For the first time in 25 years, there will be only one member of the Premier League’s so-called “big six” in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Manchester United’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Fulham left only their local rivals Manchester City to dream of Wembley.
Here, the PA news agency looks at this season’s casualties and the recent record of the top teams.
Sole survivors
– Manchester United and Arsenal were drawn together in round three, United winning on penalties with Kai Havertz denied by Altay Bayindir. The rest of the big six progressed, though Tottenham needed extra time against non-league Tamworth.
– Spurs fell to Aston Villa in the fourth round, Brighton beat Chelsea and Liverpool were shocked by Plymouth, then bottom of the Championship.
– Bernd Leno saved from Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee as United’s shoot-out luck ran out in the last 16.
– City have so far beaten Salford 8-0, Leyton Orient 2-1 and Argyle 3-1 to set up a quarter-final away to Bournemouth.
Boom and bust
– This is in contrast to four of the big six being in last season’s quarter-finals – Chelsea and Liverpool joining finalists United and City – and an average of 3.2 over the last decade.
– During that time there were only two to reach the last eight in both 2022-23 and 2018-19 – City and United on both occasions, with the pair also reaching the 2023 final – but as many as five in 2016-17 when only Liverpool missed out.
– The last time only one of the big six made the quarter-finals was Chelsea in 1999-2000. However, that was the season Manchester United were allowed to opt out of entering the tournament to focus on the Club World Championship.
– The 1997-98 season marks the last time all six clubs entered but only one, Arsenal, reached the quarter-finals. United beat Chelsea in round three, where Liverpool lost to Coventry, City fell in round four to West Ham and Championship Barnsley knocked out Tottenham then United in fourth- and fifth-round replays.
– In a positive omen for City this season, both Chelsea and Arsenal went on to lift the trophy on those occasions.
Premier League depth
– Despite the big six’s failings, this is the first time in four years that only one club from outside the Premier League – Preston – have made the last eight.
– Bournemouth, then in the Championship, were the only non-Premier League side the last time it happened in 2020-21.
– There have been four teams from outside the top flight in the same quarter-finals on four occasions this century, most recently 2022-23 when Championship trio Burnley, Sheffield United and Blackburn and League Two giant-killers Grimsby joined United, City, Brighton and Fulham.
Recent records
– This will be City’s seventh FA Cup quarter-final in successive seasons, the longest uninterrupted run of any club.
– Arsenal have not made the last eight since they won the competition in 2019-20 while Spurs’ absence stretches seven years since they last made it in 2017-18.
– It is only the second time in the last 11 seasons that United have failed to reach the last eight. Chelsea have played seven quarter-finals in 10 years but Arsenal have now made only one appearance in eight seasons.
