FA Cup quarter-final preview: A possible giant killing and clash of the titans

With the final international break of the season been and gone, attention returns to club football and the much cliched ‘business end’ of the season.

The FA Cup takes centre stage this Easter weekend, with quarter-finals taking place, and there are number of intriguing storylines.

From two possible giant killings to a clash of the titans, DAZN News previews the four matches taking place with eight teams looking to secure their semi-final place at Wembley.

Premier League giants Manchester City and Liverpool kick off proceedings

If there’s one fixture to kick off the weekend, Manchester City’s quarter-final meeting with Liverpool at the Etihad could not be more appropriate.

City will be favourites. Pep Guardiola’s team will be on a high after winning the Carabao Cup, and a visit from Liverpool often brings out an electric atmosphere from the City fans. There is also the fact that City have already beaten Liverpool twice this season.

However, there is reason for Liverpool to be confident when overcoming City. No one really knows which City will turn out, their inconsistency has seen them surrender matches from comfortable positions.

For Liverpool manager Arne Slot, a lot is riding on this match. He needs to instil some confidence into a struggling Liverpool side, and if he is unable to make a deep cup run, the Dutchman could be out of a job come next season.

Port Vale fairytale continues at Stamford Bridge

Port Vale are hoping to produce another giant killing when they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea.

Beating Sunderland in the previous round, Vale will be without their home comforts, but these David vs. Goliath matchups are the ones that make this cup competition so great.

The town of Burslem will be deserted as hordes of Vale fans descend on west London, there will be optimism and tin foil cups aplenty in the away end, but it will take one of the great FA Cup performances to get the win.

Chelsea are a team full of footballing superstars, and even if manager Liam Rosenior fields a weakened starting 11, it should be enough to beat Vale, who are trying to stay in League One.

If Chelsea win, it will be routine, but if Vale produce the unthinkable, it will go down as one of the great moments in FA Cup history.

Can Southampton beat a distracted Arsenal?

It feels like the FA Cup will be the lowest priority for Arsenal, and it may provide a prime opportunity for Championship side Southampton to knock out the Gunners.

The amount of Arsenal players who withdrew from this past week’s England camp is a sign that manager Mikel Arteta is preparing for one last charge, and he is caught between a rock and a hard place.

On the one hand, Arsenal have the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final tie against Sporting Lisbon, and then a return to the Premier League to focus on.

However, if Arsenal lose to Southampton, then there may be an element of doubt that could creep into this team when it comes to winning silverware.

Arsenal should have enough to beat Southampton, but the Saints have the ability to add another Premier League scalp after beating a Fulham team in the previous round who did not take the Championship outfit seriously.

Leeds and West Ham lay down early marker ahead of relegation fight

The round’s final game between West Ham United and Leeds United could have implications in the Premier League relegation battle.

Both teams find themselves hoping to stay away from the final and third relegation place, and this is a match neither team wants to play. With the additional fixtures that come with a cup run, it’s not what either West Ham or Leeds need as they look to keep their best players fit ahead of crunch matches in the league.

In an ideal world, these two teams would walk away from this fixture before it’s even started, but someone has to win this cup tie.

While I don’t expect either manager to put out a full-strength starting lineup, a win could be good for momentum heading into a run-in where any slip up needs to be capitalised on.

It will not be a footballing spectacle at the London Stadium, but it may just give us an early idea who out of West Ham and Leeds looks the strongest heading into the final chapter of this season’s relegation battle.

How to watch the Premier League in Canada

Soccer fans in Canada can watch every Premier League match during the 2025-26 season on DAZN.

With Fubo Sports on DAZN, Canadians can catch Premier League action as well as Serie A. Additionally, DAZN is the home of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Bundesliga and more.

For pricing information and to sign up to watch, click here.