Is that actually the best FA Cup in years? Should Gordon really miss a final? Will Cunha cost a big step? – The briefing

Welcome to The Briefing, where every Monday this season, The athlete Will discuss three of the biggest questions that appear from the football of the weekend.

This was the weekend on which the FA Cup continued, and the owners Manchester United decreased on their own lawn after another mediocre display under Ruben Amorim (which obviously insisted that winning the Premier League was the goal anyway).

Here we will discuss why this is one of the best FA trophies in recent memory, ask whether a change in the English football rules is necessary and think about whether one of the most talented players in the Premier League has to weaken his action.

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Is that actually the best FA Cup in years?

It was a FA Cup weekend that would rather call them fascinating than brilliant. There were extensive dramatic incidents, but not a large amount of quality, similar to the EFL or Eastenders.

With excuses and appropriate respect for supporters of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, this is an enormous quarter -finals of the FA Cup.

Fulham's victory at Old Trafford on Sunday evening in the recent history of competition in the recent history of the competition when 2007-08 were the final winner Portsmouth, West Bromwich Albion, Barnsley, Cardiff City and Bristol Rovers in the tournament.

The bosses of BBC, ITV and the FA will probably not agree if the views only suffer that only a large club has recognized, but an open FA Cup that was sheared by the usual suspect is a very good thing.

Why? It keeps the tournament fresh and gives a competition an increasingly rare angle that was dominated by the above Big Five (Sorry Spurs, they don't count here), which won 22 of the 25 FA trophies this century.

It also reflects the Premier League trend of this season from medium-sized clubs such as Fulham, Bournemouth and Brighton, which result in the established elite via Canny Management and Smart Recruitment.

Four of the last nine teams that were in competition (Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town) tonight have never won (Fulham, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Brighton) and three have not lifted the trophy since Beatles Love Me Do (Aston Villa's last triumph 1957). Forest was 1959 and Preston in 1938).

Then there is Manchester City. We had something similar in 2019 when Pep Guardiola's team accompanied the last four Wolves, Watford and Brighton, but just won the last 6-0.

Since the city is most fallable for almost a decade and has removed a tough draw in Bournemouth, this could not only be for an unusual name of the famous old trophy, but maybe even for a new one that has only taken place twice in the past 37 years.

Rumors about the death of the FA Cup have long been exaggerated, but this year's competition has been one of the most interesting for some time.

FA Cup quarter -finals undecided

Fulham against Crystal Palace
Preston North End against Aston Villa
Bournemouth against Manchester City
Brighton & Hove Albion against Nottingham Forest or Ipswich

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Should Gordon really miss the Carabao Cup final?

Oh Anthony Gordon, what did you think?

Gordon's completely unnecessary thrust by Jan Paul van Hecke's head, after the referee's pipe had gone, deserves no sympathy in relation to the decision to award a red card.

However, is it correct that he now misses the Carabao Cup final -out of the end -because it was sent in another competition?

Newcastle has been here before. Two years ago, when they last reached the final, Nick Pope missed the match because he was sent in a Premier League game. Conversely, Bruno Guimaraes played in the final against Manchester United, although they were sent in the semi -finals. He served his ban on three games in the Intervening League games. Confusing and a bit bizarre? Yes, yes.

There are other recent examples of the Amad of Manchester United after his late extension winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals last year, but he was free to play against Coventry City in the semifinals, while Leandro Trossard's suspension against Manchester City in advance. Trossard then scored the decisive goal in Arsenals next league game against Leicester City.

A contradiction in the English rules comes that red card bans are served in the following game or in the following games, regardless of whatever that may be. However, this ban is delivered in the same tournament for accumulation of yellow in a certain competition.

Look that Gordon (and was probably said without a doubt) would have not to get a red card on Sunday, or he would miss one of the greatest games in his career. He is only to blame, but the rules feel out of date, especially at a time when huge teams are shot for certain competitions.

Other countries are more sensible, such as Spain, where a red in a Copa del Rey -Match of a suspension in the – Bär with us, people – Copa del Rey corresponds, even if this means to wait until the following season to operate the ban, because either the team involved was laid out or it was the final.

The rules were changed in co-competitions around the world (including the FA and Carabao trophies) after the quarter-finals yellow cards to eliminate the view of a booking that outsmart a player from a final, ala Manchester Uniteds Roy Keane, in the Champions League 1999 or Germany's Michael Ballack at the 2002 World Cup.

This feels like another example of the change of the rule that should be considered.

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Will Cunha's temperament cost him a big step?

Wolves' talented striker Matheus Cunha is one of the most interesting players in English football who was stopped by players who had stopped after the game after the game.

On the one hand, the impressive relationship (five strikes in six games in all competitions) and a way (an extravagant 25-yard button in Bournemouth on Saturday) and general selection of skills and match profit capabilities make a much-lay 62 million pound of release clause this summer.

On the other hand, Cunha's unpredictable petulade will be a red flag for Europe's top clubs.

And the word is really petulant. If you want to steal the glasses of a civilian, as he did at the end of a recent game against Ipswich when he robbed a binien room employee of his eyesight, or if you swing an arm, try to kick and then move a head in someone just because he pulled her shirt a little, now there is a problem.

Cunha, who has a preference in a Maverick style to walk in the front, when he is not in the mood, also refused to refrain from tunnels against Bournemouth, and failed to do teammates, not to mention that this was done. in the changing room pouted).

There are a few relevant points here. Cunha is not a child – he will be 26 years old in a few months – and if he wants to advance his career quickly, he must be aware that he respects the club that has made the stage available to him on which he is currently standing. It was only two seasons ago when the Brazilian acquired the call for missing Sitter when he only achieved twice in 37 appearances for Atletico Madrid and Wolves in 2022-23, but wolves promoted his talent.

His fearless aggression leads him to do things like at least five duels and to have at least five shots for the destination in one game, which he led away in the fourth round in Blackburn, the only player from Europe's big-five league who does this all the season in every game.

But sometimes he crosses this border between genius and madness with his moody, antagonistic strip, which is reminiscent of Eric Cantona or Paolo di Canio. In any case, it is extremely observable, but who we see him play for the next season can depend on whether he can use this aggression.

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Come up

• The fifth round of the FA Cup ends tonight (Monday) when the third top in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest, the city of the third bottom, Ipswich.
• After 160 games, the Champions League achieved the last 16 Knockout phase on Tuesday on Tuesday. The Madrid derby between Real Madrid and Atletico is the outstanding tie Arsenal to PSV, while Hipster Borussia Dortmund can see against Lille, and outsiders have Club Brugge against Aston Villa.
• Then on Wednesday it is Paris Saint-Germain, the Liverpool in the blockbuster-Clash and Benfica against Barcelona for fans of goals and wiffy defense (Barca won 5: 4 in the group stage). In the group stage) and in the group stage. Month, now stand.
• The last 16 Europa League follows on Thursday, with Tottenham Hotspur traveling to AZ and Manchester United to Real Sociedad. Jose Mourinhos Fenerbahce moderator sealed Rangers and the draw of the round sees Claudio Ranieris in the form of Roma against the athletic club, which is fourth in La Liga in May and organizes the final. Yummy.

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(Top photos: Getty Images; Design: Eamonn Dalton)