FA Cup preview: Bitter rivals set to collide at Theatre of Dreams

The FA Cup quarter-finals take centre stage this weekend as we enter the business end of the world's oldest football competition. 

There are some standout matches to look forward to between Premier League giants, with Manchester City hosting Newcastle and Manchester United taking on bitter rivals Liverpool. 

Two Championship sides are also bidding to make the semis as Coventry travel to Wolves and Leicester take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. 

Read on as we preview all four ties.

Wolves vs Coventry (Saturday, 12.15pm, ITV1)

The quarter-final action begins on Saturday with a West Midlands derby between Premier League Wolves and Coventry.

Mark Robins' Sky Blues are the top scorers in this season's FA Cup with 16 goals but they have yet to meet top-flight opposition. 

Coventry last won at this stage of the competition in the 1986-87 season, when they famously went on to beat Tottenham in the final. 

Wolves have progressed from two of their last three quarter-finals, most recently doing so with a 2-1 win over Man Utd in 2018-19. 

Manchester City vs Newcastle (Saturday, 5.30pm, BBC One)

Newcastle already pulled off a shock against City when they dumped the Treble-winners out of the Carabao Cup at St James' Park earlier this season. 

A repeat result seems unlikely given their poor record when visiting the Citizens. 

Newcastle have lost 15 of their last 16 away games against the Citizens, including each of their last nine. 

A victory for Pep Guardiola's team would see them become the first team in FA Cup history to reach six consecutive semi-finals. 

Chelsea vs Leicester (Sunday, 12.45pm, BBC One)

Another side that are regulars in FA Cup semi-finals are Chelsea, who have reached that stage in five of the last seven seasons. 

The Blues host a Leicester side who are top of the Championship and knocked Bournemouth out in the fifth round. 

Chelsea have the statistical edge in past FA Cup encounters, winning seven of their previous eight matches against the Foxes. 

Yet it was Leicester that won when it really mattered when they last met in this competition, claiming a 1-0 victory in the 2021 final. 

Manchester United vs Liverpool (Sunday, 3.30pm, ITV1)

The best FA Cup quarter-final has been saved for last, as United host old foes Liverpool at Old Trafford. 

It will be the 15th time that the two most successful sides in English football history have met in the FA Cup, with the Red Devils progressing 10 times to the Merseysiders' four. 

They last met in the fourth round in 2021, when United made the most of their home advantage to win a thrilling match 3-2. 

Yet it is Liverpool that are expected to progress this time round as the title-chasers look to land a quadruple in Jurgen Klopp's final season at the club.