Weekend football focus

Ken Dyer|Matt Hughes|Michael Cooper|Alex Constantinou|Evening Standard

14 April 2012

Arsenal v Wolves
3pm Saturday, Highbury
Tickets: Sold out
Referee: Mike Riley (Leeds)
Facts: Dennis Bergkamp is the only remaining player from the game when these teams last clashed in the FA Cup in January 1999, his goal sealing a 2-1 victory.
Glenn Hoddle's past life as Tottenham manager will guarantee him a torrid reception at Highbury, but given Arsenal's recent struggles he will fancy his chances of gaining the last laugh. After a difficult start at Molineux, the former England coach has turned things around with three straight wins and has the players to force a replay. With the Premiership title heading to west London and their Champions League curse showing no sign of lifting, though, the FA Cup is Arsenal's best chance of silverware and they should get through in the end.
Verdict: GUNNERS GRIND IT OUT

Blackburn v Colchester
3pm Saturday, Ewood Park
Referee: Matt Messias (York)
Facts: These two sides last faced each other in March 1980 when Andy Crawford earned Blackburn a 1-0 victory in the old Third Division.
Having signed the country's second-most hated player in Robbie Savage from Birmingham, all it will take is a move for El-Hadji Diouf to make Blackburn the most vilified team in the Premiership. The Bolton striker was surprisingly omitted from the Best Actor category in this week's Oscar nominations but, given his theatrical tumble against Blackburn on Monday, a BAFTA is the least he deserves. Rovers manager Mark Hughes lifted the FA Cup four times as a player and his side should pass comfortably through to the fifth round.
Verdict: ROVERS MARCH ON

Brentford v Hartlepool
3pm Saturday, Griffin Park
Tickets: £13-£17 (£3-£12 concs). Tel: 0870 900 9229
Referee: Richard Beeby (Northampton)
Facts: Veteran Brentford midfielder John Salako has a loser's medal from the 1990 FA Cup when Crystal Palace were beaten 1-0 by Manchester United in a replay.
Brentford may be in contention for a play-off place but Martin Allen has taken the unusual decision to prioritise the FA Cup, resting several players from Tuesday's League One draw with Barnsley, if only to get himself onto Match Of The Day. Allen is likely to be his usual upbeat self on Saturday night as, having won their last eight games against Hartlepool, the Bees should kill off the Monkey Hangers.
Verdict: HARTLEPOOL HUNG

Burnley v Bournemouth
3pm Saturday, Turf Moor
Referee: Phil Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent)
Facts: Burnley, who dished out a 7-0 hammering when these side's last met in the FA Cup in 1966, have not conceded a goal in their last six home games.
Having knocked out Liverpool in the previous round, Burnley really should have no problems seeing off League One Bournemouth, but nothing is ever straightforward in this competition. The Cherries are in contention for a play-off place and in James Hayter have a prolific striker who can cause the home side plenty of problems.
Verdict: BURNLEY SNEAK THROUGH

Charlton v Yeovil
3pm Saturday, The Valley
Tickets: £20 (£5-£15 concs). Tel: 020 8333 4010
Referee: Rob Styles (Waterlooville)
Facts: Yeovil, managed by former Latvia boss Gary Johnson, are the top scorers in the Coca-Cola League with 61 goals.
Charlton's recent FA Cup record is about as woeful as it gets but fortune has smiled upon them this season. After a routine victory over Rochdale in the third round, Alan Curbishley's side face another League Two outfit which should amount to a passport to the fifth round. Paul Terry will enjoy the opportunity to get stuck into his brother-in-law Paul Konchesky, but Charlton should prevail.
Verdict: A CRUISE FOR CHARLTON

Chelsea v Birmingham
4pm Sunday, Stamford Bridge - live on Sky Sports 1
Tickets: £25 (£12 concs). Tel: 0870 300 2322
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Facts: Birmingham last won at Stamford Bridge in September 1979 but secured a 1-0 victory there when these two sides last faced each other in the FA Cup in 1975.
Chelsea have already booked one weekend in Cardiff and the way things are going Jose Mourinho may have to invest in a holiday cottage in south Wales. The Chelsea coach's appetite for trophies is as insatiable as his appetite for fine wine and a lengthy run in the FA Cup also beckons. Birmingham are struggling lately, as is shown by their desire to sign the troubled Jermaine Pennant on loan, and are likely to experience another blue day.
Verdict: ANOTHER CUP FOR CHELSEA

Derby v Fulham
3pm Saturday, Pride Park
Away ticket info: £16-£18 (£5-£10 concs). Tel: 0870 442 1234
Referee: Barry Knight (Orpington)
Facts: Derby, who have yet to lose a game in which striker Grzegorz Rasiak has scored, last beat Fulham in 1984.
Chris Coleman's new year's resolutions are clearly paying off as Fulham are unbeaten in six games in 2005 and Luis Boa Morte and Edwin van der Sar have signed long-term contracts. With the relegation battle unlikely to concern them, Coleman's side can give their full energy to the FA Cup, where they are well placed to repeat their successful run to the quarter-finals of three years ago.
Verdict: FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR FULHAM

Everton v Sunderland
3pm Saturday, Goodison Park
Referee: Uriah Rennie (Sheffield)
Facts: Kevin Kilbane played more than 100 league games for Sunderland before joining Everton.
Real Madrid's £2.5million purchase of Thomas Gravesen could have grave consequences for Everton's season, and their foothold on the fourth Champions League spot is looking as perilous as Rodney Marsh's broadcasting career. Such uncertain league form makes the FA Cup even more important to David Moyes's side, though Sunderland are well capable of forcing a replay.
Verdict: EVERTON HELD

Man Utd v Middlesbrough
5.20pm Saturday, Old Trafford - live on BBC1
Referee: Steve Dunn (Bristol)
Facts: Ryan Giggs scored against Boro for the fourth consecutive season in United's 2-0 win in January. Ray Parlour has yet to score this season in 26 games for the visitors.
If matches were 89 minutes long then Middlesbrough would have beaten Norwich 4-2 last weekend and Steve McClaren would have been as happy as a pig in muck. Unfortunately, that final minute proved catastrophic for Middlesbrough as they conceded two goals to leave McClaren looking miserable. His former boss at Old Trafford will have taken note.
Verdict: UNITED IN NEXT ROUND

Newcastle v Coventry
3pm Saturday, St James' Park
Referee: Neale Barry (Scunthorpe)
Facts: Newcastle signed striker Craig Bellamy for £6million from Coventry, where he scored just six goals in 34 league appearances.
Craig Bellamy and Graeme Souness was never going to work, was it? Princess Anne and Johnny Rotten would have a better chance of forming a successful partnership than these two. Those that say there is only one winner are wide of the mark, though. Souness, as Newcastle manager, might win the argument but Bellamy will just move on for another shed load of money.
Verdict: SOUNESS ALL SWEETNESS AND LIGHT

Nott'm Forest v Peterboro
3pm Saturday, The City Ground
Referee: Tony Leake (Darwen)
Facts: Peterborough's sole victory against Nottingham Forest came in the FA Cup in 1976, when they won a third-round replay 1-0.
Peterborough may be struggling this season but Barry Fry is no less colourful. He was spotted recently at a black tie 'do' with a gold chain around his neck and what looked like a golden bullet on the end of it. "I've been given the bullet that many times over the years, that I decided to hang it around my neck as a keepsake," he said. The FA Cup would benefit from Bazza staying in for a couple more rounds.
Verdict: REPLAY FOR THE FRY MAN

Oldham v Bolton
1.45pm Sunday, Boundary Park - live on BBC1
Referee: Howard Webb (Rotherham)
Facts: When these two sides last clashed in the FA Cup, in the sixth round in March 1994, Oldham won 1-0 through a goal by Darren Beckford.
Sam Allardyce reckons El-Hadji Diouf is a smashing bloke, always happy and with a smile on his face. To be honest, it's not surprising Diouf is in a sunny mood after some astonishingly inept refereeing allowed him to dive his way to a decisive penalty against Blackburn. For neutrals, Diouf is one foreign import who won't be missed.
Verdict: BOLTON DIVE INTO FIFTH ROUND

Reading v Leicester
3pm Saturday, Madejski Stadium
Referee: Andy D'Urso (Billericay)
Facts: Leicester have failed to score more than two goals in a game in their last 13 matches.
When Alan Pardew left Reading, there were fears that the club would begin a downward drift but Steve Coppell has maintained the impetus to such an extent that his team have an excellent chance of promotion this year. Leicester, one of the hot pre-season favourites to go back up, have found things more difficult, but a Cup win over one of their Championship rivals would do much for confidence.
Verdict: READING RULE

So'ton v Portsmouth
12.30pm Saturday, St Mary's - live on BBC1
Referee: Steve Bennett (Orpington)
Facts: The first ever meeting between these two sides came in the FA Cup in 1906 - and Southampton were resounding 5-1 winners.
Harry Redknapp is partial to a punt but I wonder what odds he would have been given on these two deadly enemies being drawn together in the Cup. Doing your wages on the 3.30 at Plumpton is nothing compared to this nightmare for Harry, the tie that could be labelled as 'Mandaric's Revenge'. If he had his way, I am sure the Southampton and former Portsmouth manager would like to play this one behind closed doors, preferably in the Faroe Islands.
Verdict: SAINTS ALIVE

West Brom v Tottenham
3pm Saturday, The Hawthorns
Away ticket info: Sold out
Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire)
Facts: Tottenham have conceded five goals in their last two games without scoring. West Brom have kept three clean sheets in their last four matches.
Martin Jol will have happy memories of West Bromwich Albion following his spell there as a player in the 1980s but he will want his side to improve drastically on their anaemic performance against Crystal Palace last weekend when he goes back there tomorrow. Spurs are the latest club to be linked with David Beckham, but somehow that doesn't look a realistic starter. It will be tough tomorrow, though, because Albion have perked up of late.
Verdict: SPURS SMILING

West Ham v Sheff Utd
3pm Saturday, Upton Park
Tickets: £24-£35 (£10-£12 concs). Tel: 0870 112 2700
Referee: Dermot Gallagher (Banbury)
Facts: Both teams have already met twice this season in the Championship, with West Ham winning 2-1 at Bramall Lane in September but losing 2-0 at Upton Park earlier this month.
The last time West Ham played Sheffield United, Alan Pardew's struggling side failed to manage a shot on target. Neil Warnock will certainly employ similar tactics this time and it's up to Teddy Sheringham and his team-mates to find a way through. Defeat will only stoke up the pressure on the under-fire Pardew, but he surely needs more time before any definitive judgement is made.
Verdict: HAPPIER HAMMERS

COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO

L Orient v Notts County
3pm Saturday, Brisbane Rd
Tickets: £16 (£10 concs). Tel: 020 8926 1010
Referee: Mick Russell (Hertfordshire)
Facts: Leyton Orient have not beaten Notts County at home since December 1979 when they won 1-0. The visitors have kept a clean sheet in their last three away games.
Having crashed out of the LDV Vans Trophy, and continuing to slide down the League Two table, Leyton Orient's season is dying on its knees and manager Martin Ling needs to give his players the kiss of life. Notts County are no great shakes, though, so a second win in 12 games shouldn't be beyond the Os.
Verdict: ORIENT BOUNCE BACK

MORE ABOUT

Blackburn Rovers

Peterborough United FC

Referee

Weekend football focus

Read More