Last chance for Man City
© Imago
The English club football starts with the quarter-finals in the FA Cup from the international break and the trophy is quite surprises this year, because only Manchester City is represented by the Big-Six clubs. Four of the other clubs dream of their first triumph, including Fabian Hürzelers Brighton and three more have been waiting for the title for over 65 years. The team that needs to be beaten is despite the mixed season of Pep Guardiola.
The big clubs have been dominant in the recent past in the FA Cup: Since the 1995/96 season, the winner was called Manchester United, Manchester City, FC Arsenal, FC Liverpool or FC Chelsea. Only Leicester City (2020/21), Wigan Athletic (2012/13) and FC Portsmouth (2007/08) were able to break this dominance. Record winner Arsenal (14 titles) failed in the 3rd round of the point against Man United, which lost in the 5th round in penalty shootout against Fulham. For leaders Liverpool, Plymouth Argyle’s 4th round against second division team and Chelsea said goodbye to Brighton.
For MAN City, which won the FA Cup seven times-most recently in the triple season 2022/23, on Sunday it goes one of the surprise teams of the Premier League, FC Bournemouth (squad value: 435 million). The Cherries play the best season in their club history and dream of the first European Cup participation, which is also reflected in the recent market value updates in the squad values. There was an increase of 67.8 million euros for the professionals of Andoni Iraola. So far, Bournemouth has been in the quarter -finals of the FA Cup, 2020/21 you lost 0: 3 against FC Southampton. Bournemouth is one of four clubs that dreams of a first title win in the oldest cup competition in the world.
The same applies to FC Fulham (362 million), Crystal Palace (441 million) and Brighton & Hove Albion (556 million). The London clubs meet, whereby the Eagles are slightly favored due to their good start in 2025 (for the article). Palace, which is trained by ex-Frankfurt Oliver Glasner, made it to the final in 1989/90 and 2015/16, the Cottagers with the German keeper Bernd Leno were in the final in 1974/75. Hürzeler’s Brighton plays on the way to the first FA Cup triumph against Nottingham Forest (447 million), which was able to win the trophy twice, last 65 years ago. With regard to the squad values, the two most balanced games are.
Preston North End (41 million) and Aston Villa (628 million), who complete the quarter -finals, are waiting for a cup victory. Aston Villa, which is one of two English clubs in the quarter -finals of the Champions League, won the FA Cup seven times, last time in the 1956/57 season. At Preston, the only second division club in the round of the last eight, the last of the two FA-Cup victories was 87 years ago-in 1937/38 Huddersfield was beaten in the final.
Man City places the most valuable team in the world and goes to the quarter -finals as a favorite at the FA Cup, but already in the Premier League the Citizens recently lost 1-2 in Bournemouth. It is the last title chance for Guardiola’s team that, with the exception of the first season, won a trophy every year of his term.