This weekend’s final round of qualifying matches for the FA Cup has cleared the way for tonight’s televised draw for the main tournament. The League Cup is also set to resume with its fourth round on October 24 so we are well into serious cup time. Before long we may see one of the world’s richest clubs lined up against a side that can barely afford to print its own match day programmes. In recent years we have seen some magic in the cup competitions where the underdog has come out on top but who are the ones to look out for this year if you’re searching for a cup shock?
Bradford City
The Yorkshire club had an amazing run in the League Cup in 2013, making it all the way to the final by beating the then Premier League outfit Aston Villa and dispatching Arsenal on penalties after holding the Gunners in 120 minutes of football.
Bradford then took a beating in the final at the hands of Swansea City but there is something magical about the way Bradford approaches the cup games.
A club that struggles to sell out each weekend often sees every seat filled when it comes to a cup game as the whole city comes together in a carnival atmosphere. A season after the club’s incredible League Cup run it managed to beat Chelsea 4-2 in the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge. The Bantams bowed out in the first round of the League Cup this year but they are now sitting third in league One with just three losses from 13 rounds this year so don’t be surprised if they come on strong again in the FA Cup.
Aston Villa
Villa was among the finest clubs in the Premier League in the early ‘90s but a fall from grace has left the Midlands side fighting it out in the Championship.
One thing the Villans are known for is their performances in cups. With records for the highest FA Cup goal difference and scoring the most goals in a cup final along with the record attendance in a cup final, it’s hard to ignore Villa when it comes to cup football.
Knocked out of the EFL Cup in the third round 0-2 by Middlesbrough, Villa is seventh in the Championship and mounting a strong bid for promotion so it will look to the FA Cup to show it is ready for a return to the big time. It also has the big-game advantage of having recruited a defender named John Terry, who knows a little about the pressure of knock-out competitions, having won four FA Cups and 3 League Cups.
There are some teams that are made to play in cup competitions and whether they’re on the wrong side of an upset or the right side of a successful run, Aston Villa is always a team to look out for.
Shockers
We’re not talking about teams that come along and stun the big clubs; we’re referring to sides that have suffered shock losses and there’s one club that stands out. Manchester United is a team that every smaller side hopes to come up against because of both the financial benefits and the fact that half of their own players support the Red Devils.
But United has been beaten more than a few times by sides that could barely afford to pay the wages of one United player. The Manchester club took a 4-0 thumping in 2014 at the hands of MK Dons, led by now Spurs star Dele Alli. Southend beat them 1-0 in 2006 and in 2015 United lost on penalties to Middlesbrough. If there’s any big club you want to face in the cups, it’s probably United.
by Nubaid Haroon
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The post Football: Time For The Cup Kings appeared first on Felix Magazine.
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