Sole survivors Leicester hope to keep flag flying

This weekend is reserved for FA Cup competition where the four quarter-finals are split between this afternoon and tomorrow.

From the eight teams still in contention, only Leicester City are outside the Premier League. They hope to maintain their fine run in the cup against the big boys, visiting Blackburn Rovers tomorrow.

In the last decade, the Premiership sides have enjoyed the privilege of having, at least, seven sides in the last eight on four occasions:

2004-05: Seven and one from the Championship.
2003-04: Four and three First Division sides besides one from the Second Division.
2002-03: Four and four First Division clubs.
2001-02: Seven and a First Division representative.
2000-01: Five and two for the first and one from the second divisions.

1999-00: Four along with three from Division One and another from the Second Division.
1998-99: Seven plus one from Division One.
1997-98: Six and the remaining two from the second grade of the English game.
1996-97: Five and one from the First Division and two from the Second.
1995-96: All eight in the quarter-final were Premiership sides.

Leicester, who in October sacked manager Micky Adams and appointed Craig Levein from Scottish club Hearts, knocked out Charlton 2-1 at The Valley in the previous round. Yet, their latest spurt of negative league results left them perilously close to the drop zone.

Blackburn are also fighting it for dear life in the top flight. They gained a massive win at Everton last Sunday that saw them gaining ground on fellow strugglers.

Norwegian Morten Gamst Pedersen has given the side a new lease of life with his goals, having also netted three times in five FA Cup matches.

Mark Hughes's side have enjoyed the luck of the draw, having still to meet a fellow member of the Premiership. The Rovers will be keen to end a famine of 45 years without a place in the last four.

In 1960 they defeated Burnley at this stage (beat Burnley again in a replay in previous round this year) and eliminated Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals, before they succumbed to Wolves in the final.

On the previous two occasions they met, Leicester went through in round three in 1964-65 and in the first round in 1907-08.

Champions League exit

FA Cup holders Manchester United, for whom Alex Ferguson and Wayne Rooney won the monthly accolades of top manager and player for February, tackle Southampton at St Mary's Stadium.

United, having dropped two precious points at Crystal Palace in their attempt to overtake Chelsea in the League, have also been knocked out of the Champions League following their exit to Milan (0-2 on aggregate) in midweek.

The FA Cup remains the only path to the honours for United this season.

Ex-Red Devils defender Danny Higginbotham, who was on the substitutes' bench when the Saints lost to Arsenal in the final of 2003, will come up against his old team-mates.

This season in the league, United defeated Southampton 3-0 (Scholes, Rooney, Ronaldo) at Old Trafford.

In past 11 Cup games between these two teams, the Saints only won once, in the 1976 final at Wembley. On that occasion, they caused a major shock winning the competition as a Second Division team thanks to a Stokes goal.

Arsenal, like their rivals United, have also fallen way by the wayside in the championship race and the Champions League.

On Wednesday, they went out to Bayern Munich, following a 1-0 win at Highbury that was not enough to edge the Germans out (agg: 2-3).

The Gunners will also look at the FA Cup as their only chance to win domestic honours. In previous rounds they eliminated Championship sides Stoke, Wolves and Sheffield United.

Bolton, who conceded only one goal in the cup so far, have beaten Arsenal at the Reebok Stadium 1-0 (Giannakopoulos) after holding them to a 2-2 (Jaidi, Pedersen - Henry Pires) draw at Highbury in the league.

In past clashes Arsenal lead 4-3:

1993-94 Bolton-Arsenal 2-2 - Replay: Bolton 3-1
1982-83 Arsenal-Bolton 2-1
1979-80 Bolton-Arsenal 1-1 - Replay: Arsenal 3-0
1966-67 Bolton-Arsenal 0-0 - Replay: Arsenal 3-0
1937-38 Arsenal-Bolton 3-1
1911-12 Bolton-Arsenal 1-0
1894-95 Bolton-Arsenal 1-0

Souness' Spurs link

Graeme Souness started his playing career at Tottenham, but failed to make an impact and joined Middlesbrough and then Liverpool.

The Scot, now manager of Newcastle, will plot the downfall of Spurs as they call at St James' Park tomorrow. The Toon continued on their positive stretch. They beat Liverpool - Souness' first win as coach against his former club - in the league and in the UEFA Cup they downed Olympiakos 3-1 in Greece on Thursday.

Tottenham's loss at Southampton was the first in their last six outings. They beat Newcastle at St James' Park in the second fixture of the campaign, 1-0. At the time they were coached by Frenchman Jacques Santini, who later quit and was replaced by Dutchman Martin Jol.

In preceding clashes, Newcastle lead 4-2:

1999-00 Spurs-Newcastle 1-1 - Replay: Newcastle 6-1
1998-99 Newcastle-Spurs 2-0
1986-87 Spurs-Newcastle 1-0
1951-52 Spurs-Newcastle 0-3
1934-35 Newcastle-Spurs 1-3
1904-05 Spurs-Newcastle 1-1 - Replay: Newcastle 4-0