FA Cup

Big guns kept apart in FA Cup quarters

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola celebrates with the trophy after winning the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London.

The FA Cup quarter-final draw was held on Wednesday night, with the highest-profile matchup Chelsea travelling to Leicester City later this month.

In the other confirmed fixtures so far, Sheffield United will host Arsenal and Newcastle United welcome current FA Cup holders Manchester City up north.

In the final quarter-final Norwich will play the winner of Derby County and Manchester United – with that duo to face off in the final last-16 match on Thursday night.

With the Foxes and Blues sitting third and fourth, respectively, in the Premier League, their quarter-final clash looms as the most enticing with the duo playing out to an entertaining 2-2 draw in the league in February.

Sheffield, meanwhile, will back themselves to edge past the Gunners at home having beaten them at Bramall Lane 1-0 in October last year before drawing 1-1 at the Emirates in January.

Newcastle face the toughest quarter-final test in having to welcome Pep Guardiola’s side to St James’ Park with City still chasing a treble despite their hopes of a third straight Premier League title being all but over.

Man City beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final in early March and have one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals after beating Real Madrid 2-1 away from home in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

‘The important thing is that we are there. We want to be in the draw. We are in the draw,’ Guardiola said after City beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in their FA Cup last-16 clash.

‘It is the FA Cup. The league we cannot win. We have two titles, FA Cup and Champions League. We prepare for it and and in the end we have success.’

Norwich booked their spot in the quarter-finals after a dramatic victory against Spurs at home on Wednesday. After the match ended 1-1 following extra time, the Canaries held their nerve in a penalty shootout with Tottenham failing to convert three of their five spot kicks.

They will welcome the winner of the FA Cup’s final last-16 clash with Derby hosting the Red Devils at Pride Park on Thursday.

Here Rams captain Wayne Rooney will face off against United for the first time, with the 34-year-old bagging three goals and contributing two assists since returning to English football with Derby.