It's FA Cup fourth-round weekend! Let's get excited! This is always a tricky weekend, feeling a bit betwixt and between, lacking the magical wonderment of the third round and the glory-in-our-sights potential of later rounds, while still forcing the Premier League to grind to a halt. There's always a fascination with how teams approach this weekend. Is it a welcome respite from the league or a mildly irritating distraction? It's still too early to think of it as a real trophy chance for most teams, but the prospect of the remaining months of the season always feels joyless. Let's try and enjoy it, shall we? In a way. It can still be a Big Weekend. Shut up, it can. Game to watch: Aston Villa v Newcastle. Both teams picked up welcome wins over relegation stragglers, but their contrasting needs remain stark. Villa needed their win to give their title hopes a shot in the arm, while Newcastle needed to avoid a relegation battle alongside the hopeless Spurs team. Both teams have continental ambitions, making Newcastle's win over Spurs particularly timely. For Villa, the top-five finish and/or Europa League win remain the top priority, but they can give the FA Cup a bash too. Team to watch: Arsenal. February is often when pinch-points bite for quadruple chasers, and the shortest month is where dreams start to fade. Arsenal isn't there yet, but their inability to decisively count their clear superiority in the Premier League is grating. They were minutes away from a nine-point lead, but now it's down to four after a draw at Brentford. An FA Cup fourth-round clash is the second of three games before the North London Derby. Manager to watch: Arne Slot. Two managers hoping for FA Cup relief meet at Anfield, where Liverpool hosts Brighton. Both managers have lost large sections of their fanbase and sit in the Sack Race market. Brighton has enjoyed FA Cup respite against a beleaguered giant, but it hasn't helped their league form. Player to watch: Crysencio Summerville. It's always a risky category on FA Cup weekends. We're certain that Nuno Espirito Santo will shuffle his West Ham pack significantly, but there's only so much shuffling he can achieve. West Ham doesn't want to allow this game against Burton to become a momentum-killer, and the squad suggests at least one of Nuno's in-form big guns will probably start. Football League game to watch: Coventry v Middlesbrough. We're extending the weekend to Monday night for this Championship clash of second v first. Coventry has lost top spot to Boro after a wobble, losing to QPR and Norwich and held to a goalless draw by Oxford. European game to watch: Inter v Juventus. What looked like Europe's best title race is now in danger of turning into an Inter procession. Since a defeat to Milan in November, Inter has won 11 of 12 Serie A games. Women's Super League game to watch: Chelsea v Liverpool. Chelsea's iron grip on the WSL title has gone, with the focus now on securing Champions League football next season. Victory over Liverpool, who are struggling, would appear mandatory.
