There are seven Premier League clubs in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, four of which are over 115 years old and vying for their first trophy win.
The question is: How much should the seven remaining top-flight clubs give a t*ss about this ancient competition?
7) Nottingham Forest
If you offered Nottingham Forest fans Champions League qualification or a domestic trophy at the start of the season, they probably would have said the latter – after recovering from their laughing fit.
Now that playing in the Champions League is so close to being confirmed, Forest would rather a trip to the Allianz Arena than Wembley, we reckon. The owners would anyway – think of all the money.
6) Manchester City
The FA Cup is so open and exciting this year, which will make Man City’s eventual 4-0 win in the final a painful anti-climax.
Pep Guardiola doesn’t do trophyless seasons but ensuring City are in next season’s Champions League is more important than saving face.
MORE F365 FEATURES…👉 How Premier League teams qualify for Champions League and Europa competitions for 25/26
👉 Premier League prize money calculated ahead of final TV games announcement
👉 Premier League net spend table: Newcastle £100m more than Liverpool
5) Brighton
Brighton are in good form in the Premier League, putting themselves well and truly in the mix for Champions League football, which is having an incredible bearing on this ranking, if you hadn’t noticed.
The Seagulls reached the semi-final of this competition in 2023, losing on penalties to Manchester United, who City beat in the final. That was under Roberto De Zerbi, who benefitted from the foundations put in place by Graham Potter and Fabian Hurzeler will hope to do the same as De Zerbi’s successor. Potter made them an established top-flight outfit, De Zerbi got them into Europe, now Hurzeler can win them a trophy.
Again, being one point off fifth means Brighton probably care about the up-for-grabs Champions League spots a bit more, but this is a club without a trophy in their 123-year history. This Means More.
4) Bournemouth
The unfortunate team to be drawn against Man City, Bournemouth can at least take solace from being given a home tie. At the time of the draw, Bournemouth away seemed like the toughest match for last year’s runners-up, but a lot has changed since then and the Cherries’ poor form makes this a daunting fixture, even with City’s frailties this season.
It is 126 years of existence without a single major trophy for Bournemouth, which is certainly more understandable than Fulham and Crystal Palace’s lengthy droughts.
Again, getting their Champions League quest back on track is the priority for the Cherries but Andoni Iraola will give his all to overcome City and book a place at Wembley.
3) Aston Villa
Firmly in the conversation for being ‘too big for so long without a trophy’, Aston Villa need this and the fans deserve this.
Winning the FA Cup would be tangible proof of their incredible rise under Unai Emery but again, we feel qualifying for the Champions League takes precedence for the Midlands club. They have made the quarter-final of this season’s competition and have French champions and European bottlers Paris Saint-Germain between them and a semi-final. Honestly, if Arsenal somehow overcome Real Madrid, you would fancy Villa to reach the final; it would be so Arsenal to back up knocking out the European champions with a semi-final defeat to Emery’s side.
Villa are ninth in the Premier League but such is the tightness of the top half, they are only three points behind Man City in fifth, which should be enough to qualify for Europe’s premier competition. Goal difference could be crucial and Villa’s is crap – they are on minus four and only the bottom five teams are worse off in that regard.
The Villans were the lucky Premier League team drawn against Preston North End – the other quarter-finalist and only Championship or below club left. The tie being at Deepdale means it could be sticky, but you fancy Villa to get through and just like that they have a date at Wembley booked. If you get that far, you would be as well winning it, right?
2) Fulham
The Cottagers are 146 years old and have never won a major trophy. In fact, they have only reached two finals. Astounding really. It has been 15 years since their heartbreaking Europa League final loss to Atletico Madrid and a round 50 since they lost to West Ham in the FA Cup final.
Fulham are in the Champions League race but are probably the least confident of the surprise contenders, meaning the FA Cup can actually be their priority, unlike every other club in the top half. We feel like the club’s supporters will be quite upset if this is not Marco Silva’s be-all and end-all this season.
1) Crystal Palace
Thanks to a shocking start to the season, Crystal Palace are outsiders in the European qualification conversation, though they are only five points behind Bournemouth with a game in hand. The race for Champions League football is so open that the Cherries have stumbled all the way down to tenth when they seemed a shoo-in for a Europa Conference League spot at worst a month ago.
On top of being in the Not Going To Be Relegated Aren’t Qualifying For Europe sweet spot, the dancing demons of Alan Pardew give the Eagles the edge ahead of their Premier League rivals.
READ NOW: Guardiola next job options after relegation would include Arsenal, Brazil and Al Nassr