I fancy Everton to get to the final this year.

I was at the Everton game as a neutral today and was very impressed with Everton. Arteta is easily the best player at Everton and one of the very best in the PL, an absolute gem. Great touch, calm under pressure, good passer, great set pieces, controls the game from start to finish. I thought Anichebe worked his tripes off and delivered a good ball for Cahill's goal. And yes, Rodwell is going to be one heck of a player if he can carry on the way he's started. The same with Gosling - a bit more composure and more top flight experience and he'll be a heck of a player too.

As a neutral I was quite disappointed with Villa, they seemed to lack a little bit of craft to me. And how effing tall is Zat Knight?? He's colossal.

Everton were very good today. Arteta in particular commanded the midfield and added creativity to the Everton team.
BTW Zat Knight is 6 ft 7in.

Bad draw today for Everton I think.

Not that they got a home tie, I think they would have hoped two of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd would have been paired together before the semi's.

With the semi finalists likely to be Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton, I doubt it. Semis are at Wembley though so at least we'll get a trip.

All assuming of course, we get past Boro or West Ham.

I could get past Boro.

There no point in Rovers winning the replay against Cov as the way we've played against the top 4 this season means we've no chance of beating Chelsea in the qtrs.

It'll depend somewhat on Blackburns league position too, if they can pull clear soon, Allardyce i'm sure will treat it properly. Should Blakburn still be in the mire, £££'s talk, and it'll not be the focus of Blackburns attention.

Ewood, for a quarter final, not an easy place to go. Fulham will be a test for United too, yeah, I know what I'm saying, I just think there's something about their cup run this year, I know they've a replay yet, but they've had the luck, late goal at Sheff Wed, late goals at Kettering, replay to come from Swansea etc. A bit like Pompey at OT last year, it became mega obvious during that game that their name was 'on the cup'.

What the game confirmed to me was that Ashley Young is pretty much gash.

Arsenal 4 Cardiff 0.

Eduardo returned after 51 weeks out with a broken leg. Arsenal to play Burnley.

5th round replays

Tuesday, 24 February 2009

Coventry v Blackburn, R5R, 19:45
Fulham v Swansea, R5R, 20:00

Was that a pre-emptive strike?