FA Cup Magic: Arsenal, Liverpool go head-to-head again

English FA Cup round-up: Chelsea shines, Arsenal vs. Liverpool preview.

The FA Cup is underway with teams fighting for their rights to win the trophy, who are you backing to go all the way? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

The oldest football competition, the sacred English FA Cup, got underway before the weekend, and as it is the round when top sides join, we’re already seeing interesting results.

No notable upset yet, but Chelsea found their groove, and I hope it stays the same way from now on in the league. The Blues didn’t take chances with their starting lineup; it didn’t click until the second half against Preston North End, but four different scorers and four sleek goals got the Blues into the fourth round.

Palace and Everton settled for a goalless draw, and Brentford couldn’t beat the ten-man Wolves as they played out a 1-1 draw at the G-Tech Community Stadium. Both are poised for replays in the coming weeks. Tottenham beat Burnley in another all-Premier League tie, 1-0, to advance.

Bournemouth came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Championship side QPR with three second-half goals; Newcastle United beat their archrivals Sunderland 3-0 at the Stadium of Light; Chris Wilder’s Sheffield rammed four past Gillingham to progress; and Southampton did the same to Walsall.

Sunday is delicately poised for a fixture that would excite loads of neutrals. FA Cup record holders Arsenal will host Liverpool at the Emirates in the second of three back-to-back fixtures involving the two heavyweights.

The first ended 1-1 at Anfield just over a week ago, and the Gunners would hope to make it back-to-back home wins against the Kops for the first time in a long time. Mohammed Salah has always been an integral part of this fixture; he’s away to Ivory Coast on international duty.

Arsenal will be without Thomas Partey, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Gabriel Jesus for this game, as the Japanese have joined his compatriots for the Asian Cup while the other two are nursing different degrees of injuries.

Diogo Jota is back and, as always, would seek to have a say in this fixture. Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez are other attacking options, with Cody Gakpo offering something different with his late arrivals in the opposition box.

Arsenal has won the FA Cup more than anyone else, and the competition remains their best shot at a title this season. They, however, must do their best to reclaim the trophy from holders Manchester City. The treble winners will host Huddersfield earlier on Sunday; expect to see Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland in this fixture.