7 Implications of This Weekend's FA Cup Action

The FA Cup weekend is always a good one, but it's not until later on in the competition that you can really take cup behaviour and see how it might affect league form.

England's premier domestic knock-out competition brings out the best and the worst in sides, as they're either up for the cup or the complete opposite.

We saw some interesting clashes this weekend that could have major implications on the Premier League run-in.

Read on to check them out!

Norwich Have a Chink in the Armour

Norwich City have been very impressive in their return to the Premier League.

The home form has been excellent, and the togetherness and teamwork has been a really important factor in that. They've also been able to do the simple things well—up until Saturday, that is.

Norwich went down 2-1 at home to Championship side Leicester City in what can only be described as a "Cupset."

For the first time since I've watched Norwich in England's top tier this season, the Canaries looked sloppy in possession and rocky at home.

I have a slight soft spot for Norwich, Paul Lambert and the way the team play their hearts out every time they step onto the pitch. Hopefully this is just a blip, not a damaging blow to confidence levels.

Liverpool May Well and Truly Be Back in Business..

...in the cup, anyway.

It has to be said, as indifferent Liverpool's form has been over the course of the season, their cup form has been very impressive.

Although Liverpool were helped by a potentially-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a team score three own goals in one game, the Reds were absolutely rampant and could have scored 10.

Since the embarrassing loss to Bolton Wanderers, Liverpool have been playing like men possessed and are looking up the table, not down.

We'll address both Arsenal and Chelsea in the coming slides, but it's clear to see they're in free fall. At this rate, the fourth Champions League spot could be snapped up by either Liverpool or Newcastle United.

Arsenal Are a Sinking Ship

Looking at Arsenal over the last 10 years, it's clear to see they don't respond well when they're in a slump.

They take time to get going again and have an inability to "snap out of it." This is something that may well see Arsene Wenger's men miss out on the Champions League next season.

A severe blip in form couldn't come at a worse time, and although Martin O'Neill's Sunderland is a tough nut to crack, Arsenal looked simply woeful this weekend.

Time for a major overhaul at The Emirates? It will have to happen if they miss out on the Champions League, and Theo Walcott won't be getting his new £80,000 per week contract—that much is certain.

Chelsea Have a Chance to Save Their Season—via the FA Cup

Andre Villas-Boas is under some immense pressure—pressure that has seen the likes of Luiz Felipe Scolari and Carlo Ancelotti fired.

But AVB remains firmly in the hot seat for Chelsea. Is it because he's undertaken a rebuilding process? Is it because Roman Abramovich is nursing his trigger finger? It might well be because the manager himself cost £13.3 million, and that's too much of an investment to give up on so soon.

Either way, if the situation remains the same, we'll have one unhappy Russian owner in the summer.

It looks like the only way to reconcile the season is an FA Cup win—something that isn't beyond Chelsea if they get their act together. A lot of stronger teams have exited the competition already, and they stand a chance of victory should they overcome the replay in Birmingham.

United & City Rest for Now, but the Rigours Aren't over

With Tottenham playing at the weekend and being unable to come out victors in their battle at Stevenage, they've added yet another game to their calendar.

The difference is, for better or worse, that Spurs are out of their European competition for the rest of the season.

Manchester United and Manchester City are both contenders to win the Europa League, which they have both pledged seriousness to, and will therefore add another potential six to nine games to their calendars.

Roberto Mancini and Sir Alex Ferguson's respective decisions to go for the Europa League full throttle enhances the chance that Harry Redknapp's Tottenham can nick the title.

Everton or Sunderland Have a Fantastic Chance

Sunderland travel to Goodison Park for the FA Cup quarterfinals, and both teams should be optimistic about potentially winning this trophy.

No matter what Everton are faced with in terms of financial difficulty, they refuse to roll over and drop down the league table—despite losing Mikel Arteta, Yakubu and other key players.

Sunderland are looking very, very strong under Martin O'Neill and show no signs of relenting, either.

Both of these teams have a chance to win because quite a few of the big guns have exited this competition. Both Manchester clubs are gone and Chelsea are misfiring.

There's not been many better chances to win the FA Cup. In addition to this, the good cup run these sides are enjoying can be used as a platform to further up their performances in the league.

Ryo Miyaichi to Play a Big Part in the Great Escape?

Ryo Miyaichi showed his worth this weekend as he struck a superb Thierry Henry-esque goal to spark a Bolton Wanderers win.

On paper, a likely trip to White Hart Lane for the quarterfinals is not a winnable game for the Trotters, but it's not the FA Cup that's the priority in Lancashire right now.

Bolton Wanderers have been severely hindered by the long-term injury suffered by Lee Chung-Yong in preseason and have lacked creative quality for some time.

It might just be that Owen Coyle has pulled off yet another masterstroke, as Ryo Miyaichi looks set to follow in the footsteps of Jack Wilshere, Daniel Sturridge, Dedryck Boyata and Vladimir Weiss in order to adapt to Premier League life in style.

Can Ryo Miyaichi play a big part in helping the Trotters avoid relegation? Both Bolton and Arsenal fans will be hoping that's the case.