City turn to FA Cup to salvage troubled season

Manchester City travel to Bournemouth for the FA Cup quarter-finals, hoping to keep alive their last chance of silverware in what has been a turbulent campaign.

City are the only Premier League heavyweight left in the competition, as Nottingham Forest, Fulham, and Brighton continue to fuel the FA Cup's underdog narrative.

Bournemouth pose a real threat to City

With their hopes of a major trophy hanging by a thread, Manchester City approach their trip to Bournemouth with caution, especially after suffering a shock 2-1 defeat at the Vitality Stadium in November.

That loss marked City's first-ever defeat to Bournemouth and foreshadowed a slump in form that saw them win just once in 11 matches across all competitions.

After dominating English football with six league titles in the past seven seasons, City find themselves in an unfamiliar battle for a top-four finish, currently sitting fifth in the Premier League.

A 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest and a 1-1 draw with Brighton in their last two matches underline the struggles that have plagued Pep Guardiola's side this season. A defeat against Bournemouth, who have never reached an FA Cup semi-final, would add to the growing list of disappointments.

Fulham chase FA Cup history

Fulham host Crystal Palace on saturday, hoping to end their long FA Cup drought and secure a place in the semi-finals for the first time since 2002.

The west London club last reached the final in 1975, losing to West Ham, and have endured decades of frustration in the competition.

Marco Silva's men eliminated Manchester United in the previous round via a penalty shootout but will be wary of Palace, who beat them 2-0 at Craven Cottage in february.

Palace, still searching for their first FA Cup triumph, have been in excellent away form, winning five consecutive matches on the road while keeping six straight clean sheets.

The visitors could be boosted by the return of Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has resumed training after suffering a gruesome ear injury that required 25 stitches.

Forest missing Wood in key clash

Nottingham Forest face a significant setback as they bid for their first FA Cup semi-final since 1991, with star striker Chris Wood ruled out due to a hip injury sustained on international duty with New Zealand.

Manager Nuno Espírito Santo confirmed the blow, stating: "He will not be available for this game. He felt a kick really hard on his hip, so there is pain there."

Despite Wood's absence, Forest have enjoyed a dream season, sitting third in the Premier League and closing in on a first Champions League appearance since 1980-81.

A deep FA Cup run would further boost Nuno's growing reputation, but they must overcome a difficult test without their top scorer.

Preston look to stun Villa

The only team outside the Premier League remaining in the competition, Preston North End, will host Aston Villa in their bid to pull off an upset.

Preston, who won the FA Cup in 1889 and 1938, last reached the semi-finals in 1964 and have not played in the top flight since 1961.

Paul Heckingbottom's side face a Villa team in impressive form, having progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals and aiming for their first FA Cup semi-final appearance in a decade.

Villa's last FA Cup triumph came in 1957, with their most recent final ending in a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal in 2015.