The FA Cup trophyplaceholder image
The FA Cup trophy | Getty Images
The FA Cup is back this weekend as Aston Villa, Wolves, Birmingham City and West Brom all prepare for action
Aston Villa face fellow Premier League side Newcastle United in the fourth round of the FA Cup this weekend at Villa Park. Meanwhile, Wolves lock horns with League Two outfit Grimsby Town at Blundell Park on Sunday afternoon. Birmingham City play Leeds United at home as they look to progress into the fifth round.
As for West Brom, they have an away trip to Carrow Road to take on Norwich City. The Midlands clubs are all in action as they aim to go further in the competition. Here is a look at the prize money at stake for the quartet...
FA Cup prize money at stake for Aston Villa, Wolves, Birmingham City and West Brom
Aston Villa, Wolves, Birmingham and West Brom all received £121,500 for progressing through the third round. They have the chance to secure some more cash this weekend. With that in mind, here is a look at how much they can make...
Third round proper winners (32) £121,500
Third round proper losers (32) £26,500
Fourth round proper winners (16) £127,000
Fifth round proper winners (8) £238,500
Quarter-final winners (4) £477,000
Semi-final winners (2) £1,060,000
Semi-final losers (2) £530,000
Final runners-up (1) £1,060,000
Final winners (1) £2,120,000
The semi-finals continue to be played at Wembley. This has been the case since 2008 and continues to cause controversy, especially when northern teams have to travel down to London. Prior to the decision, they were held at neutral venues like Villa Park, Old Trafford and Hillsborough.
Aston Villa, Wolves and West Brom have all won the FA Cup more than once in the past. However, Birmingham have never won it, despite reaching the final twice. The Blues have won the League Cup though.
Aston Villa, Wolves, Birmingham City and West Brom latest ahead of FA Cup weekend
Aston Villa will see the FA Cup as a realistic trophy they can win in this campaign. Their immediate focus will be on securing Champions League football again. Unai Emery’s side remain in the top four in the Premier League.
Wolves are on their way back to the Championship so can afford to focus on the cup. Birmingham are aiming to get into the play-offs if possible under Chris Davies. West Brom are in a relegation battle under Eric Ramsay.
The Blues and the Baggies played out a 0-0 draw on Tuesday night. Speaking afterwards, Ramsay said: “I’m immensely proud of that performance tonight – it’s everything we need to be between now and the end of the season if we want to get to where we want to be. It wasn’t spectacular, but that was a really solid 90 minutes of going toe-to-toe with a team which is in very good form in an atmosphere which is difficult to contend with. We showed a step forward in terms of the performance. We were on the front foot, we were aggressive and we connected with the crowd. Those things were crucial ingredients to helping us achieve a point.”
Continue Reading