Non Derby Weekend Action

Apparently there will be other matches this weekend besides Newcastle-Aston Villa.  Disappointed to see that the match will not be live on NBCSN as they usually feature the derby matches no matter how bad the two teams are.

But first, the FA Cup.  Sunderland has a chance to duplicate Wigan's feat of last year - win the FA Cup while being relegated to the Championship Division.  Their 1-0 win over Southampton gets them to the quarter finals.  Manchester City reversed their recent EPL loss to Chelsea with a 2-0 win.  Arsenal did the same to Liverpool, winning 2-1.  Everton had a relatively easy time with Swansea but Cardiff went down to Wigan (who remain in the hunt for a repeat).  Hull City face a replay after drawing 1-1 at Brighton and Something.  A quick review of the lineups suggested to me that, for the most part, the managers did not rest too many key players.

Some Champions League and Europe League Action mid-week.  Man City faces is down 0-2 to Barcelona in the first leg of their "Sweet Sixteen" match and Arsenal hosts Bayern Munchen in the first leg of their matchup.   Tottenham and Swansea City will both play on Thursday in the Europe League.  Ah yes, good old "match congestion" as they call it in Football Manager.  Special non-EPL note: Michael B's Atletico faces Milan on Wednesday.

Several key EPL contests for the weekend.  Two with relegation implications are Cardiff hosting Hull (a tale of two Cities?) and West Brom vs Fulham at the Hawthornes.  Top table action sees Chelsea home versus Everton, Man City home versus Stoke and Arsenal hosting Sunderland.  Chelsea will have their hands full. Until recently I would have seen easy victories for both Man City and Arsenal; they had slumped a little but recent wins in the FA Cup matches may signal a return to form.  There is again a chance for a three-way tie atop the table with a Chelsea loss, Arsenal draw and Man City win.

Liverpool and Tottenham continue their respective attempts to gain the fourth Champions League spot.  Both have winnable fixtures with Liverpool at home for Swansea and Tottenham on the road versus Norwich.

It all pales in comparison to Newcastle - Aston Villa...