Evan Ferguson believes Brighton and Hove Albion can go on and book a place in Europe after thumping Grimsby Town 5-0 to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.

Wembley awaits the Seagulls, who were handed a shot at Manchester United or Fulham next. United and Fulham contested the last of the quarter-finals on Sunday, after the draw was made.

Manchester City will face Sheffield United in the other last-four clash over the weekend of April 22-23.

Brighton could earn a place in next season's European competitions through the Premier League or by winning the FA Cup.

They sit seventh in the league, level on points with sixth-placed Liverpool and with a game in hand on the Reds.

"I think we've got the hope and the desire to go on and get to Europe," Ferguson said, after hitting two goals against League Two battlers Grimsby.

"That's our ambition, and if we keep going and keep on winning games we could get there."

Grimsby stunned Southampton in the fifth round but could not overturn another Premier League team, with Brighton outclassing their visitors and earning their Wembley trip.

Deniz Undav, Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March also scored to see off the Mariners.

Ferguson told BBC One: "It's what we were looking for at the start. We obviously wanted to go to Wembley, so we have to get to the semi-finals. Today it wasn't an easy game because teams like that, when they sit off, you have to try to break them down, but it's a good result."

His first goal, Brighton's second of the game, showed the 18-year-old Irish striker at his best, as he pulled down a pass with an expert touch and fired into the bottom-right corner.

"It was good. I think it was more an instinct," Ferguson said. "It just came to me and I tried to swivel around and tried to get the best shot off, and luckily it went in."

Manchester City will play Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-finals, while Manchester United are set to face Brighton and Hove Albion should they beat Fulham.

Sunday's draw means the possibility of a Manchester derby in the final is firmly on the cards, though United will have to overcome two strong Premier League rivals in order to set that up.

City will not be taking anything for granted either, though Pep Guardiola's side head into the contest against the Blades as big favourites.

Erling Haaland scored his sixth hat-trick of the season as City routed Burnley 6-0 on Saturday to reach the semi-finals for the fifth straight season.

Sheffield United, meanwhile, scored twice late on to beat fellow Championship side Blackburn Rovers 3-2 on Sunday at Bramall Lane. 

City loanee Tommy Doyle netted the Blades' winner in stoppage time but will be unable to feature against his parent club in the last four. James McAtee is another regular who is on loan from the Premier League champions.

Evan Ferguson became the top-scoring teenager for a Premier League club across all competitions this season (seven) as he netted twice in Brighton's 5-0 thrashing of Grimsby Town, while EFL Cup winners United were in action against Fulham in Sunday's late kick-off at Old Trafford.

The semi-final ties will be played at Wembley Stadium across the weekend of April 22 and 23.

FA Cup semi-final draw:

Brighton and Hove Albion v Manchester United or Fulham

Manchester City v Sheffield United

Top Premier League clubs Manchester United, Newcastle United and Chelsea are said to be monitoring Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele ahead of his release clause activating.

Dembele is in his sixth season with Barcelona, having racked up a total of 40 goals in his 178 appearances.

He remained a first-team regular to start this campaign, with 14 starts from his 18 LaLiga appearances, before suffering a serious hamstring injury in late January.

The France international is yet to return nearly two months later, but despite his troubling physical problems, England's elite believe he could represent terrific value due to his contract situation.

 

TOP STORY – BARCELONA'S DEMBELE AVAILABLE AT A DISCOUNT

Dembele was purchased from Borussia Dortmund for €105million plus add-ons back in 2017, but according to Calciomercato he will be available for just €50m (£44m) in the upcoming transfer window.

His contract is set to expire after one more season, and if the club do not secure a long-term extension, Dembele will have his release clause activated.

The €50m figure is said to be more than enticing to England's wealthy clubs, as it is considered a bargain compared to the going rate for other world-class wingers.

Serie A giants Juventus and Inter are also said to be fans of Dembele's, but the price tag is too rich for their current financial situation unless they sell some players to raise funds.

 

ROUND-UP

– Foot Mercato is reporting Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi is considering a move back to Barcelona next season, with his father said to be in regular communication with the club.

Real Madrid are monitoring 29-year-old Tottenham striker Harry Kane as a potential successor to Karim Benzema, per the Daily Mail.

– According to Calciomercato, Barcelona and Tottenham are both fans of 26-year-old Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who is expected to leave the club in the upcoming transfer window.

– Goal is reporting Brighton and Hove Albion are prepared to make 25-year-old winger Kaoru Mitoma the highest earner in club history, in order to fend off interest from Real Madrid, Manchester City and Arsenal.

– Former player Jose Enrique revealed on his live stream that Liverpool have agreed to terms for 20-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who Enrique shares an agent with.

Borussia Dortmund are reportedly fighting to keep hold of forward Julian Brandt amid interest from England and Italy's biggest clubs.

Brandt, 26, is enjoying arguably his best season in the yellow and black, with nine goals in all competitions tying his best return since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.

The Germany international, with 39 senior caps to his name, has capitalised on the extra eyes pointed towards Dortmund this season, delivering strong performances alongside super prospects Jude Bellingham and Youssoufa Moukoko.

A slew of Champions League clubs are said to have enquired about the availability of Brandt, although Dortmund are reportedly desperate to keep him at the club long-term.

 

TOP STORY – PREMIER LEAGUE AND SERIE A LEADERS LOOK TO BRANDT

According to Football Insider, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Napoli and Inter have all been closely monitoring Brandt as he nears the final 12 months of his contract.

The report states Dortmund feel confident they will be able to retain their in-form talent, despite the rising interest, but they could be forced into a move if Brandt does not indicate he will remain with the club beyond next season.

With an enormous windfall on the horizon due to Bellingham's expected sale, the club are likely under no financial pressure to move on from Brandt earlier than they would like.

 

ROUND-UP

– Fichajes.net is reporting that Real Madrid are surprise suitors for Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku, who is not expected to return to Stamford Bridge when his current loan at Inter ends.

– According to The I, Newcastle will make 26-year-old Leicester City midfielder James Maddison a priority signing at the end of the season, and the interest will be mutual if the Magpies can make the Champions League.

Barcelona are planning a €100million double move to secure both 25-year-old Villarreal right-back Juan Foyth and 18-year-old Athletico Paranaense forward Vitor Roque, per Fichajes.net.

– 90min is reporting Manchester United, City, Newcastle, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Brentford are all scouting breakout 20-year-old Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga, who has a £35m (€40m) release clause.

– According to journalist Florian Plettenberg, 24-year-old Napoli striker Victor Osimhen dreams of one day playing in the Premier League, and would be open to a move to either England or Bayern Munich.

Roberto De Zerbi is content at Brighton and Hove Albion and is focused on helping the Seagulls make history this season, amid speculation linking him with Tottenham. 

De Zerbi has enjoyed a tremendous impact at Brighton since succeeding Graham Potter in September, leading the Seagulls into contention for European qualification. 

Brighton are seven points adrift of fourth-placed Spurs in the Premier League table with three games in hand, while their tally of 43 goals this season is already their best in the competition.

With De Zerbi's side flying, he – along with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank and Steve Cooper – has been touted as a possible successor to Antonio Conte, who appears destined to leave Spurs by the end of the campaign.

Asked about those links at a press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Leeds United, De Zerbi said: "I have a long contract with Brighton and I'm happy to work here.

"I'm enjoying working with these players, I'm delighted with my players for their performance and I can't ask for more, it's a good moment in my life."

Ahead of the trip to Elland Road, Brighton are unbeaten in their last five Premier League away games (W3 D2), the joint-longest current run in the competition, alongside Brentford.

Brighton have also failed to score just once in 11 away league games this term (0-2 at Brentford in October) – no Premier League side have drawn a blank on fewer road trips (Arsenal also one).

With Brighton earning plaudits for their enterprising style and with the race for European qualification wide open, De Zerbi is aware of the potential their campaign holds.

"People are speaking about our quality of play, and for that I am proud. But we have to be focused only on the next games. We have a clear target," he said.

"We have a dream. We know we can write a new history for the club. This is a nice challenge. 

"It will be difficult. We know what we can expect, but now we are able to win. I think now we have a complete squad with many young players, we are stronger.

"We want to arrive in Europe but we have to push and take it game by game. Tomorrow starts a difficult period with three games in a week, but we are ready to fight for our targets."

Mohamed Salah delivered for Liverpool in the sensational 7-0 win over Manchester United last weekend – and doubtless he had many fantasy bosses celebrating too.

Two goals and two assists in the Anfield rout showed the Egyptian is getting back to somewhere near his very best for Jurgen Klopp.

Salah has Bournemouth in his sights on Saturday, and our four fantasy team selections for the weekend are players heading out on the road.

Kaoru Mitoma has been in eye-catching form for Brighton and Hove Albion, who head to Leeds United on Saturday, while World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez has four clean sheets already in 2023 for Aston Villa, who visit West Ham on Sunday.

Chelsea's Ben Chilwell returns to an old stomping ground on Saturday as the Blues travel to his former club, Leicester City.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform has looked at why these four could help you bring in useful points this weekend.

Mohamed Salah (Bournemouth v Liverpool)

It was pretty clear Salah needed a rest amid a hectic schedule, and he got it during the World Cup after Egypt failed to qualify. Since games resumed after Qatar 2022, last season's joint-top scorer has been slowly building up to the sort of display that left United in tatters last Sunday. He has totted up nine goal involvements (5 goals, 4 assists) since the World Cup, with only Erling Haaland and Marcus Rashford (11) having more in that time.

Five of Salah's eight Premier League goals against Bournemouth have come at the Vitality Stadium, netting in every appearance in the Premier League there, so he will be looking for more of the same. If he wasn't in your team last week, can you really resist him this time around?

Emiliano Martinez (West Ham v Aston Villa)

There's no denying Villa went through a rocky spell recently, shipping 11 goals in three games, but two clean sheets have followed as Unai Emery looks for resilience.

Only Liverpool (6) and Tottenham (5) have kept more Premier League clean sheets in 2023 than Villa (4). Since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, Martinez is one of only six goalkeepers to have kept over 30 clean sheets in the top flight. This weekend he will try to complete three in a row for the first time since March 2022. West Ham have failed to score in 11 games this season, in case that heightens the temptation to pick Martinez.

Kaoru Mitoma (Leeds United v Brighton and Hove Albion)

Brighton's 4-0 demolition of West Ham last weekend included a goal from the twinkle-toed Japanese forward Mitoma. He has been involved in 11 goals across all competitions for Brighton this season (8 goals, 3 assists) with only Pascal Gross (12) having more involvements.

Seven of those involvements from Mitoma have come on league duty, with six goals and one assist, and it's especially good going when you consider he only made his first start in the competition at the end of October.

Leeds will need to be careful. Among all Premier League players, no one has had more take-ons in the box than Mitoma (17) in this season's competition, while only team-mate Solly March (6) has had more chance-creating take-ons than his five.

Ben Chilwell (Leicester City v Chelsea)

Chelsea could make it three wins in a row at Leicester. Successive clean sheets against Leeds and Borussia Dortmund count in Chilwell's favour, as does his attacking prowess.

Among defenders with at least 500 minutes played in the Premier League this season, only Liverpool's Konstantinos Tsimikas (133) has a better minutes-per-goal-involvement rate this season than Chilwell (237).

Granted, he has had only three such involvements so far, but having missed a large chunk of the season through injury, Chilwell is out to make up for lost time. His former club will be on guard, aware of his talent.

It has been reported that Manchester United will look to maintain the momentum gained from this season with three major signings.

Manager Erik ten Hag is said to have an illustrious shortlist of priority targets, including numerous forwards.

But the Red Devils will likely want to bolster their midfield ranks to support Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen and Fred.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD TO LAUNCH BUMPER CAMAVINGA BID

Fichajes reports Manchester United are planning a bumper £115million (€130m) offer for Real Madrid's French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

The report claims United are major admirers of Camavinga, who has not fully convinced since his move to Santiago Bernabeu in August 2021.

United view the 20-year-old as a major world-class talent, although Los Blancos may be reluctant to let him go.

 

ROUND-UP

– ESPN claims Harry Maguire is on the chopping block at Old Trafford with Manchester United looking to sell several first-players including the England defender. Newcastle United are the favourites to sign him while West Ham are in contention, reports 90min.

Paris Saint-Germain are circling for Newcastle United's Dutch defender Sven Botman, reports iNews. Botman previously spent time in France with Lille.

Vinicius Junior could leave Real Madrid, with president Florentino Perez open to letting him go in order to sign PSG's Kylian Mbappe, claims El Desmarque. Vinicius Junior and Madrid are yet to agree on a new deal with the Brazilian's contract expiring in 2024.

Eden Hazard will not exit Real Madrid anytime soon, with the Belgian midfielder intending to remain with Los Blancos until his contract expires in 2024, according to The Athletic.

– CBS Sports claims Arsenal's Reiss Nelson has drawn interest from French club Nice along with Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion. Nelson netted a dramatic late winner in the Gunners' 3-2 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday.

Bayern Munich are on the verge of tabling new contract offers to Lucas Hernandez and Jamal Musiala , per Fabrizio Romano. Agreement on the Hernandez deal is imminent, while new Musiala's long-term contract is a priority.

Mason Mount's future at Chelsea remains uncertain, with his current deal due to expire in 2024.

Mount has rebuffed multiple contract offers from the Blues, prompting speculation he could move on.

Chelsea are determined to hang on to the 24-year-old but if they cannot, the optimal time to sell may be at the end of this season.

TOP STORY – MAGPIES TO RIVAL REDS IN MOUNT RACE

Newcastle United will join the pursuit to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount at the end of this season, claims the Daily Mail.

Liverpool have been linked with Mount given his contract status, but the Magpies could rival that interest given their deep pockets.

Financial Fair Play rules may limit Newcastle's ability to land Mount having spent £165million this season on Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sven Botman and others.

 

ROUND-UP

– The Sun claims Arsenal's top two priorities for the off-season are signing Napoli forward Victor Osimhen and West Ham United's Declan Rice. The Nigerian, who has interest from Manchester United too, wants to play in the Premier League one day.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all retain interest in Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo despite penning a new deal until 2027 last week, claims Football Insider. According to the report, Brighton's asking price is upwards of £90m.

– Footmercato reports Real Madrid head of recruitment Juni Calafat met with Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham at a London hotel on Tuesday, as numerous clubs circle for the England international.

Liverpool sent scouts to watch coveted Benfica defender Antonio Silva and midfielder Florentino Luis last Friday, claims 90min. Real Madrid have been linked with Silva, while Tottenham have a reported interest in the pair.

Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham are all proactively keeping tabs on Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot's situation and availability, claims 90min.

Bayern Munich will not sign Joao Cancelo permanently after this season, instead letting him return to Manchester City upon the conclusion of his loan spell, according to Calciomercato.

Bernardo Silva is one step closer to getting his desired move to Barcelona after it was reported that Manchester City have named a price for their wantaway midfielder.

Silva, 28, is in his sixth season with City, but after four Premier League titles and 51 goals for the club, he recently spoke about his wish for a new challenge following multiple transfer windows with heavy interest from Barcelona.

The Portugal international, who scored against Newcastle United on Saturday, has a contract that ties him to the club until 2025, but City might be set grant his wish at the end of the season and allow him to leave – for the right price.

 

TOP STORY – CITY SET ASKING PRICE FOR BARCELONA-BOUND BERNARDO

According to Sport, City have told Silva that they will accept any incoming bid that reaches their demand of £57.5million (€65m).

Barcelona are well aware of the latest development, and are said to be doing all they can in the coming months to ensure the financial rules allow them to make the move. However, Silva's contract demands could be a stumbling block for the Spanish giants.

Reports suggest City previously rejected Barcelona's £62m (€70m) approach during the January window.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting Inter will seek a €40m fee for defender Denzel Dumfries.

– According to The Mirror, Manchester United and Liverpool are among the Premier League teams preparing to make a run at New England Revolution goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.

City will pursue RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol if they sell Paris Saint-Germain target Aymeric Laporte, per the Daily Star.

– Football Insider is reporting Arsenal, City, United and Liverpool are all showing interest in Brighton and Hove Albion's World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister , who the Seagulls are expected to price at £70m.

– According to Calciomercato, Milan are targeting £22m-rated (€25m) Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

To say it's "as you were" in the Premier League's title race after Saturday's action wouldn't be doing Arsenal justice.

A brilliant turnaround against Bournemouth saw them answer Manchester City's earlier statement, a 2-0 win over a Newcastle United side who find themselves in a real rut.

Arsenal's lead at the summit somehow – we'll get there – remains five points, and the nature of their victory will surely prove a massive boost.

Also on Saturday, Graham Potter eased the pressure on him ever so slightly, though the same cannot be said for David Moyes.

Stats Perform has delved into the Opta data from the pick of the day's action.

Arsenal 3-2 Bournemouth: Title tilt still on track as Gunners respond to Cherries' incredible start

If Arsenal go on to win the Premier League title, fans will probably look back on this game as absolutely vital.

Bournemouth opened the scoring through Phillip Billing after just 9.11 seconds, making it the second-fasted Premier League goal of all time, and Marcos Senesi made it 2-0 in the second half.

The Gunners appeared to be heading for a shocking home defeat, but their response was exceptional – and dramatic.

Thomas Partey and Ben White scored in an eight-minute spell to restore parity, and for a while that looked to be the best Arsenal could muster.

But with 96 minutes and 57 seconds on the clock, Reiss Nelson's brilliant left-footed strike from just inside the box completed the turnaround with Arsenal's second-latest league winner on record (since 2006-07).

It ensured Arsenal won a league game after finding themselves at least two goals down for the first time since February 2012 – the mentality of champions?

Brighton and Hove Albion 4-0 West Ham: Homesick Hammers crushed with Moyes running out of time

There is little to be optimistic about at the moment for West Ham and David Moyes, with Saturday's one-sided defeat to Brighton seeing them plumb new depths.

Alexis Mac Allister got the scoring started from the spot, making it four out of four from the spot this season for the Argentina international – no one in the Premier League has a better 100 per cent record.

Joel Veltman then chested over the line to make it 2-0, before the tremendous Kaoru Mitoma knocked in from Pascal Gross' cross to tally his 11th goal involvement (eight goals, three assists) of the season, which is bettered only by his German colleague among Brighton players.

Danny Welbeck's seventh goal against West Ham – making them his favourite opposition – wrapped things up.

Defeat stretched West Ham's winless streak on the road in the league to 11, their longest dry spell away from home since December 2014-May 2015 (12 matches).

Manchester City 2-0 Newcastle United: Magpies unable to end champions' record run

Newcastle have endured a difficult start to 2023 – after initially looking destined for the top four, their chances of being in the Champions League next season are dwindling.

Having lost to Manchester United in last weekend's EFL Cup final, Eddie Howe had to try and inspire a response in a fixture that has long brought Newcastle misery.

Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva got City's goals, the first coming after a solo run and the second a clever poked finish from the Portugal international.

Those efforts sealed City's 14th successive Premier League home win over Newcastle, a run that no team has ever bettered against a single opponent in the competition.

That is now one win in their past 31 clashes with City for Newcastle, having emerged victorious from seven of their first 15.

Newcastle's failure here saw them lose three in a row for the first time under Howe, their inability to score allowing Ederson to keep his 100th Premier League clean sheet in his 208th appearance – only Petr Cech (180 games) and Pepe Reina (198 games) reached that milestone quicker.

Chelsea 1-0 Leeds United: Blues lacking magic but rare win a boost to Potter

It's going to take more than a slender victory over struggling Leeds for Graham Potter to win over his critics, but every turnaround has to start somewhere.

Once again, goals proved difficult to come by for Chelsea's attackers, with French defender Wesley Fofana heading in the decisive goal – his first in the Premier League.

But at this point Potter will not care where the goals come from as long as Chelsea get wins on the board.

Leeds were unable to provide a response, meaning Chelsea held on for only their second win from 12 games across all competitions in 2023 and their first since beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in January, ending a six-game winless run.

Saturday's visitors have taken only six points from away games this season, however, a joint-Premier League low, so it cannot be considered much of a statement from Chelsea.

Moises Caicedo has signed a new long-term deal with Brighton and Hove Albion.

The 21-year-old midfielder was heavily linked with an exit from the Amex Stadium during the January transfer window, publicly expressing his desire to move to league leaders Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta's side reportedly saw bids of up to £70million rejected by Brighton and there was expectation that the Gunners would return for Caicedo at the end of the season.

However, the Ecuador international has now given his commitment to the Seagulls with a new deal that runs until 2027, with a club option for a further year.

"This is fantastic news for the club, our fans, for me and most importantly for Moises. It will make us stronger as we move forward towards our targets on the pitch," head coach Roberto de Zerbi said.

Caicedo joined Brighton in February 2021 from Independiente del Valle, then spending the first half of the following season on loan with Belgian side Beerschot.

A Premier League debut came in the 2-1 win against Arsenal in April 2022, with Caicedo retaining his spot for the remainder of the season and playing an integral part this term.

Brighton sit eighth in the Premier League, four points behind sixth-placed Liverpool and with games in hand over their closest competitors.

Gabriel Martinelli can maintain his excellent form at Bournemouth's expense on Saturday after capitalising on Everton's defensive frailties.

Martinelli scored twice as the Gunners thrashed the sorry Toffees on Wednesday to go five points clear at the top of the Premier League – and hopefully earned you a healthy haul of fantasy points.

If the Brazil winger is not in your team, then it'll perhaps be better late than never, with struggling Bournemouth travelling to Emirates Stadium on the back of a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City.

Danny Ings can make his mark in West Ham's trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, while Harry Kane and Antonee Robinson can also rack up the points.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform highlights why that quartet deserve to get the nod.

 

Antonee Robinson (Brentford v Fulham)

Fulham have exceeded expectations so far this season and left-back Robinson has played a big part.

No defender has had more top-flight clean sheets (5) since the World Cup than the United States international, who was also in the Fulham side that shut out Leeds in a 2-0 FA Cup victory on Tuesday.

Robinson provided an assist in the draw at Wolves last week, and only four defenders have created more chances from open play than his eight in the Premier League since the World Cup ended.

 

Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal v Bournemouth)

A brace for Martinelli on Wednesday took his Premier League goal tally for the season to 11 – as many as he had scored in his previous three campaigns combined.

Unfortunate with injuries early in his career, Martinelli is putting those woes behind him and has found the back of the net in three consecutive games.

He has scored six top-flight goals since the World Cup and should cause the Cherries all sorts of problems.

Danny Ings (Brighton and Hove Albion v West Ham)

Ings opened his Hammers account in a 4-0 rout of Nottingham Forest last Saturday, scoring a double.

The striker can build on that when David Moyes' men head to the south coast to face Brighton, who Ings has also scored twice against this season during his time at Aston Villa.

Ings clearly enjoys facing the Seagulls, as he has netted five times against them and he can get on a roll to help the Hammers climb the table.

Harry Kane (Wolves v Tottenham)

It may be that Kane is a mainstay in your side, but if not then you can reap the rewards of investing in the Tottenham striker this weekend.

Kane came on as a second-half substitute in Spurs' shock 1-0 FA Cup loss at Sheffield United on Wednesday and the London club should be fired up after seeing another opportunity to end their trophy drought pass them by.

England captain Kane scored his 18th Premier League goal of the season in a derby win over Chelsea last Sunday and you should back him to put on a show at Molineux.

Manchester City will reunite with club legend Vincent Kompany when they face Burnley in the FA Cup quarter-finals, while Manchester United will host Fulham.

Pep Guardiola's top-flight champions eased past Bristol City 3-0 on Tuesday, while United backed up their EFL Cup success with a 3-1 comeback victory over West Ham.

City will face former defender Kompany, who lifted four Premier League titles at Etihad Stadium, after being drawn at home to runaway Championship leaders Burnley following their late 1-0 win against Fleetwood Town on Wednesday.

United ended a six-year trophy drought on Sunday by defeating Newcastle United and will continue their quest for further silverware when they host Fulham at Old Trafford.

Fourth-tier Grimsby Town remain the shock package in this season's FA Cup after Premier League Southampton fell to a 2-1 home loss and became the Mariners' fifth victim from a higher division in the 2022-23 campaign.

The League Two side's reward will be a trip to in-form Brighton and Hove Albion, who edged past Stoke City 1-0 in the fifth round on Tuesday.

Sheffield United were another surprise winner in the last 16 of the competition, defeating Tottenham 1-0, and will host Blackburn Rovers, which ensures at least one Championship side will reach the semi-finals.

All ties are set to be played between March 17 and 19 with the quarter-final contestants one win from a trip to Wembley.

FA Cup quarter-final draw in full:

Manchester City v Burnley

Manchester United v Fulham

Brighton and Hove Albion v Grimsby Town

Sheffield United v Blackburn Rovers

Alexis Mac Allister believes his "next step" should be with another Premier League club amid speculation linking Liverpool and Manchester City with the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder.

Mac Allister has been linked with several big clubs since helping Argentina lift the World Cup for a third time in Qatar last year.

The 24-year-old's cultured performances have helped Brighton into contention for European qualification, and he has been touted as a possible target for struggling Liverpool, who are likely to be in the market for midfielders at the end of the season.

More recently, Mac Allister was suggested as a potential replacement for City's Ilkay Gundogan should the Germany international depart when his contract expires in June.

While Mac Allister remains focused on Brighton's push for a top-six finish, he feels a Premier League giant – rather than a transfer abroad – will be a better fit when he decides to move on.

"I don't have a particular team where I say 'this is the way I play'. I think that here in the Premier League, there are very strong teams that play very well, like Manchester City and Arsenal," he told TyC Sports.

"Chelsea too, I had [Graham] Potter as coach and I know the idea he has of playing football. 

"Manchester United are returning to be what they were, and Liverpool are going through some ups and downs but they still have a very important team.

"If I have to say a place, I would like my next step to be in the Premier League. But the truth is that I am very focused here in Brighton and enjoying the present."

Only recent Arsenal acquisition Leandro Trossard (seven) and Pascal Gross (six) have bettered Mac Allister's tally of five goals in 19 Premier League outings for Brighton this term.

Chelsea have continued to struggle in recent weeks despite their busy transfer activity during the January window.

The Blues have failed to score in their past three games, all defeats, and won only once in their past 11 games in all competitions.

Chelsea have only scored four goals in those 11 games this calendar year, with the situation putting pressure on new manager Graham Potter.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA TO TURN TO TAMMY

Chelsea could turn to former striker Tammy Abraham from Roma in the off-season, according to Football Insider.

There is a £70.5million (€80m) clause in Abraham's Roma contract that would allow the Blues to bring him back to Stamford Bridge which they intend to trigger, according to the report.

Chelsea have struggled for goals lately and view Abraham as a cheaper alternative to Napoli's Victor Osimhen.

 

ROUND-UP

– L'Equipe reports Kylian Mbappe will still leave Paris Saint-Germain in the near future even if he extends his contract. Mbappe's deal expires next year, but there is talk that PSG are looking to seal an extension for financial purposes.

Arsenal have submitted a £35m (€40m) bid to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio, claims Calciomercato. Fichajes says the Gunners are also interested in West Ham's Lucas Paqueta as another midfield option.

Real Madrid will rival Barcelona and Chelsea in the pursuit to sign Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, reports Corriere dello Sport.

Barcelona are interested in signing Julian Alvarez from Manchester City on loan, claims Mundo Deportivo, while the English champions have offered him a one-year contract extension until 2028 on improved terms, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Liverpool's plans to overhaul their midfield next season mean they have Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat and Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo in their sights, per Fichajes.

– Football Insider reports Liverpool are also monitoring N'Golo Kante's situation at Chelsea with talks ongoing over a contract extension.

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