FA Cup review: FA Cup fifth-round match tickets you should buy

26/02/2024

The FA Cup final is closer than ever to us, and clubs in the fifth round all have their eyes on the prize, even those who are levels below the Premier League.

There has been an amazing run in the competition as non-league Maidstone remains in it, which means they have eliminated teams that are levels above them in the English football pyramid so far.

They eliminated high-flying Championship side Ipswich Town from the competition in the last round and would be desperate to do the same during their next match against Coventry.

However, they are not one of the clubs we expect to get close to the final, and if they win their next game, it will come as a surprise.

The top Premier League sides remain in the competition, including Manchester City, who won the last edition and Manchester United, who were their opponent in that final.

Liverpool, Brighton, and Chelsea are still in the competition, so fans of the FA Cup who purchase tickets on Seatsnet will be delighted to see the next games.

We have curated some matches that are a must-see for anyone looking for some entertainment in this midweek.

Bournemouth vs Leicester City

Bournemouth is doing well in the Premier League and has some of the finest youngsters in the English top flight.

The Cherries have just been beaten by Manchester City in the Premier League, but that game was enjoyable as they made the defending champions sweat for the entirety of the fixture.

They now face high-flying Championship league leaders, Leicester City, in this round of the FA Cup, with fans hoping they make progress.

Leicester is having an amazing season in England’s second division, and we expect them to bounce back to the Premier League immediately.

They have been the pacesetters in that league and will want to win the FA Cup from the second division.

The Foxes won the competition under Brendan Rodgers in 2021 and still have some of the winners in that group in their current squad, so they can give Bournemouth a lot of problems and even eliminate the Premier League side.

Chelsea vs Leeds United

Chelsea has just been defeated by Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final in a shock result, considering how many Liverpool players are out with an injury.

The Reds relied mostly on youngsters in extra time, yet they still defeated a Chelsea side that has taken so much money to build.

The Blue’s confidence would have been heavily affected after that defeat, and they will host Leeds in this FA Cup game after a few days.

Football is a cruel business, and they have to get back up as soon as possible to try and win this game because the FA Cup offers Chelsea another chance to win a trophy this term, and it is their last chance as they are not in Europe.

But the Blues will face a very stubborn Leeds United side that is in red-hot form at the moment, as they push for an automatic promotion back to the Premier League.

Leeds did not start the season well, but Daniel Farke’s side has been outstanding in recent weeks, and they have been unbeaten in 12 straight games ahead of this fixture.

It is a game between a struggling Premier League side and a high-flying Championship club, so we can expect the unexpected.

Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United

Nottingham Forest’s focus will likely be on preserving their Premier League status by the end of this season, but their fans would also love a nice FA Cup run.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side has been boosted by the return to fitness of Taiwo Awoniyi, as the Nigerian delivers when he plays and will be a handful for the Manchester United defence in this game.

United has been on a strong run of form as Erik Ten Hag trusts more on players from the club’s academy, especially in attack.

Kobbie Mainoo has been in the news for his majestic performance in midfield in recent weeks, as Alejandro Garnacho runs the show in attack, but in their last game against Fulham, these players were ineffective.

The London side defeated United at Old Trafford, thanks to a late Alex Iwobi goal, and Forest would have learnt a few lessons from that while preparing for this match.

Ten Hag reached the final of this competition last season, and it is their only chance of ending this campaign with a trophy, so we expect to see United compete strongly in this game.

Wolves vs Brighton

Wolves and Brighton meet in another exciting all-Premier League game in the FA Cup fifth round, and it is a match many fans will want to follow.

Gary O’Neil is doing a fantastic job at Wolves after being sacked at Bournemouth last season, and they could finish inside the European places in the summer.

Only a point separates these clubs from each other on the Premier League table, and they meet in this round of the FA Cup, hoping to eliminate the other and make the next round of the competition.

Under Roberto de Zerbi, Brighton has remained competitive, and his team remains in Europe and is seventh on the Premier League table.

However, the Italian needs to win a trophy to confirm that his attractive style of football can achieve success because this is the proof most of the top clubs eyeing him want to see.

Wolves will be difficult to beat, but Brighton is a team that has done well in cup competitions, so this match will be hard to predict and exciting to watch.

Liverpool vs Southampton

Who cares about an injury crisis when you have the type of youngsters that Liverpool has in their ranks?

The Reds have just defeated Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final by fielding a bunch of kids, as many of their first-team regulars are injured.

This includes Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Diogo Jota, among others, but Liverpool still defeated Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

They have been handed even more confidence boost as they chase a quadruple at the end of this term, so Southampton should expect to face a tough Liverpool team in this game.

But Soton has not done badly in the last few weeks as they have risen to fourth on the Championship table following a superb run of form.

The Saints want to return to the Premier League next season and are likely to pay more attention to their league matches, but we expect them to give Liverpool a run for their money in this fixture.

Chelsea failed to take advantage of Liverpool’s lack of options, but the Saints could do so and secure a win, which will be far easier said than done.

Facing Liverpool at Anfield is what every club dreads and Soton knows they expect a hostile crowd, which could affect them as a team.

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