An astonishing weekend in the competition has seen Chelsea and Manchester City knocked out.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that his side are now one of the hot favourites to retain their FA Cup crown after a tight fourth round win at Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
With a mad weekend in the competition having seen Chelsea and Manchester City knocked out by lower league opposition the Gunners now have a great chance to win the competition again.
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Premier League leaders Chelsea fell 4-2 at the hands of third tier Bradford City at Stamford Bridge, whilst reigning league champions Manchester City were also beaten at home by Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough.
Arsenal managed to avoid any such embarrassment on their trip south to the Amex Stadium, beating Chris Hughton’s side 3-2, and now find themselves alongside Manchester United and Liverpool, who both face replays, as the favourites for the tournament.
The Gunners won the FA Cup last season with a 3-2 victory over Hull City at Wembley in May and, whilst Wenger stressed the chaotic nature of the tournament following the Brighton win, he also admitted that his side are now amongst the most hotly tipped:
“We will be one of the favourites because some Premier League teams are not through. But we cannot predict who will win it,” the Frenchmanwas quoted by the Daily Star.
“After Saturday we had to be a little bit cautious. The Cup is the Cup you know?
“But we are into the next round. Let’s wait for the draw.”