Ranking last eight on how much they give an F about FA Cup | OneFootball

The FA Cup takes centre stage this weekend as we reach the quarter-finals. But how much does each club give a…?

Tradition dictates that we must point out that the FA Cup is the oldest football competition in the world and it holds a special place in the hearts of some football fans.

But finances dictate that playing in the Premier League or qualifying for the Champions League is now considered more important than winning a trophy.

We’ve ranked the eight quarter-finalists by how seriously they should now take the competition, going from ‘bigger fish to fry’ to ‘this is absolutely massive’…

8) West Ham

West Ham remain in the relegation zone after losing 2-0 to Aston Villa in their last Premier League match, but they are just one point from safety with seven games to go.

They are now at home to Leeds United in the FA Cup quarter-finals and also host the same opponents on the final day of the Premier League season.

If the Hammers had to choose between a win over Leeds in the cup or three points against them in the Premier League, they’d pick the latter option every single time. Hands would be bitten clean off.

Realistically, it does feel unlikely that West Ham would go all the way and win the competition even if they reach the semi-finals, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City potentially still in the hat.

But with Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United all struggling for consistency in the Premier League, they have a far better chance of staying up.

7) Leeds United

Leeds United made their return to the Premier League at the start of the season and currently sit 15th in the table, four points clear of their FA Cup quarter-final opponents.

But their recent league form has fans concerned as they’ve picked up just two points from their last four games, while failing to score a single goal in that run.

Their next Premier League game is a Monday night trip to in-form Manchester United, by which point West Ham would have played at home to Wolves and could be just one point behind them.

So like West Ham, Leeds may cynically view this FA Cup quarter-final tie as an unwelcome distraction from matters in the Premier League.

“Of course, survival in the Premier League is always the priority,” manager Daniel Farke admitted.

“For a newly promoted side, it has to be this way. But if you have the chance to progress you want to, so long as it’s without risking any players or doing anything stupid.”

Farke will ultimately be judged on his work in the Premier League and dropping back to the Championship would probably cost him his job, while also wreaking havoc with the club’s finances. Nobody will remember if they lost in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

6) Southampton

When Southampton entered the FA Cup in the third-round stage, they were sat 15th in the Championship table and had little to play for.

But they’ve since picked up nine wins and three draws from their last 13 games in the Championship and are now in sixth place.

A home tie against Arsenal awaits in the quarter-final this weekend, but it does come at a cost as their Good Friday and Easter Monday fixtures in the Championship have been postponed.

The games against Ipswich and Wrexham will now be played towards the end of the season, and an FA Cup semi-final would add to the fixture congestion.

Coventry City were the last Championship side to reach the FA Cup semi-finals, but they ultimately dropped out of the play-offs and finished ninth in 2023/24.

If Southampton’s next visit to Wembley is for the Championship play-off final in May, we doubt any fans will be complaining.

5) Liverpool

Following their Premier League title win in 2024/25 and a £415million spending spree last summer, Liverpool have massively underwhelmed this season.

They are currently fifth in the Premier League table and Arne Slot is under increasing pressure, with Xabi Alonso reportedly ready to replace him at Anfield. We can absolutely see it happening.

The Reds are still in the quarter-finals of both the Champions League and the FA Cup, and they have a trip to the Etihad against Manchester City in the latter this weekend.

Mo Salah has announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, and another FA Cup would be a great parting gift from the Egpyt international.

But the upcoming Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain and the battle for a top-five finish in the Premier League will take precedence for Slot.

If the Reds finish sixth and get knocked out by PSG for a second successive season, winning the FA Cup may not be enough to save Slot’s job.

4) Chelsea

Unlike Liverpool, Chelsea were unable to overturn a first-leg deficit in the Champions League last 16 and they were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain.

Their last hope of picking up any silverware this season is the FA Cup, a competition they last won in 2017/18 under Antonio Conte.

The Blues have been handed a favourable draw to make the final four of the competition, with League One side Port Vale coming to Stamford Bridge this weekend.

Liam Rosenior has also endured a difficult few weeks in the Chelsea dugout, and while he isn’t at immediate risk of losing his job, winning the FA Cup would help win over some of his critics.

But the FA Cup winners will take home just £2.1million in prize money and Chelsea recently announced a pre-tax loss of £262million, highlighting the importance of securing Champions League qualification for next season.

They are currently just one point behind fifth-placed Liverpool with seven Premier League games remaining, which includes a trip to Anfield in May. They won’t want to embarrass themselves against Port Vale, but few tears will be shed at a semi-final exit if they can claim a top-five spot.

3) Arsenal

Arsenal’s pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple came to an end with their 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.

But the Gunners are still chasing silverware on three fronts as they sit top of the Premier League and in the quarter-finals of both the Champions League and the FA Cup.

They are potentially just 15 matches away from completing a sensational Treble-winning campaign, following in the footsteps of Manchester United in 1998/99 and Manchester City in 2022/23.

But the FA Cup will clearly be the lowest priority for Arsenal if they have to choose between the three remaining competitions this season.

They are looking to end a 22-year wait for the Premier League title and are yet to lift the Champions League, while they have won the FA Cup 14 times, the most of any team in history.

But Arsenal really can’t afford to be choosy as they haven’t lifted a major trophy since the FA Cup in 2019/20, which was Mikel Arteta’s first season in charge.

While Arteta has undoubtedly done an impressive job at the Emirates, he would come under severe pressure if they emerge empty-handed from a sixth successive season. Which makes the FA Cup big…but still dwarfed by the Premier League.

2) Manchester City

Man City’s recent success was all kickstarted by Yaya Toure’s winning goal against Stoke City in the 2011 FA Cup final.

While they’ve since won eight Premier League titles, a Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, City still hold the FA Cup in high regard.

They are looking to reach the final for a fourth successive season, although they have lost against Manchester United and Crystal Palace in the last two.

Pep Guardiola has also rejected the narrative that winning the FA Cup is inconsequential to a squad used to collecting bigger prizes.

“How many finals have we played in the last few years,” he asked. “How many semi-finals have we played in over the last few years? A lot. That means the FA Cup is always so important to me.”

Guardiola was also seen wildly celebrating their recent Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal amid reports that this could be his final season at the Etihad.

While he would undoubtedly love to win his seventh Premier League title, City are currently nine points behind Arsenal with a game in hand.

They’ll back themselves to get past Liverpool at home and they’ve already beaten Arsenal at Wembley this season, making a domestic cup double a more realistic target.

1) Port Vale

The lowest-ranked side left in the competition, Port Vale produced the biggest shock of the FA Cup fifth round by beating Sunderland 1-0 at Vale Park.

But the impressive FA Cup run has increased the workload on a stretched squad, and they are currently bottom of League One.

“It’s a bit of a pain in the bum, to be honest!” manager Jon Brady admitted after the Sunderland win.

“It is really because what it’s doing for us is adding to our fixture list and as you saw we lost one of our best centre-halves [Cam Humphreys] and we haven’t got the size of the squad to cope with the amount of games at the moment.

“It’s a privilege, but it’s tough as well.”

But relegation to League Two now feels like a certainty as they are 13 points from safety with just eight games left in their league season.

The cup run has offered supporters something to enjoy in a difficult season and the trip to Stamford Bridge will be their first quarter-final appearance in the competition since 1953/54.

With nothing to lose, Port Vale should throw everything at the FA Cup and hope for one of the greatest upsets of all time. And for one day at least, we will be Team Port Vale.