The FA Cup is down to the quarter-final stage, with the eight remaining teams vying for four spots in a Wembley Stadium semi-final.
With reigning holders Manchester United out of the picture, the sacred temple of English football will crown a new champion in mid-May.
Apart from perennial candidates and seven-time winners Manchester City, this season’s edition could produce a surprise victor, with several underdogs still in contention.
Fulham vs Crystal Palace
Craven Cottage sets the stage for this all-London tie as Fulham seek their first home win against Crystal Palace since January 2005 amid a rich vein of form.
Marco Silva’s men have won six of their last eight matches, including a nerve-wracking triumph against Man Utd in the previous FA Cup round.
Fulham won on penalties at Old Trafford to set up this showdown, and are hoping to reach the semi-finals of football’s oldest cup competition for the first time since 2001/02.
Palace, who contested the FA Cup final as recently as 2015/16, stand in the Cottagers’ way, buoyed by a superb four-game winning streak in all competitions.
Virtually impregnable, Oliver Glanser’s charges head into proceedings having gone 549 minutes without conceding away from home since a 3-2 loss at Arsenal in mid-December.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Nottingham Forest
Brighton’s pursuit of a first-ever FA Cup title faces a substantial psychological hurdle in the form of a Nottingham Forest side that thrashed them 7-0 in the Premier League last month.
Fabian Hurzeler’s team has offered an emphatic response to that embarrassing result, piecing together a seven-game unbeaten run, bookended by a 2-2 draw at Manchester City last time out.
Brighton’s form in Sussex inspires further confidence. The high-flying hosts have won their last four home outings, netting at least two goals on each occasion.
If there’s a side capable of clipping the Seagulls’ wings, it’s Premier League top-four contenders and one of the season’s surprise packages, Forest.
February’s rout, coupled with a 2-2 draw on this venue in September, means the Tricky Trees could score 10+ goals against specific opposition in a single season for the first time since 1997/98.
Preston North End vs Aston Villa
It’s been over half a century since West Ham United beat Preston 3-2 in the FA Cup final, highlighting the level of expectations among the home faithful ahead of Aston Villa’s visit.
Despite being the only Championship outfit left in the FA Cup, the Lilywhites look destined to relinquish that status this weekend, not least because of their dreadful record against top-tier rivals in this competition.
Preston’s last FA Cup win against Premier League opposition dates back to 2007/08, although it did come against the division’s worst-ever side, Derby County.
An upset at Deepdale isn’t beyond Paul Heckingbottom’s team, but knocking in-form Villa, boasting a four-game winning run, off their perch could prove a tall order.
However, an away draw could aid Preston’s cause, with the Midlands giants winning just one of their last nine FA Cup matches on the road, courtesy of a narrow 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough.
Bournemouth vs Manchester City
March’s international break came at an opportune moment for Bournemouth, allowing Andoni Iraola to rally his troops after overseeing no win inside 90 minutes across the last five games.
Through to the FA Cup quarter-finals for only the third time in club history, Bournemouth must defy tradition to get past Man City, having slumped at this stage on both previous instances.
Encouragingly for the Cherries, they beat the Cityzens 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League earlier this season to snap a humiliating 21-match winless run in this match-up.
Man City will be out to return the favour and maintain their quest to avoid a first trophyless season since Pep Guardiola’s first campaign in charge back in 2016/17.
They’ve fared well in the FA Cup lately, reaching back-to-back finals, where they registered partial success against Man Utd following a 2-1 loss in last season’s showpiece.
