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Your support makes all the difference.Days after Sir Alex Ferguson suggested that Manchester United and Liverpool would be fiercely competitive even at tiddlywinks, the draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup pitted United against Arsenal – two teams that could generate bad blood and controversy if they were taking part in a staring stand-off or playing Celebrity Squares.
The antipathy between the Premiership's top two, who have provided one of the finalists in nine of the past 13 years, pre-dates the rivalry between Ferguson and Arsène Wenger. It has, however, become more intense during the Frenchman's five-and-a-half years at Highbury. That factor, as much as the potential for a classic between the new joint-favourites and the holders, accounted for the audible "oohs" at Football Association HQ when they came out first in the televised draw.
Eight meetings in the competition have produced four wins apiece. United have gained a measure of revenge for Arsenal's victory at Wembley in 1979 by beating them twice at the semi-final stage, their most recent, and dramatic, success coming four years ago. Reduced to 10 men by Roy Keane's dismissal, they avoided elimination when Peter Schmeichel saved a Dennis Bergkamp penalty and then won in extra time with a wondrous solo goal by Ryan Giggs.
As well as vying for the title, both clubs are still involved in the Champions' League and, in United's case, the Worthington Cup, so would no doubt have preferred Rochdale at home. That good fortune, if such it proves, belonged to Wolves, although visions of a quarter-final berth may have blurred slightly as the realisation sank in that the Third Division team have knocked out Preston and Coventry from the First.
The Rochdale player-manager Paul Simpson, who has faced calls for his sacking after one win in 15 League matches, spent three seasons with Wolves. "It's always a good feeling going back to one of your old clubs, and the Molineux crowd is very passionate," he said. "We'll do our homework on Wolves, but we've got three important League fixtures to focus on before then."
Similar sentiments came from Stoke City's manager, Tony Pulis, after the First Division's 22nd-placed side were drawn at home to Chelsea. "It will be very easy to keep the players' feet on the ground. I would just say to them: 'Look at our League position.' We're scrapping for our lives."
Stoke have not made the last eight since 1972, a year burned into Potteries' minds because it delivered the club's only major silverware in 140 years. Their victims in the League Cup final? None other than Chelsea – a feat they have repeated in three subsequent clashes in the lesser competition.
A Liverpool-Leeds tie, if both win replays next week, would ensure the demise of another major Premiership club. Those looking for lower-division dark horses should perhaps consider Sheffield United, who overcame Premiership opposition en route to the Worthington Cup semi-finals and now face Walsall at home in the FA version.
FA CUP FIFTH-ROUND DRAW
Manchester Utd v Arsenal
Southampton or Millwall v Norwich City
Crystal Palace or Liverpool v Gillingham or Leeds Utd
Wolves v Rochdale
Fulham v Burnley
Stoke City v Chelsea
Blackburn or Sunderland v Watford
Sheffield Utd v Walsall
Ties to be played 15 or 16 February
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