A place in the FA Cup semi-finals is up for grabs as Manchester City and Liverpool go head-to-head in a mouth-watering quarter-final tie at the Etihad Stadium.
Saturday’s blockbuster kicks off at 12:45pm (UK), with the Cityzens looking to build on a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in last month’s League Cup final at Wembley.
Nico O’Reilly’s second-half brace inspired Man City to the mid-season trophy and halted Arsenal’s quest to secure an unprecedented quadruple.
With no chance of defending their Premier League title, the Reds will fancy their chances in football’s oldest cup competition amid Arne Slot’s uncertain future at Anfield.
Pep Guardiola’s side can put another dent in Liverpool’s silverware ambitions by ending their FA Cup run, as they bid to secure their first domestic cup double since the 2018/19 season.
You can follow FA Cup results as well as all other matches in England via soccer live scores. All FA Cup games in England are shown on TNT Sports and BBC Sport.
Ride into the sunset
Already dumped out of the Champions League, Man City cannot realistically hope to overthrow Arsenal in the Premier League despite having a game in hand ahead of the last seven rounds.
Heavily linked with a summer exit, Guardiola could end his long-term association with the Cityzens at the end of the current campaign, with Gazzetta dello Sport naming him among potential candidates for the Italy job.
There’s no better way for one of the most decorated managers in football history to wave goodbye to the Etihad than by securing his 20th major title in charge of Man City.
Confidence should be high after the League Cup triumph, even though it barely served to end City’s underwhelming three-game winless run in all competitions (D1, L2).
Last dance
Despite winning the Premier League in his first season at Anfield, Slot is already at risk of being dismissed after Liverpool’s dreadful title defence.
However, Mohamed Salah’s future has recently been one of the major talking points on Merseyside, as the Egyptian superstar prepares to bid farewell to the Reds at the end of the season.
Club legend Steven Gerrard believes that Salah’s exit would be in ‘the best interest’ of both parties (via ESPN), but leaving Liverpool empty-handed would be a disappointing way to go for one of the Reds’ most prolific players.
Since it’s hard to imagine Slot’s team lifting the Champions League, winning the FA Cup represents their most realistic path to silverware this season, though overcoming Man City could prove easier said than done.
FA Cup specialists
Both sides have run riot in the FA Cup so far.
Man City started the competition with a 10-1 rout of Exeter City before securing a pair of two-goal margin wins over Salford City and Newcastle United.
In doing so, the Cityzens have come within touching distance of an eighth consecutive semi-final appearance, which appears to be a distinct possibility, given that they’re unbeaten in their last 18 domestic home matches (W15, D3).
Liverpool’s run has been equally impressive. The Reds have eased past Barnsley, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers, netting at least three goals on each occasion.
Although only Arsenal (14) and Manchester United (13) have won more FA Cup titles than Liverpool’s eight, their last triumph in this competition came four years ago.
Prediction
Man City have already completed a league double over Liverpool this term and could now beat them in three successive meetings for the first time since 1947.
Guardiola’s side cruised to a 3-0 win in November’s showdown at the Etihad, where they’ve won their last 17 FA Cup ties.
It takes a brave man to bet against the Cityzens here, especially when factoring in the Reds’ away form.
Slot’s men have suffered three defeats in four road outings since the beginning of March, though the only exception came in this competition at the expense of Wolverhampton.
Prediction: Man City to progress