Key events
Eddie Howe: “We will see how Isak is today”
Newcastle United v Brighton: With their team already in the Carabao Cup final, due to face Brighton in the last 16 of the FA Cup on Sunday and hopeful of securing qualification for the Champions League with a strong league finish, the fitness – or lack therof – of their striker Alexander Isak is uppermost in the thoughts of most Newcastle fans after he missed his side’s midweek defeat at Liverpool with a groin injury. Over to you, Eddie Howe …
“We will see today,” said Newcastle’s manager. “I haven’t seen him since the game. We will see how he is today. We don’t think it’s a long-term problem. There was no risk taken on Wednesday and there can’t be with the stage of the season we’re in. There is always a risk with any player but we wouldn’t take any risks on his long-term fitness. We will see how he is today and if he is fit, he will play.”
Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle: Third from bottom of the Championship table and making an excellent fist of avoiding relegationo under Wayne Rooney’s replacement Miron Muslic, Plymouth Argyle are the lowest ranked team left in this season’s FA Cup and travel to the Etihad Stadium tomorrow for a potentially tricky – to say the least – appointment with Manchester City.
While the odds are stacked against the tie being settled by a penalty shootout, it’s no surprise to learn that Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard has diligently done his homework in the event of such an outcome. The Northern Ireland goalkeeper has form in the field of shootouts in big cup games, having been in goal for Celtic when they beat Hearts on penalties in the 2020 Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park.
“We did well in that game but as a goalkeeper you prepare for penalties in every game,” said Hazard. “You’ve got to kind of have an idea what you’re going to be coming up against, what’s their preferred side and what to do.
“We’ll try to keep the game going as long as possible and there’s every chance a game like this could go to penalties. We’ll definitely do some preparation on that.”
If the Pilgrims are to progress to the quarter-finals they will have done exceptionally well, having advanced from the third round with an away win at Brentford before beating Liverpool at Home Park in the period between Rooney’s departure and Muslic’s arrival. Now City await.
“We’re all really up for it,” said Hazard. “We know the task ahead and what we need to do to try and get a result there. That’s our aim.”
The Championship: Sunderland travel to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday in tonight’s only Championship game. In fourth place in the table, 12 points clear of Coventry in seventh, Regis Le Bris’s side are handily placed to grab a place in the playoffs but their chances of securing one of the two automatic promotion spots available have taken a serious dent following back-to-back defeats against Leeds United and Hull City.
“Our main output will always be on the football output, rather than physical data or anything like that,” said the Frenchman, when quizzed about his team’s mini-slump. “It’s the stage of the season where this is important. We have done well so far, and we have to remember this.
“The team and the squad are in a good place, but it is possible we can struggle for a period. We were good at Leeds, I think – it wasn’t our best performance against Hull but at the same time it wasn’t a disaster. We could have won the game but sometimes you can make a mistake and be punished – maybe in the next game it doesn’t happen this way.
“It’s important to manage the squad for sure, to finish the league with good momentum. We have had many injuries, sometimes suspensions, so it wasn’t always possible [to rotate]. Now we have this opportunity a bit more because we are closer to a full squad. We will see.
“In a long season like this, this stage is like ‘the wall’ in the marathon and it is tough for everyone. We have to manage it properly and we know it’s normal to have fatigue, but at the same time it creates the condition to manage the squad and to involve the players in the recovery process.”
Football governance: Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has said the Premier League should consider selling its global TV rights to Netflix, as he shrugged off tensions with supporters and questions over his model of ownership in rare public remarks. Paul MacInnes reports from Business of Football Summit in London …
French match officials threaten strike action
The French referees union said its members would exercise their right to withdraw if they or their families are put at risk after a match official faced an “outpouring of hate” following comments by Olympique de Marseille President Pablo Longoria.
Local media reported that Longoria had objected to the appointment of referee Jeremy Stinat for their game against Auxerre on Saturday, which they lost 3-0. Longoria said the defeat was down to “true corruption” and expressed his anger over the red card shown to defender Derek Cornelius. The French football league’s governing body (LFP) handed Longoria a 15-match ban for his comments on Wednesday.
Local media reported that the tyres on two of Stinat’s family’s cars were found slashed at his home before the match and that he had filed a legal complaint over the damage. A delegation from the referees union (SAFE) met the French minister for sport Marie Barsacq on Thursday to voice their concerns regarding the safety of referees.
“The nature of the remarks … called into question the integrity of the referee and, more generally, that of the refereeing body,” SAFE said. “In the event of a new breach of their private sphere, putting them or their families at risk, [the referees] would exercise their right to withdraw.”
The union added in a statement that it had instructed its legal advisers to join Stinat in filing a civil action with an investigating judge of the Paris court of first instance.
Premier League match report: Birthday boy Thomas Soucek was among the goals as a dismal defeat at West Ham extended Leciester City’s doomed, zombified lurch towards relegation to 11 league defeats in 12 games, 12 of 16 in all since Ruud van Nistelrooy replaced Steve Cooper in November. John Brewin reports from the London Stadium …
FA Cup fifth round
-
Aston Villa Cardiff City (8pm Fri)
-
Crystal Palace v Millwall (12.15pm Sat)
-
Preston v Burnley (12.15pm Sat)
-
Bournemouth v Wolves (3pm Sat)
-
Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle (5.45pm Sat)
-
Newcastle United v Brighton (1.45pm Sun)
-
Manchester United v Fulham (4.30pm Sun)
-
Nottingham Forest v Ipswich Town (7.30pm Mon)
-
All times GMT
Exclusive: WSL plotting the abolition of relegation
Women’s Super League: The top tier of the women’s game in England is considering abolishing relegation as part of a radical proposal to grow the sport that will be discussed by the clubs at a meeting today, reports Matt Hughes in a Guardian exclusive.
Something for the weekend …
With a big weekend of FA Cup action kicking-off at Villa Park tonight, we’re here to bring you news from all the news from the pre-match managerial press conferences ahead of the fifth round.
Our first ports of call are expected to be Brighton and Newcastle, where Fabian Hurzeler and Eddie Howe will be getting their media duties out of the way early doors ahead of Sunday’s meeting between the two sides at St James’ Park, where Brighton have already won this season in the Premier League.
We’ll flag up any other major talking points and items of interest throughout the day, while gently nudging you in the direction of any top Guardian #content from our website. For starters, how about perusing these Ten Things our crack team of writers think you should be looking out for in the FA Cup between now and Monday evening …
