Monday, February 19, 2007

Favourites Chelsea paired with Spurs in FA Cup


Favourites Chelsea will play Tottenham Hotspur in what is likely to be an extremely lively FA Cup quarter-final tie at Stamford Bridge next month following the draw made on Monday.

Manchester United will play at either Middlesbrough or second division West Bromwich Albion if they beat Reading in their fifth round replay.

Arsenal will be at home against Manchester City if they beat Blackburn Rovers in their fifth round replay at Ewood Park while Plymouth Argyle, of the second division, will play Premier League strugglers Watford in a repeat of their famous 1984 semi-final which Watford won 1-0.

That was Plymouth's only semi-final appearance while Watford went on to the final for the only time where they lost 2-0 to Everton.

Chelsea lost to Spurs in the league for the first time in 16 years in their last meeting at White Hart Lane in November and will be desperate to avenge that defeat in the all-London derby on either March 10 or March 11.

Chelsea reached the last eight with a 4-0 win over Norwich City on Saturday -- their third successive home victory in this season's competition -- while Spurs beat Chelsea's west London neighbours Fulham by the same score on Sunday.

The sides have only met eight times in the Cup in the last 97 years, with Spurs beating Chelsea 2-1 in the 1967 Cup final.

Chelsea beat Spurs 4-0 in their last FA Cup meeting in a quarter-final tie in 2002.

Coral bookmakers have Chelsea as the 7/4 favourites to win the Cup followed by Manchester United (10/3) and Arsenal (4/1). Spurs are listed at 12/1 with West Brom the 80/1 outsiders.

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