It\u2019s FA Cup fourth-round weekend! Let\u2019s get excited!<\/p>\n
Always a tricky weekend, is FA Cup fourth-round weekend. Tends to feel a bit betwixt and between, neither nowt nor summat. Lacking both the magical all-things-are-possible wonderment of third-round weekend and the glory-in-our-sights potential of the later rounds, while still having the nerve and temerity to force the whirligig Premier League to grind to a halt for a few days.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s always a fascination with how teams might approach this weekend. Is it welcome respite from the league endeavours, or a mildly irritating distraction? It\u2019s still too early to think about it as a real trophy chance for all but the biggest beasts, but the prospect of the remaining months of the season at this still early stage containing nothing but the completion of league formalities always feels distinctly joyless.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s all try and enjoy it, is what we\u2019re getting at here. In a way. It can still be a Big Weekend. Shut up, it can.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Game to watch: Aston Villa v Newcastle<\/p>\n
Both picked up welcome wins over relegation stragglers in the week, but the contrasting nature of their needs remains stark. Villa needed their win to give their faint but lingering title hopes a shot in the arm; Newcastle to avoid getting dragged into an embarrassing relegation battle alongside the hopeless Spurs team they somehow only beat 2-1<\/a>.<\/p>\n Both teams still have continental ambitions as well, which makes Newcastle\u2019s win over Spurs particularly timely. Had they lost that one \u2013 don\u2019t laugh, it really was theoretically possible for that to have happened \u2013 then this would have started to look like a further commitment they could have done without. Now it looks more like a further opportunity to keep the meaningful part of their season going now the threat of something catastrophic in the league is over at least.<\/p>\n For Villa you\u2019d still imagine the two routes into next year\u2019s Champions League \u2013 a top-five finish and\/or winning the Europa League \u2013 remain the top priority. But with no punishment round for them in Europe and an eight-point gap over sixth-placed Liverpool in the league they can give the FA Cup a bit of a bash too.<\/p>\n All-Barclays FA Cup ties in the early rounds can go one of two ways, but the hope is that this one sits nicely in the sweet spot for it to be entertainingly loose in a tournament that is neither side\u2019s tip-top priority but also not an afterthought for either.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Team to watch: Arsenal<\/p>\n February is often where the pinch-points really start to bite for prospective quadruple chasers<\/a>, and the shortest month is often where the dreams start to fade.<\/p>\n Arsenal aren\u2019t anywhere near that stage yet, but the inability to make their clear superiority decisively count in the Premier League is just starting to grate. They were minutes away from ending last weekend with a nine-point lead<\/a>, yet now it\u2019s down to four after a 1-1 draw at Brentford on Thursday night<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now comes an FA Cup fourth-round clash that is the second of three games they play before the North London Derby while stupid Spurs have their trotters up.<\/p>\n But it is worth noting that these extra games Arsenal must squeeze in because of their continued involvement in both domestic cups are against Wigan and Wolves. It is further worth noting that Spurs are terrible and don\u2019t even have a manager<\/a>.<\/p>\n The overwhelmingly likely outcome of the rest of the month\u2019s activities is that Arsenal remain firmly on track while plunging their neighbours deeper into despair<\/a>.<\/p>\n The point here is that yes, you are going to be playing more games than other teams when quad-chasing. And yes, somewhere along the way something will probably go awry in one of those competitions as fatigue and a relentless schedule bite.<\/p>\n But it remains infinitely preferable to the alternative. Well, preferable to the \u2018being Spurs\u2019 alternative anyway. Maybe not preferable to the \u2018Being talked about as quadruple contenders but then watching Man City actually do the quadruple without anyone either noticing or caring\u2019 which remains amusingly possible.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Manager to watch: Arne Slot<\/p>\n Two managers who might be hoping the FA Cup provides a bit of relief from the pressure they\u2019ve been under meet at Anfield, where Liverpool welcome Brighton.<\/p>\n Again, the nature of their struggles might differ, but the reality amounts to the same for the poor sods in charge. Liverpool are struggling to keep afloat in a battle for Champions League football they never expected to find themselves in; Brighton are struggling to keep afloat in a battle for Premier League survival they never expected to find themselves in.<\/p>\n