FA Cup
Match in focus —Manchester City (tier 1, 1st) v Fulham (tier 2, 1st)
City 20 places higher
Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm
TV: Highlights, BBC One, 10.30pm
Referee: J Gillett (VAR: L Mason)
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Third round (equivalent of today’s fifth round) in 1907-08 (Fulham 3, Man City 1, replay)
Played for both clubs (two selected notable cases): Rodney Marsh, Michael Brown
This is the first FA Cup meeting between the leaders of the top two divisions since 2001, when Fulham were also involved — they lost 2-1 at home to Manchester United in the third round. This has the feel of a high-scoring tie. Since mid-December City, the hosts here, have won 7-0 at home (to Leeds United) and Fulham, the visitors, have won 7-0 away twice (against Blackburn Rovers and Reading). Based on recent meetings, though, City should prevail: they have scored 23 goals against Fulham since last conceding against them in a 4-2 win at Craven Cottage in 2013.
Fulham pushed to margins
Manchester City are seeking a tenth consecutive victory over Fulham by at least a two-goal margin, which would equal the record by one league club over another.
Longest run of 2+ goal wins by one league club over another (since 1888, all comps):
Man Utd over Charlton, 2002-now: 10
Man City over Fulham, 2013-now: 9
Man City over Newcastle, 2010-14: 9
City have won nine games in a row against Fulham by at least two goals in all competitions, the joint second best of all time.
City snubbed again
Manchester City have again been overlooked by the television companies, whose decisions over live coverage are influenced by the fact that Manchester United and Liverpool have larger fanbases.
A tall order
The Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo will tower over whichever forwards are used by City. The former City player is at least seven inches taller than his opponents’ six main front men. City have little interest in big strikers: Sergio Agüero, who left last summer, is 5ft 8in, an inch taller than Julián Álvarez, who will join next season.
Classic meeting
April 26, 2008, Premier League
Manchester City 2 Fulham 3
Fulham looked destined for relegation when they conceded twice in the opening 21 minutes and still trailed 2-0 with a quarter of the match remaining. “It looked bleak at half-time,” their manager Roy Hodgson admitted. Stephen Ireland’s curler and Benjani’s close-range finish put City in control but the match turned when Hodgson threw on Diomansy Kamara. The Senegal striker scored through the legs of City goalkeeper Joe Hart in the 70th minute and soon it was 2-2, Danny Murphy converting a rebound after Hart had saved his penalty, which was awarded when Sun Jihai fouled Erik Nevland. Murphy played in Kamara to smash the winner in the 93rd and final minute and Fulham also won their remaining two games to escape the drop on goal difference.
Chelsea (tier 1, 3rd) v Plymouth Argyle (tier 3, 7th)
Chelsea 48 places higher
Kick-off: Saturday, 12.30pm
TV: Live BBC iPlayer/website/red button
Radio: talkSPORT 2
Referee: S Hooper (VAR: M Dean)
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Third round (equivalent of today’s fifth round) in 1920-21 (Chelsea 2, Plymouth 1, 2nd replay, Ashton Gate)
Played for both clubs: John Sillett, Allan Harris
Fortunate Chelsea
Chelsea’s first two FA Cup opponents this season are among the past four teams to have reached the semi-finals as third-tier clubs: Plymouth in 1984 and Chesterfield in 1997. This continues Chelsea’s remarkable luck in the draws for recent early rounds of the FA Cup.
Kidderminster Harriers (tier 6, 3rd) v West Ham United (tier 1, 5th)
West Ham 115 places higher*
Kick-off: Saturday, 12.30pm
TV: Live, BBC One
Radio: talkSPORT, BBC 5 Live
Referee: J Moss
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Fifth round in 1993-94 (Kidderminster 0, West Ham 1)
Played for both clubs: Mike Marsh
*Counting top 2 of National League North and South as above Kidderminster, who are 3rd in National League North
Harriers punch above their weight
Kidderminster, who played West Ham in the fifth round in 1994, are the first non-league team to face the same top-flight opponents twice in the FA Cup since Tottenham Hotspur met Altrincham in 1979 and 1995. This is Kidderminster’s third appearance in the fourth round as a non-league club.
Crystal Palace (tier 1, 13th) v Hartlepool United (tier 4, 14th)
Palace 69 places higher
Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm
TV: Highlights, BBC One, 10.30pm
Radio: BBC 5 Live
Referee: P Bankes (VAR: J Brooks)
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Third round in 1977-78 (Hartlepool 2, Palace 1) and 1992-93 (Hartlepool 1, Palace 0)
Played for both clubs: Andy Linighan, Marco Gabbiadini
A first for Hartlepool?
Hartlepool United have twice knocked Crystal Palace out of the FA Cup when two divisions below them, in 1978 (Palace second tier, Hartlepool fourth) and 1993 (first and third tiers). Both occurred in the third round – Hartlepool have never won a fourth-round tie.
Nottingham Forest (tier 2, 8th) v Leicester City (tier 1, 10th)
Leicester 18 places higher
Kick-off: Sunday, 4pm
TV: Live, BBC One
Radio: talkSPORT, BBC 5 Live
Referee: P Tierney
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: First round (equivalent of today’s fourth round) in 1900-01 (Forest 5, Leicester 1)
Played for both clubs: Peter Shilton, Garry Parker
Leicester seek retainer
Leicester, who beat Chelsea in last season’s final, aim to become the first non-London club to retain the FA Cup since Newcastle United in 1952.
Retained FA Cup since 1900:
Newcastle: 1951, 1952
Tottenham: 1961, 1962
Tottenham: 1981, 1982
Arsenal: 2002, 2003
Chelsea: 2009, 2010
Arsenal: 2014, 2015
Bournemouth (tier 2, 3rd) v Boreham Wood (tier 5, 5th)
Bournemouth 74 places higher
Kick-off: Sunday, 6.30pm
TV: Live, ITV4
Radio: BBC 5 Live
Referee: G Scott
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: none
Played for both clubs: Ricky George, Jamal Lowe
Cherries picking non-league opponents
Bournemouth, who beat Yeovil Town in the last round, are the first team to play non-league opponents in both third and fourth rounds in one season since Coventry City in 2008-09.
Last to face non-league teams in third and fourth rounds
2008-09
Third round: Coventry 2, Kidderminster 0
Fourth round: Torquay 0, Coventry 1
This season
Third round: Yeovil 1, Bournemouth 3
Fourth round: Bournemouth v Boreham Wood
Manchester United (tier 1, 4th) v Middlesbrough (tier 2, 7th)
Man Utd 23 places higher
Kick-off: Friday, 8pm
TV: Live, ITV
Radio: talkSPORT
Referee: A Taylor (VAR: S Attwell)
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Sixth round in 1969-70 (Man Utd 2, Middlesbrough 1, replay) and 2006-07 (Man Utd 1, Middlesbrough 0, replay)
Played for both clubs: Nobby Stiles, Gary Pallister
Stat: United beat Middlesbrough at home en route to the FA Cup finals of 1999, 2005 and 2007 and the League Cup finals of 1992 and 2009
Everton (tier 1, 16th) v Brentford (tier 1, 14th)
Brentford two places higher
Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm
TV: Highlights, BBC One, 10.30pm
Radio: talkSPORT 2
Referee: M Oliver (VAR: A Marriner)
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: none
Played for both clubs: Tommy Lawton, Marcus Bent
Stat: Brentford are above Everton in the league table, just as they were in three of the five full seasons when the pair have been top-flight rivals (between 1935 and 1947).
Huddersfield Town (tier 2, 5th) v Barnsley (tier 2, 24th)
Huddersfield 19 places higher
Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm
TV: Highlights, BBC One, 10.30pm
Referee: J Simpson
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Fourth round in 1960-61 (Barnsley 1, Huddersfield 0, replay)
Played for both clubs: Dean Gorré, Adie Moses
Stat: Huddersfield won the FA Cup in 1922 – no club has lifted the trophy on two occasions exactly 100 years apart.
Peterborough United (tier 2, 22nd) v Queens Park Rangers (tier 2, 4th)
QPR 18 places higher
Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm
TV: Highlights, BBC One, 10.30pm
Referee: D Webb
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: 2nd round in 1964-65 (Peterborough 2, QPR 1, replay)
Played for both clubs: David Seaman, Conor Washington
Stat: QPR’s four penalty shoot-outs this season is the most in one season by a team in the top two tiers – 15 such teams have taken part in three shoot-outs in one campaign.
Southampton (tier 1, 12th) v Coventry City (tier 2, 10th)
Southampton 18 places higher
Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm
TV: Highlights, BBC One, 10.30pm
Referee: T Harrington (VAR: K Friend)
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Fourth round in 1990-91 (Southampton 2, Coventry 0, replay)
Played for both clubs: Micky Adams, Paul Telfer
Stat: Coventry are the only FA Cup winners since World War One (they won in 1987) who have otherwise never reached the semi-finals.
Stoke City (tier 2, 12th) v Wigan Athletic (tier 3, 2nd)
Stoke 14 places higher
Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm
TV: Highlights, BBC One, 10.30pm
Referee: G Eltringham
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Third round in 2002-03 (Stoke 3, Wigan 0)
Played for both clubs: Wilson Palacios, Graham Kavanagh
Stat: These clubs’ only FA Cup final appearances came two years apart against Manchester City (Stoke lost in 2011; Wigan won in 2013)
Wolverhampton Wanderers (tier 1, 8th) v Norwich City (tier 1, 17th)
Wolves nine places higher
Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm
TV: Highlights, BBC One, 10.30pm
Referee: D Coote (VAR: P Tierney)
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Fourth round in 1979-80 (Norwich 2, Wolves 3, replay)
Played for both clubs: Ryan Bennett, Iwan Roberts
Stat: Norwich are one of three clubs to have played in as many as three FA Cup semi-finals but never reached the final – the others are Oldham Athletic and Swifts.
Cambridge United (tier 3, 13th) v Luton Town (tier 2, 9th)
Luton 28 places higher
Kick-off: Saturday, 5.30pm
TV: Live BBC iPlayer/website/red button
Radio: BBC 5 Live Sports Extra
Referee: T Bramall
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Third round in 2014-15 (Cambridge 2, Luton 1)
Played for both clubs: David Preece, Steve Claridge
Stat: Luton’s only fifth-round appearance since 1994 has come as a non-league club in 2013.
Tottenham Hotspur (tier 1, 7th) v Brighton & Hove Albion (tier 1, 9th)
Tottenham two places higher
Kick-off: Saturday, 8pm
TV: Live, ITV4
Radio: talkSPORT 2, BBC 5 Live
Referee: S Attwell (VAR: D England)
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Third round in 2004-05 (Tottenham 2, Brighton 1)
Played for both clubs: Gary Stevens, Gerry Armstrong
Stat: Tottenham’s past 25 FA Cup games have produced exactly 100 goals – 70 scored and 30 conceded.
Liverpool (tier 1, 2nd) v Cardiff City (tier 2, 20th)
Liverpool 38 places higher
Kick-off: Sunday, midday
TV: Live, ITV
Radio: talkSPORT, BBC 5 Live
Referee: A Madley (D England)
Most advanced round met in FA Cup: Fourth round in 1927-28 (Cardiff 2, Liverpool 1)
Played for both clubs: John Toshack, Craig Bellamy
Stat: Liverpool’s failure to get beyond the fifth round in Jurgen Klopp’s six years in charge is their worst such run over a six-year period since 1952-57.
Premier League
Burnley v Watford
Kick-off: Saturday, 6pm
TV: Live, BT Sport 1
Radio: talkSPORT
Referee: C Pawson
Golden oldie
Roy Hodgson, who will take charge of Watford for the first time, is three years older than any other manager on their appointment by a league club.
