Manchester City stands as the sole hurdle preventing a legendary story in this year’s FA Cup. Taking City out of the equation reveals a lineup of clubs advancing to this weekend’s quarterfinals that haven’t claimed a significant trophy in the 2000s.
Intriguingly, four of these clubs have never experienced the glory of lifting a major trophy.
This opportunity presents a golden chance for the likes of Fulham, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Preston, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth to etch their names in the annals of English soccer history.
In contemporary English soccer, accolades are usually concentrated among a select group of clubs. Besides Leicester City in 2016, no team outside a quintet of Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United has seized the Premier League title since Blackburn Rovers in 1995.
Moreover, only three teams outside that elite group have won the FA Cup this century: Portsmouth (2008), Wigan Athletic (2013), and Leicester City (2021).
This season, however, might be an exception to the norms.
Newcastle’s triumph over Liverpool in the EFL Cup final at Wembley Stadium marked the club’s first significant domestic victory in seven decades.
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak remarked on the emotional scenes, noting almost “every fan I looked up at in Wembley was crying” following the milestone achievement.
Consider how the supporters of Fulham, Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Bournemouth would react to a first-time FA Cup win, securing a coveted place in the Europa League along the way.
Despite Manchester City being the bookmakers’ favorites, they’ve shown vulnerabilities. Pep Guardiola’s squad hasn’t demonstrated their usual dominance this season and faces an away match at Bournemouth, where they’ve already faced defeat in league action.
Out of City’s last ten encounters across all competitions, they’ve celebrated victory only four times, two of which were against lower-tier opponents in the FA Cup.
Here’s the lineup for the quarterfinal clashes:
Fulham vs. Crystal Palace (Saturday)
Both well-established in the Premier League, Fulham and Crystal Palace are comfortably positioned mid-table and safe from relegation. As a result, they can channel their energies towards the FA Cup.
Fulham, fresh from toppling Manchester United in the previous round, boasts past finals appearances with the FA Cup in 1975 and the Europa League in 2010, though they ultimately lost both.
Crystal Palace reached the FA Cup finals in 1990 and 2016, coming up short against Manchester United on both occasions.
Brighton vs. Nottingham Forest (Saturday)
These two clubs have eyes set beyond the FA Cup.
Nottingham Forest, back-to-back European Cup champions in 1979 and 1980, enjoy a meteoric rise in the Premier League this season, sitting third—poised for a return to Europe’s elite competitions. Although Forest is no stranger to trophy success, they haven’t claimed domestic silverware since 1990.
Brighton, meanwhile, occupies seventh in the league and trails fifth-place Manchester City by a mere point, presenting a feasible path towards securing their debut Champions League spot. Yet, what weighs more for the fans, a Champions League place or clinching their first major trophy by winning the FA Cup?
Brighton’s best performance in the FA Cup came as a runner-up in 1983, where they also fell to Manchester United.
Preston vs. Aston Villa (Sunday)
Both historic clubs face off while charting different courses.
Aston Villa, victorious in the European Cup in 1982 and seven-time winners of both the league and the FA Cup, revels in renewed prosperity under Spanish manager Unai Emery, reaching the Champions League quarterfinals this season. However, their last trophy was the League Cup in 1996.
Preston, an original member of the Football League in England, seized the first two league titles in 1889 and 1890, along with an FA Cup win in 1938. Their last top-flight season was in 1961, making them the sole non-Premier League club in the quarterfinals.
Bournemouth vs. Manchester City (Sunday)
Fans rooting for a fairy tale may support Bournemouth, a club yet to grace a cup final and whose best Premier League finish is ninth. Aspiring newcomers to the top division since 2015, Bournemouth is now a forward-thinking club led by manager Andoni Iraola, playing in their intimate Vitality Stadium with a capacity of 11,300.
This season, Bournemouth has already defeated heavyweights like City, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Forest there.
Facing a disappointing season after ceding the Premier League following four continuous titles, City now pins hopes on the FA Cup as a saving grace, having not reached the Champions League’s last 16.