{"id":1758,"date":"2026-04-02T17:13:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/?p=1758"},"modified":"2026-04-02T17:13:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T17:13:02","slug":"paul-mersons-fa-cup-quarter-final-predictions-including-arsenal-and-chelsea-ties-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportings.com.ng\/?p=1758","title":{"rendered":"Paul Merson’s FA Cup quarter-final predictions including Arsenal and Chelsea ties | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\t\t\"Manchester\t<\/div>
Paul Merson predicted the FA Cup quarter-finals (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Paul Merson has predicted the four teams that will make up the FA Cup semi-finals ahead of this weekend\u2019s quarter-final ties.<\/p>\n

The FA Cup action gets underway on Saturday afternoon with Liverpool travelling to Manchester City.<\/p>\n

Having slipped to fifth in the Premier League, 21 points adrift of leaders Arsenal, Liverpool will hope to salvage a disappointing season in both the FA Cup and Champions League.<\/p>\n

Arne Slot is under serious pressure at Anfield less than 12 months since lifting the Premier League trophy but winning the FA Cup or an unlikely Champions League triumph would surely give the Dutchman more time to turn things around.<\/p>\n

Liverpool face holders PSG in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and their FA Cup clash won\u2019t be much easier as they take on Pep Guardiola\u2019s Man City at the Etihad Stadium.<\/p>\n

City were knocked out of Europe by Real Madrid but responded superbly by beating Premier League title rivals Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final.<\/p>\n

Later in the day Club World Cup winners Chelsea face League One strugglers Port Vale for a place in the FA Cup semi-finals.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"FBL-ENG-FACUP-WREXHAM-CHELSEA\"\t<\/div>
Eight teams remain in the FA Cup (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chelsea will expect to prove too strong for a Port Vale side sitting bottom of League One but struggled before the international break, losing 8-2 on aggregate to PSG and also suffering back-to-back defeats in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

Premier League champions-elect Arsenal conclude Saturday\u2019s FA Cup action with a potentially tricky trip to St Mary\u2019s to face Southampton.<\/p>\n

The Saints looked to be in a relegation battle earlier in the season but have thrived since Tonda Eckert took charge in November, climbing into the play-off places with seven games remaining.<\/p>\n

They will have to produce a huge upset to knock out Arsenal, however, given the Gunners are close to winning their first Premier League title since 2004 and are favourites to win the Champions League.<\/p>\n

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Man City face Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mikel Arteta will be keen to get over the Carabao Cup final defeat before the international break and find some momentum ahead of crucial games in the Premier League and Champions League.<\/p>\n

This weekend\u2019s FA Cup action concludes on Sunday afternoon when Premier League relegation-battlers West Ham and Leeds United meet at the London Stadium.<\/p>\n

Leeds appeared to be climbing away from danger earlier in the season but six league games without a win has seen them slip back to 15th.<\/p>\n

West Ham, meanwhile, looked favourites to join Wolves and Burnley in going down but a recent upturn in form has given the Hammers hope of survival.<\/p>\n

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Port Vale are dreaming of an FA Cup upset (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While all four quarter-finals are intriguing, Man City\u2019s clash with Liverpool is the standout fixture and Merson expects Guardiola\u2019s side to come out on top.<\/p>\n

Merson believes his former club Arsenal will also advance to the semi-finals and be joined by Chelsea and West Ham in an all-Premier League final-four. <\/p>\n

\u2018This is such a hard game to predict,\u2019 Merson said of Man City\u2019s clash with Liverpool on Sportskeeda<\/a>. \u2018I was at Wembley and saw\u00a0Manchester City\u00a0beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final.<\/p>\n

\u2018Arsenal were terrible in that game, they couldn\u2019t get out after the first 15 minutes. But I also don\u2019t remember Kepa being forced to make any big saves at the same time.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tPaul Merson’s FA Cup quarter-final predictions\t\t\t<\/h2>\n

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Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool<\/p>\n

Chelsea 3-0 Port Vale<\/p>\n

Southampton 1-2 Arsenal<\/p>\n

West Ham 1-1 Leeds United; West Ham win on penalties<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018When I watch\u00a0Liverpool, sometimes they are good and the other times, they are completely and utterly out of it. Just look at the second leg against Galatasaray.<\/p>\n

\u2018Liverpool won that game quite comfortably and then looked poor in the loss to Brighton. Consistency is non-existent at Liverpool.<\/p>\n

\u2018So it will come down to what version of Liverpool will turn up in this game at the Etihad on Saturday. Liverpool have a big week or two coming up. If they are not careful, their season could be all over!<\/p>\n

\u2018Even though Liverpool have their Champions League quarter-final against PSG coming up on Wednesday, I expect Arne Slot to field his best eleven here.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Arsenal\t<\/div>
Mikel Arteta takes Arsenal to Southampton (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Let\u2019s be honest, Liverpool have a better chance of winning the\u00a0FA Cup\u00a0than the Champions League. So I would say they should go all in this weekend and then take it from there.<\/p>\n

\u2018Mohamed Salah\u00a0should return to the line-up for this game. I know he hasn\u2019t been at his best this season, but he will do something magical before he leaves Liverpool.<\/p>\n

\u2018That performance is surely around the corner! I would go with Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz to partner Salah in attack here.<\/p>\n

\u2018Florian Wirtz struggled badly in the league game against City at the Etihad. But I got no doubt that he will become a superstar.<\/p>\n

\u2018Just give him a year, he just needs time to settle down before he can replicate what he did with Leverkusen.<\/p>\n

\u2018Manchester City did not look like world-beaters during the cup final win over Arsenal. Pep Guardiola is expected to stick with Jeremy Doku, who was brilliant against Liverpool earlier this season.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s not a foregone conclusion that Manchester City will win this game. The battle in the wide areas between Doku and Jeremie Frimpong, and Nico O\u2019Reilly up against Salah could be where this game is won and lost!<\/p>\n

\u2018This could go any way, but I\u2019m backing Manchester City simply because of how inconsistent Liverpool have been this season.\u2019<\/p>\n

The 2026 FA Cup final will be held at Wembley on May 16. Crystal Palace beat Man City 1-0 in last season\u2019s final.<\/p>\n

For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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