Spurs v Man City, Onana’s stand-in, Maidstone, Howe in Big Weekend
Tottenham v Man City is the tie of an FA Cup fourth round which offers Manchester Unitedâs stand-in goalkeeper the chance to audition for Andre Onanaâs spot.
Game to watch: Tottenham v Manchester City
The glamour tie of the fourth-round draw sees the holders go to a Spurs side for whom the FA Cup represents their best chance of glory this season.
You could argue that City might have winced harder when their ball came out of the bag immediately after Tottenhamâs; Ange Postecoglou picked a full-strength side in the third round at Burnley so there is no doubt that he will chuck everything at the Treble winners.
That could include the return of James Maddison. Postecoglouâs most creative player and one of the signings of the summer has been missing for three months. However and whenever he returns to the stage he graced for three months prior to knacking his ankle against Chelsea in early November, this has been the longest lay-off of his career so far.
Regardless of Maddisonâs status, City wonât relish going to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They havenât won there in their five visits. They havenât even scored a goal. But they too could have welcome news on the fitness front; Kevin De Bruyne is set for his first start since the opening day of the season and Erling Haaland is said to be ready for the trip to the north London.
It could be a cup classic. Which is handy since the rest of the weekend, really, is anything but.
Team to watch: Maidstone United
While there arenât many ties to get the cup balls tingling, history beckons for sixth-tier Maidstone, regardless of how their trip to Ipswich pans out on Saturday lunchtime,
Currently fourth in National League South, the Stones are the lowest-ranked side remaining in this seasonâs competition and the only-non-league club still left. Never before have they reached this stage of the cup.
Managed by former Wolves defender George Elokobi, Maidstone have come past Steyning, Winchester City, Torquay United, Chesham United, Barrow and Stevenage to make it on the telly on Saturday lunchtime. Looking further back, they have come through far tougher tests, battling back from the Kent County League Fourth Division after going out of business as a League Two club in 1992, when Ipswich were a Premier League side, which they once again aspire to be.
Elokobi is determined to enjoy the occasion with 4,500 visiting supporters at Portman Road. âThe kids, the young Maidstone fans, they are the next generation and itâs going to be a day for them to remember and Iâm sure even the grown-ups want to remember this day for the rest of their lives,â said the 37-year-old. âItâs history and history is meant to be celebrated.â
Player to watch: Altay Bayindir
Itâs a big weekend for Bayindir, regardless of whether he makes his Manchester United debut at Newport on Sunday. If he doesnât, and Tom Heaton gets the nod instead, the Turkey stopper would be perfectly entitled to consider what the point of moving to Old Trafford ever was.
We expect Erik ten Hag to give Bayindir the chance to show why Andre Onana was so worried about heading off to AFCON and leaving his No.1 spot open. Onana has already lost his Cameroon place; his form for United makes his status at club level no more certain.
A simple display of competency and reliability from his stand-in might be enough for Ten Hag to consider compounding Onanaâs current misery. Is Bayindir capable of keeping goal for United? F*** knows.
Heâs good enough for Turkey but since leaving Fenerbahce, the only opportunities the 25-year-old has had to dirty his gloves have been pre-match warm-ups and a couple of international appearances. Not even for the Under-23s has Bayindir pulled on a United shirt.
Such is life for stand-in stoppers but Bayindir needs to come in from the cold and acclimatise quickly to give Ten Hag something to consider when Onana returns.
Manager to watch: Eddie Howe
The Newcastle managerâs standing on Tyneside has taken a hit recently on the back of a wretched run that has left them clinging to the top half in the Premier League. Still, if he brings the FA Cup back to St Jamesâ Park, Howe will be a Toon deity, delivering what the likes of Kevin Keegan, Sir Bobby Robson and every other manager since 1955 â unless you count the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which we donât â has failed to do.
The third-round win at Sunderland eased the pressure on Howe, though the manager, whose hopes for the fourth-round draw extended no further than a home tie, must now take his side to Fulham on a Saturday night.
Before Howe can dream of Wembley glory, first he must swerve history of a different kind by avoiding bossing the first side to lose eight cup ties in succession against fellow top-flight opposition. Just getting to the fifth round would represent an achievement for Newcastle since they have managed it only once in the last 18 years.
Some encouragement for Howe: Newcastle havenât beaten many sides lately, but their last Premier League triumph came against Fulham. Only, though, after Raul Jimenez earned himself Christmas off with one of the weirdest red cards of the season.
That aside, Howe has seen his side lose the other seven of their last eight Premier League matches. If that form continues at Craven Cottage, Newcastleâs season is as good as over.
Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall are running out of answers
EFL game to watch: QPR v Huddersfield
Weâve been spoiled for Championship action on the box recently. This weekend, because of the FA Cup, itâs thin gruel from the EFL.
The only game on the box is Huddersfieldâs trip to QPR. Which, at least, looks crucial in the fight for survival at the foot of the table.
The Rs occupy third from bottom, one place and three points below the Terriers. A two-goal home win would see Marti Cifuentesâ side climb out of the relegation zone and drop Darren Mooreâs in it.
European game to watch:Â Heracles v Ajax
Jordan Hendersonâs exit from Saudi Arabia was rather hastier than the processing of his work permit to play for Ajax. Brexit, that. But the England midfielderâs paperwork has been stamped and he is free to make his debut on Saturday night when the Amsterdammers head to Heracles.
Henderson was unable to train with his new team-mates until Wednesday so it remains to be seen if John vanât Schip will throw the 33-year-old straight in.
The Ajax boss may take an âif it ainât broke, donât fix itâ approach. And Ajax no longer appear a wreck, with a 10-game unbeaten run featuring eight wins powering them back into contention for the Champions League. They have climbed from the foot of the table in November to fifth, six points off the top three.
Read more:Â Jordan Henderson bumwash has trashed his reputation in five Saudi Arabian months
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