FA Cup Fixtures 2015: Live Stream Schedule for Quarter-Final Matches
The remaining eight 2015 FA Cup hopefuls are just 90 minutes away from a trip to Wembley Stadium, as the quarter-finals of England's most prestigious cup competition kick off on Saturday.
Monday's clash between Manchester United and Arsenal will undoubtedly steal plenty of headlines, while Championship side Blackburn Rovers face a real challenge when they head to Anfield to take on in-form Liverpool a day earlier.
The quarter-finals start with a tantalising double-header on Saturday, as Bradford City host Reading before West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa do battle in another highly anticipated Midlands derby. Here's the full schedule for the weekend's FA Cup action:
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| Saturday, March 7 | 12.45 pm. | Bradford City | Reading | BT Sport app |
| Saturday, March 7 | 5.30 p.m. | Aston Villa | WBA | BBC iPlayer |
| Sunday, March 8 | 4 p.m. | Liverpool | Blackburn Rovers | BT Sport app |
| Monday, March 9 | 7.45 p.m. | Manchester United | Arsenal | BBC iPlayer |
Old Foes at Old Trafford
Arsenal and Manchester United are locked in a fierce battle for a top-four finish in the Premier League, and fans will be getting an early peak at how both clubs stack up against each other on Monday.
As shared by Squawka, the Gunners hold the edge in form:
Francis Coquelin returned from an injury to his nose to star against Queens Park Rangers, and his physicality will be pivotal against the Red Devils' shaky midfield. For all of the quality United can field in the centre of the pitch, they lack a true enforcer capable of matching up with the French youngster.
Ander Herrera and Daley Blind have combined well in recent matches but leave plenty of space in between them, often forcing themselves into situations where the ball has to be played wide rather than with depth. Against Coquelin, that could be a problem, per OptaJoe:
Inconsistency has plagued both sides, and whichever team finds its footing offensively early will likely emerge victorious from Monday's encounter. The midfield battle will be pivotal in that regard—the likes of Radamel Falcao, Robin van Persie and Olivier Giroud have a tendency to drift out of matches if they don't get plenty of touches on the ball early.
Revenge on the Cards
West Brom visited Villa Park just a couple of days ago, suffering a 2-1 loss on Tuesday after Ben Foster gave away a penalty in the final minutes of their match.
Christian Benteke converted from the spot, and in light of how the Villans' season has played out so far, former England international Gary Lineker wasn't about to understate the importance of that goal:
Villa now sit three points above QPR and the relegation zone, and a good result against rivals West Brom on Saturday would cap off an impressive week for new manager Tim Sherwood.
As the former Tottenham manager told Setanta Sports (via the club's official website), the hosts have to feel good about their chances after Tuesday's emotional win:
"Now the cup is the most important one as it's the next one and we want to get to Wembley. West Brom will have to improve to stop us getting there. I'm confident I'm telling them the right things to do but there is nothing like a win to cement things. Everyone can see we're improving and the result is massive for us.
"
Tony Pulis continues to make a name for himself as one of the Premier League's best at taking over struggling teams and guiding them well past the expectations, and sitting pretty in the Premier League standings, Saturday's clash should be the Baggies' top priority right now.
Bantams Eye More Cup Magic
League One side Bradford City host Reading in an attempt to continue their magical run through the tournament, having already knocked Chelsea and Sunderland out of the tournament.
As shared by Dream Team, much was made of the Bantams' pitch during that win over Sunderland:
According to Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson, the pitch looked just as bad during Tuesday's win over Crawley, via the Telegraph & Argus' Simon Parker:
"That's probably the heaviest the pitch has been since the Colchester game. You can't do anything with the weather and I think the ref did well to make the game go ahead and not make too big a deal of it.
"
On paper, Reading are the easiest opposition Bradford have faced in the last three rounds of the cup, but they must make sure motivation isn't lost as a result.
Reds Eye Wembley
Blackburn Rovers recorded their first away win in the Championship in more than four months against Sheffield Wednesday, while Liverpool have lost just one domestic match since December.
The Reds have been in sensational form, perhaps best described when compared to city rivals Everton, via The Times' Tony Barrett:
Liverpool's turnaround can be attributed to a number of factors, but the solidity of the team's defence over the course of the past few months stands out more than anything else.
Simon Mignolet is playing well, as are the guys in front of him—Emre Can deserves a special mention. The match against Blackburn Rovers seems like a routine walk in the park for such an in-form squad, but cup matches hardly ever are.
The visitors sit 13 points out of the play-off spots and have little hope of earning promotion this season. Sunday's match will arguably be the most important encounter of their season—proper motivation should never be underestimated.
