It’s significance may pale in comparison to vintage iterations, but the magic of the FA Cup will never disappear.
Following the conclusion of the fifth round, just eight teams remain in the competition. Half of the surviving outfits currently ply their trade outside of the Premier League, with the lowest-ranked side sitting 17th in League Two.
For those left, a Wembley semi-final is just 90 minutes away and the quarter-final draw means we’re guaranteed to see at least one second tier outfit play under the iconic arch in April.
Here’s how 90min ranks the teams left in the FA Cup by their likelihood of lifting the trophy.
Grimsby took advantage of a vulnerable Southampton in the fifth round to secure a historic victory and progress into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1939.
Paul Hurst’s side were resilient on the south coast after taking a 2-0 lead, with Duje Caleta-Car’s strike setting up a grandstand finish. The League Two side held off the Saints, though, and completed one of the biggest FA Cup upsets we’ve ever seen.
They were brought back down the earth, however, as Carlisle eased past them 2-0 in League Two, and you suspect a trip to Brighton will be a bridge too far for Hurst’s men.
Burnley’s trip to Man City is arguably the most intriguing tie of the round. It’s narratives galore!
Vincent Kompany’s return to the Etihad will be much discussed in the build-up to the cup tie, and the Belgian will be taking the Clarets to his old stomping ground attempting to complete a major upset.
Burnley have been excellent under Kompany’s tutelage this season and are poised to return the Premier League playing a brand of football we don’t typically associate with the gritty Clarets.
Kompany’s side are the best the Championship has to offer right now, but claiming victory at the Etihad is a feat achieved by very few, especially in cup competitions.
Jon Dahl Tomasson has proven to be quite the appointment from the 1994/95 Premier League champions. Blackburn currently sit fourth in the Championship and are just a game away from a FA Cup semi-final after they eased past Leicester in the fifth round.
Rovers haven’t tasted defeat since…
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