA Cup quarter-finals, with Manchester City hosting Liverpool

The Women’s FA Cup is being played, too. Suzanne Wrack runs the rule over the ties.

Arsenal v Brighton, Sunday 1pm

Charlton v Liverpool, Sunday 2.30pm

Chelsea v Tottenham, Monday 1.30pm

Birmingham v Manchester City, Monday 5pm

Peretz was inspired by the Germany goalkeeper as a boy – he had a giant photo of the 2014 World Cup-winner on his bedroom wall – but in Bavaria Neuer, who turned 40 last week, morphed into a mentor. “[It went] from admiring the players, to them becoming my friends and my teammates.

“I watched every single save [Neuer] made and then he was with me day by day and he became a friend,” Peretz says, recalling the emotions of their first encounter. “I was sweating all over, so nervous that I could not speak. I had goosebumps, everything.”

Continue reading...

Goalkeeper on representing Israel, learning from Manuel Neuer at Bayern and targeting an FA Cup upset

A few days after returning from international duty, there is only one place to start with Daniel Peretz: his pride at representing Israel during the unsettling and tense backdrop of war and geopolitical conflict. His excitement at facing Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-finals can wait. Almost all of his family are in Tel Aviv, where wailing air raid sirens have become a staple of the mood music. “Unfortunately, it has become a bit of a routine,” says the Southampton goalkeeper, who is on loan from Bayern Munich.

When they sound, his loved ones head to the nearest bunkers and safe rooms. “It’s not always easy to do this separation in life and you are worried a lot about what’s happening,” he says. “But they are always following the instructions and I’m always in touch with them. We speak regularly to check everything is OK.

Continue reading...

• Manchester City midfielder can leave if ‘not happy’

• ‘My wish is that Rodri could stay as long as possible’

Pep Guardiola will not stand in Rodri’s way if the midfielder wishes to leave Manchester City for Real Madrid, though the manager believes he will stay at the club beyond this summer.

During the international break Rodri, whose contract expires in June 2027, was asked about reports that Real’s president, Florentino Pérez, wished to sign him. When answering, the 29-year-old referenced how being a former Atlético Madrid player would be no obstacle.

Continue reading...

• Salah critical of head coach in December after being left out

• Slot: ‘The only one who can talk about it is Mo himself’

Arne Slot has no regrets over his treatment of Mohamed Salah and claimed it was entirely the forward’s decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

The Liverpool head coach declined to divulge why or when Salah decided to leave the club as he faced the media on Friday for the first time since the Egypt international’s announcement. Slot believes it should be left to Salah to explain the reasons for exiting 12 months before his contract is due to expire.

Continue reading...

Starting at Manchester City in the FA Cup, Arne Slot must show doubters his plan for a team in transition can succeed

There were more important reasons for Jürgen Klopp’s return to Liverpool last Saturday, but it was apposite his presence reminded Anfield of the unshakable bond and belief they once shared, the joy his football brought. Those pillars of Klopp’s reign are weakening under Arne Slot and April may determine whether they are left standing at all.

Two cup quarter-finals in succession should signal a season on the right track for Liverpool; showpiece occasions such as Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday whetting the appetite for what May could have in store.

Continue reading...

Australian manager Joe Brady and New Zealand striker Ben Waine have guided League One strugglers to quarter-finals

The Port Vale manager, Jon Brady, left Australia as a 17-year-old to chase his dream of playing in the United Kingdom. Spells at Brentford, Swansea and Wycombe did not make a first-team debut a reality. The sacrifice would not be wasted as determination to make a career in England grew stronger, becoming a non-league stalwart, but always with an eye on what came next.

Like Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final opponent, Chelsea’s head coach Liam Rosenior, Brady plotted a route to the dugout from early on, earning his B licence at the age of 23. Twenty-eight years later, he has managed more than 500 league games, in charge of Brackley and Northampton before joining League One’s bottom club in January, and embarking on a surprising Cup run.

Continue reading...

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Nick Ames and Jordan Jarrett-Bryan to preview the weekend’s action.

Subscribe to The Guardian Football Weekly ► https://www.youtube.com/@FootballWeeklyPodcast?sub_confirmation=1

Chapters:

00:00 - Chapters
00:56 - FA Cup quarter-final preview
01:12 - Where do Slot’s priorities lie?
05:16 - Have Manchester City had a good season?
06:49 - Southampton v Arsenal
10:35 - Would defeat rattle Arsenal?
16:03 - Marc Cucurella comments
21:52 - West Ham v Leeds United

25.43 - Ad break
25:46 - EFL preview
28:26 - Nigel Farage photoshoot at Portman Road

36.49 - Ad break
36:49 - WCL roundup
40:15 - Nick Ames spends time in Kosovo
44:35 - Answering listener correspondence

Support the Guardian ► https://support.theguardian.com/

Guardian Football Weekly podcast:

Apple ► https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/football-weekly/id188674007

Spotify ► https://open.spotify.com/show/6w8qWe0kjgHEHSWDSDGoLW?si=231c666f7f5a4453

Follow Guardian Football Weekly:

Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/guardian_footballweekly/

TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@guardian_footballweekly

Continue reading...

Dango Ouattara’s Panenka attempt cost Brentford as West Ham set up a quarter-final with Leeds

1 min Brentford set us away. Given the side Nuno’s sent out, they’ll surely fancy themselves.

Our teams come out, Brentford wearing their away pyjamas.

Continue reading...

League One side Port Vale will head to Stamford Bridge while Manchester City host Liverpool in last eight

In such situation I didn’t expect even Marco Silva to blame someone other than him, and yet:

A very bad day for us,” Silva said. “It is probably not the moment to be emotional. It is a moment for us to look deeper.

It is not just another defeat. We lost a big chance. If you want to be in a club that wants to get better your ambition has to always be there. If you are pushing to win a game there are certain standards you cannot drop. Some things are about mentality.”

Continue reading...

Max Dowman and Rio Ngumoha staked their claim for more game time while Fulham paid for a lack of ambition

Port Vale have only ever reached the last eight of the FA Cup once before in their entire history, in 1953-54, when they went one stage further, losing the semi-final at Villa Park 2-1 to West Brom thanks to a much-disputed winning goal. If only VAR had been present then, you might say. In their fifth-round victory over Sunderland this weekend, they were also unfortunate despite the presence of technology. Why was referee Anthony Taylor not asked to go and check the TV monitor when George Hall was cynically taken out by the Sunderland goalkeeper Melkor Ellberg, just outside the penalty area with the match on a knife-edge? Even if the striker’s run was going away from goal, he surely had the pace to have got a shot away. Let’s hope VAR give the remaining lower-division teams fair shrift when it comes to the rest of the competition. Peter Lansley

Match report: Port Vale 1-0 Sunderland

Match report: Mansfield Town 1-2 Arsenal

Match report: Newcastle 1-3 Manchester City

Match report: Wrexham 2-4 Chelsea (aet)

Match report: Wolves 1-3 Liverpool

Match report: Fulham 0-1 Southampton

Continue reading...

Daniel Farke enjoyed victory over his former club in a fluent display that booked their first quarter-final in 23 years

There are 52 league places between Port Vale and Sunderland, and it’s Vale’s first quarter-final for 72 years. Magic.

“I’ve a strange feeling that Leeds are going to go all the way to the final this year,” emails Justin. “It’s just odd to think they’ve played a European Cup final and won two league titles but have not been back to Wembley for an FA Cup Final since 1973! Even Sunderland got back for one in 1992. Right, that’s Leeds jinxed for another year.”

Continue reading...

Pep Guardiola had Omar Marmoush in the tightest of bear hugs and seemed strangely unwilling to release the smiling Egyptian.

It was the 73rd minute and two goals from the newly withdrawn Marmoush, the second a real show stopper, and another from Savinho had enabled Manchester City to come from behind and potentially shatter Newcastle’s entire season.

Continue reading...

City came from behind to swat aside Newcastle and keep their quadruple hopes alive

1 min: The kick-off’s sent long, and Newcastle win a throw deep in City territory on the left. Hall launches long. The ball nearly drops first to Woltemade, then Elanga, but neither can get an effort on target and turn themselves into the Jackie Milburn de nos jours. The 45-second mark ticks over without the scoreboard being troubled.

Newcastle United get the ball rolling. City are kicking towards the Gallowgate in this first half.

Continue reading...

Chelsea survived a major scare at Cae Ras, twice coming from behind before beating 10-man Wrexham in extra-time

7 min Chelsea look happy to move the ball around and take the sting out of the atmosphere. Wrexham aren’t seeing much of the ball but haven’t been troubled defensively.

4 min A pretty quiet start to the game, at least on the field. The Wrexham fans are still making a very decent noise.

Continue reading...