FA Cup quarter-finals: How to follow all the action on the BBC and what to look out for

2 years ago 22

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Josh Coburn, Romelu Lukaku, Brennan Johnson & Mohamed Salah

The FA Cup resumes on Saturday when Chelsea travel to Middlesbrough with the Championship side hoping to cause another shock.

The Blues' trip to the Riverside in the quarter-finals will be live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

The three remaining last-eight ties all take place on Sunday.

Southampton host Manchester City (15:00) on BBC One while Crystal Palace v Everton (12:30) and Nottingham Forest v Liverpool (18:00) will be on ITV.

Here, BBC Sport outlines what to look out for across the quarter-final matches.

More magic at Middlesbrough & poignant meeting between Reds?

After the fifth-round was played on weekdays to help alleviate fixture congestion, we move back to a more conventional FA Cup weekend with Middlesbrough looking to humble another top-flight side.

Boro won on penalties against Manchester United in the fourth round and followed that up with a extra-time victory over Tottenham, with teenage substitute Josh Coburn making a name for himself with a superb winner.

But while Chris Wilder's side will hope for more of the same, Thomas Tuchel's reigning European champions and Club World Cup winners are likely to provide a much sterner opposition and will be favourites to progress despite uncertainty over their ownership.

Forest host Liverpool in a poignant first meeting in the competition since since the rescheduled 1989 semi-final which was played at Old Trafford, following the Hillsborough disaster.

Former Liverpool academy manager Steve Cooper has already guided his side past Arsenal and Leicester on their way to the quarter-finals.

And he will be hoping that his mix of experienced professionals like Steve Cook and Jack Colback, plus some exciting youngsters like Brennan Johnson and on-loan Joe Garner, can push Jurgen Klopp's Champions League and Premier League contenders close.

Can serial winner Vieira inspire Palace?

As a player Patrick Vieira won the FA Cup on four occasions between 1998-2005 and he will be hoping his knowhow in the competition can help Crystal Palace reach the semi-finals.

Vieira will be going up against another former midfield great and four-time winner when he locks horns with Everton manager Frank Lampard in the technical area.

However, the recent form of both teams and the fact the tie will be played at Selhurst Park tilts the tie heavily towards the hosts.

Palace look to have overcome a sticky patch and are comfortably placed in the Premier League but Everton's dismal form away from home (with one win in 13 top-flight matches) has left them in a relegation battle.

Down on the south coast Southampton will be looking to claim the scalp of Manchester City having earned a creditable draw against the Premier League leaders in both of their league meetings this term.

However, recent history shows that City's expensively assembled squads have tended to hold sway in this contest, with Saints having won only three of their last 21 meetings in all competitions.

Should Ralph Hasenhuttl's side go through it would see them reach the last four of the competition for the third time in five seasons, while City are bidding for a fourth semi-final appearance in five years having last won the trophy in 2019.