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The FA

Fourth-round ramble

Five talking points ahead of Emirates FA Cup fourth-round weekend

Thursday 26 Jan 2017

This weekend 32 teams will bid to reach The Emirates FA Cup fifth round.

Before the action kicks off, here are five things you might not know:

1. Jordi's joy

 

Manchester United are The Emirates FA Cup holders, but Wigan Athletic will be able to field a Wembley winner of their own at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Jordi Gomez is the only player who still turns out at the DW Stadium that was part of the Wigan squad that beat Manchester City 1-0 in the 2013 final. He did though, spend two seasons in the intervening years with Sunderland.

2. Anfield debut - 15 years in the making

    Former Liverpool midfielder Conor Coady
    Conor Coady was on Liverpool’s books for 15 years but, should he feature for current club Wolves on Saturday, this will be the first time he has played a senior game at Anfield.

    The midfielder started a Europa League defeat to Anzhi Makhachkala in November 2012, and came off the bench in a 3-1 win at Fulham on the penultimate weekend of the 2012-13 Premier League season. Coady said: “I will always support Liverpool – apart from this weekend. I want to go there and win.”

    3. Sick of the sight of him
    Former Aston Villa forward Nathan Delfouneso
    Nathan Delfouneso is bidding to knock Blackburn Rovers out of the FA Cup for the third time in his career. 

    Back at Blackpool for a fourth spell, in two successive campaigns he helped Aston Villa knock Rovers out of the FA Cup, netting in the third round in 2010 and the fourth round in 2011.

    The 25-year-old endured a forgettable 12 months at Ewood Park last season, scoring one league goal.

    4. Old pals' act
    Former Leicester City team-mates Jamie Vardy and David Nugent
    Ex-Leicester City man Dave Nugent joined Derby County from Middlesbrough this month and is in line to make his full debut against his old team. 

    Nugent was best man at Foxes’ striker Jamie Vardy’s wedding and said: “We had a close bond. Hopefully I'll be the best man when the game comes around.”

    5. Unlucky Lee
    Bristol City boss Lee Johnson
    The club heading into fourth round weekend on the poorest run of form are Bristol City. 

    The Robins travel to Burnley having lost 11 of their last 12 league matches, with the FA Cup proving their only respite when they beat Fleetwood 1-0 in round three.

    Boss Lee Johnson said: “We look forward to the freedom we can play with under the circumstances of going away to a higher division club.”
By FA Staff