New Delhi: FA Cup quarter finals are upon us and we have already witnessed two sides making their way through to the semi finals. Crystal Palace absolutely thrashed their fellow Premier League rivals Fulham, to progress through with confidence under their belt while Nottingham Forest made history, after beating Brighton on penalties to reach their first semi final since 1991.
However, the other two set of games will be played tonight where Championship side Preson will be facing Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, followed by a fixture of real entertainment as Manchester City will be travelling to face Bournemouth. It will be interesting to see how things pan out tonight as the tensions are high in a season dominated by the rookies and underdogs.
The #EmiratesFACup quarter-final schedule has been confirmed! 📺
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 6, 2025
Preston vs Aston Villa (6:00 P.M. IST)
Aston Villa will continue their FA Cup trip by visiting Preston North End, the only remaining EFL team in the competition. Despite defeating Premier League opponents West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur en route to the round of eight, the Villans have benefited from spending the duration of their cup journey at Villa Park. Last time out, Unai Emery’s team defeated Cardiff 2-0. Despite losing two FA Cup finals in the twenty-first century, the seven-time champions haven’t won the trophy since 1957.
The majority of Preston’s success came a century ago, although they were once a powerful force in the English game. They haven’t advanced to an FA Cup semifinal since 1964, and their last victory in this tournament was in 1938. After Ryan Lowe left on August 20, Paul Heckingbottom took over as manager, but Preston has had a remarkable season under the former Sheffield United manager. They are in 14th place in the second division and have a slim chance of qualifying for the playoffs after a shaky run of play before to the international break.
Predicted Lineups:
Preston (5-2-1-2): Woodman; Storey, Gibson, Lindsay, Bauer, Brady; Whiteman, Frokjaer-Jensen; Thordarson; Keane, Riis.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Asensio, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins.
Early Prediction: PRE 0-4 AVL
Bournemouth vs Manchester City (9:00 P.M. IST)
On Sunday afternoon, Manchester City will travel to the south coast to play Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarterfinals. Due to their elimination from the Carabao Cup and Champions League, as well as their terrible Premier League championship defence and struggle to even place in the top four, the Cityzens are desperate for redemption in the FA Cup this season. Winning the oldest cup competition in the world would ensure a bright spot at the conclusion of a difficult campaign.
With Newcastle United, the Carabao Cup winners, and the rest of the conventional “top six” eliminated from the race, Pep Guardiola’s team is the clear favourite to win the title this year. However, City is far from assured Wembley glory due to their inconsistencies. Since Bournemouth have never taken home a major trophy, the neutrals will be cheering for them. Despite having an overall strong season, the Cherries come into Sunday’s match in poor form, but Andoni Iraola’s team has had a chance to regroup over the international break.
Predicted Lineups:
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Kepa; Cook, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Christie, Adams; Tavernier, Kluivert, Semenyo; Evanilson.
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Gundogan; Savinho, Marmoush, Doku; Haaland.
Early Prediction: BOU 2-2 MCI (City progress through via penalties)
The FA Cup quarter-finals take center stage as Bournemouth face Manchester City and Aston Villa face Championship side Preston to battle for a spot in the semi-finals. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
