2022 FA Cup Quarter Finals
The 2021/22 FA Cup has reached the quarter-finals with just eight teams left fighting for the prestigious tournament title. Some of the Premier League’s big-hitters remain in the competition.
Chelsea, Man City, and Liverpool have held off challenges in the previous rounds to progress. Crystal Palace, Everton, and Southampton are also still in the hat, while Championship sides Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest have seen off some big opposition to get this far. To keep things interesting, none of the Premier League’s current top three has drawn each other. Boro were rewarded for knocking out two previous top-flight opponents by hosting Chelsea, last year’s finalists. Crystal Palace then take on Everton and Southampton face Man City in two all-Premier League affairs.
The FA Cup quarter-final action concludes as over-performers Nottingham Forest play Liverpool on Sunday afternoon. Without a doubt, there could be some upsets still to come in the FA Cup this season.
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Middlesbrough vs Chelsea
Middlesbrough bounced back from a two match winless run to beat Birmingham 2-0 away last time out. Boro previously lost 4-1 at Sheffield United and drew 0-0 at home against Millwall. Home form has been a real strength since Chris Wilder took over at the Riverside in November. Since then, Boro has put together a nine-match winning run in all competitions. The North East side also beat Tottenham 1-0 at home after extra time in the previous round of the FA Cup.
Chelsea recorded their fifth consecutive win in all competitions with a 2-1 win over Lille in the Champions League in mid-week. The Blues progressed to the next round after a 4-1 aggregate victory over the French side. Away from home, Chelsea also remain in good form. They have won their last five on the road, including a 3-2 victory over Luton in their previous FA Cup fixture.
Marcus Browne (cruciate ligament) is Middlesbrough’s only absentee. Chelsea pair Callum Hudson-Odoi and Reece James are doubtful. Defenders Andreas Christensen (knock) and Ben Chilwell (knee) are out.
Boro will give Chelsea a tough game at the Riverside. But the Blues are in top form and they can progress with another FA Cup win.
Crystal Palace vs Everton
Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run to five in all competitions after holding Man City to a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park this week. The win followed a 2-1 home victory over Stoke in the FA Cup and a 2-0 away win against Wolves. Patrick Vieira’s side has been hard to beat in recent months. Palace has lost just two of their last 12 in all competitions and they have won three of their last five.
Everton’s struggles continue as the Toffees continue to hover just above the Premier League relegation zone. Two of Everton’s four wins in their last 14 have come in the FA Cup. Frank Lampard’s side saw off Brentford at home (4-1) and non-league Boreham Wood (2-0). Away form has also been an issue for the Toffees. Away from Goodison, Everton has lost their last four and won just once in their last 13 on the road.
Palace midfield pair Luka Milovojevic and Will Hughes are doubtful through illness. James McArthur (knock) and Nathan Ferguson (thigh) remain sidelined. Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will face late fitness tests. But the Toffees will be without Yerry Mina (thigh), Fabian Delph (thigh), Jonjoe Kenny (suspended) and Tom Davies (thigh).
Palace are picking up form just at the right time and they should have enough to progress past an Everton side struggling for confidence.
Southampton vs Man City
Southampton’s form has tailed off in recent weeks as the Saints have suffered three straight Premier League defeats. A 4-0 hammering at Aston Villa came before consecutive 2-1 home losses against Newcastle and Watford. The two recent defeats at St Mary’s ended Southampton’s 12-match unbeaten run at home, which included a 1-1 draw against Man City in January. Also, the Saints won two of their previous three FA Cup matches at home, with an extra-time 2-1 win over Coventry and a 3-1 victory against West Ham.
Man City were held to consecutive 0-0 draws against Sporting CP and Crystal Palace in their last two. It was the first time since October that the Citizens have failed to go winless in two consecutive matches. Despite the recent stalemates, City remain in solid form, winning seven of their last ten in all competitions. The Citizens have also impressed away, winning eight of their last ten on the road. They have also kept five consecutive clean sheets away.
Nathan Tella, Armando Broja, and Valentino Livramento could be in contention for the Saints after recent injuries. But Alex McCarthy and Lyanco are out with thigh injuries. City could welcome back Cole Palmer to the squad, although, defender Ruben Dias remains out with a thigh injury.
Southampton are struggling for form and they have suffered poor results against lower league Premier League sides recently. They face a hard-to-beat City side at the wrong time and the Citizens can progress with a victory on the South coast.
Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool
Nottingham Forest are on a nine-match unbeaten run and they have won their last three in all competitions. A 2-1 home win over Huddersfield in the FA Cup came before league victories over Reading and QPR. Also, Forest has won their last four at the City Ground in all competitions. The Reds have also won eight of their last nine on home soil, including FA Cup wins over Premier League sides Arsenal (1-0) and Leicester (4-1).
Liverpool are still in the hunt for a potential quadruple as they beat Arsenal 2-0 in mid-week to close the gap on City to one point in the Premier League. The win extended a run of 14 victories in their last 15 in all competitions. During the run, Jurgen Klopp’s side has seen off Shrewsbury (4-1), Cardiff (3-1) and Norwich (2-1) in the FA Cup. Away from home, the Reds have won their last six in a row and they have only conceded once.
Nottingham Forest duo Loïc Mbe Soh and Lewis Grabban are doubtful with injuries. Max Lowe is ruled out with a groin injury. For Liverpool, James Milner and Konstantinos Tsimikas are unlikely to feature due to illness.
Forest are strong at home but they are unlikely to progress past a Liverpool side that seems unbeatable on current form.
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