March 03, (THEWILL) – Manchester City have been drawn away to Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarterfinals, setting up a challenging hurdle for Pep Guardiola’s team.
The defending English Premier League champions lost 2-1 at Bournemouth earlier this season, with the Cherries currently sitting just four points behind City in the league standings.
Fulham will host Crystal Palace in a London derby following their penalty shootout victory over holders Manchester United on Sunday.
The all-EPL clash guarantees at least one London team will progress to the semi-final stage of the competition, which remains City’s only realistic chance for silverware this season.
Aston Villa received an arguably favourable draw with an away trip to Championship side Preston North End.
Brighton, who defeated Newcastle United 2-1 after extra time on Sunday, will meet either Nottingham Forest or Ipswich Town, whose fifth-round match takes place on Monday.
The quarterfinal fixtures are scheduled for the weekend of March 29-30, with City entering as tournament favourites following the earlier exits of title contenders Liverpool and Arsenal.
The draw creates an opportunity for smaller clubs to progress, with at least one non-traditional power guaranteed a place in the Wembley semi-finals.
The Emirates FA Cup quarter-finals will feature teams from both the EPL and Championship, maintaining the competition’s reputation for providing opportunities to clubs from different tiers of English football.
The matches will determine which four teams advance to the prestigious semi-final stage at Wembley Stadium in April.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
