FA Cup quarter-finals: Preview and predictions

The domestic calendar is once again put to one side this weekend as the FA Cup quarter-finals roll into town.

Their will still be Premier League and Championship action for those unaffected by fixture postponements, but the attention of Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea are firmly on booking a place at Wembley.

One of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Coventry City will definitely make the last four, while Newcastle United and Leicester City have aspirations of upsetting the apple cart in games they are second favourites to win.

Here's how 90min sees the four games panning out.

Saturday 16 March

The magic of the FA Cup is not lost on Wolves, who last reached the semi-finals in 2019 and last won the competition way back in 1960, nor Coventry - one of only two Championship sides remaining.

Brentford, West Brom and Brighton have been swatted away by Gary O'Neil's impressive Wolves, though they are blunted a little in attack with star player Matheus Cunha missing through injury.

Coventry smashed six past Oxford United to reach round four but required a replay to get past a spirited Sheffield Wednesday. The Sky Blues were then responsible for ending Maidstone United's fairytale run through the competition - a 5-0 demolition indicative of the mindset instilled into the players by Mark Robins.

They should give Wolves a good going over at Molineux and will certainly have their fair share of chances - whether or not they have the quality to get over the line is another matter.

Pep Guardiola's Man City, meanwhile, welcome Newcastle to the Etihad Stadium for Saturday's late game - a tie they are overwhelming favourites to win.

The seven-time FA Cup winners are starting to hit their usual spring stride, seemingly inspired by the return to action of Kevin De Bruyne. They also have one of the country's most in-form players among their ranks - Phil Foden the one who has risen to prominence in recent weeks.

Eddie Howe's Newcastle are plagued by injury worries and their season is in danger of petering out after the high of returning to the Champions League. City should have more than enough in the tank to book another last four spot.

Sunday 17 March

Sunday's ties kick off with a clash between Chelsea and Leicester at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have tremendous pedigree in the FA Cup, winning the competition eight times, and have incredibly reached the final nine times in the past 17 seasons. One of those occasions ended in defeat to Leicester - Youri Tielemans' 63rd minute piledriver the difference between the two sides at Wembley.

That goal marked the Foxes' first-ever FA Cup win, but their trajectory took an entirely different course after their shock relegation from the Premier League last year. Under Enzo Maresca, they look set to return to the top flight at the first time of asking, but a recent sticky patch may give Chelsea, who have performed in dribs and drabs this season, the confidence they need to control the game and reach the last four.

Manchester United and Liverpool round off the quarter-final action with a heavyweight clash at Old Trafford - the penultimate visit for Jurgen Klopp to the home of the Reds' bitter rivals.

Both sides expect to welcome key players back from injury, though recent form would suggest that Liverpool are in the better position to emerge victorious. They won't have it all their own way though, particularly as Rasmus Hojlund is likely to return up front - the Dane now hungry for more goals after a hot streak was derailed by a recent muscle injury.

READ THE LATEST FA CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS & RATINGS HERE