The FA Cup may have diminished in status over the years, but this season it is now the one shining beacon that can save the seasons of at least three of the four semi-finalists.
You could say Southampton are focused more on Premier League survival than lifting silverware at this stage, but if they are to go down winning the FA Cup would be a great way to lift the gloom.
For the big boys left in it, winning the FA Cup could be the difference between success and failure this season with differing levels of domestic and European disappointment to deal with.
Can Tottenham finally win a trophy?
Tottenham look safely in the top four and had an entertaining run in the Champions League but ending the season without a trophy again will only add to the growing frustration that Mauricio Pochettino just cannot get his side over the line.
A big Premier League near miss when they lost out to Leicester and one League Cup final defeat are all that Pochettino has to show for his time at Spurs – despite the universal praise for the way his team plays.
Spurs are great to watch and have some fabulous players, but another empty-handed season may force one or two of them to start looking elsewhere in search of success. Even Harry Kane has said their season will only be a good one if they lift the cup.
Sky Bet FA Cup odds
- 13/8 Chelsea
- 15/8 Tottenham
- 5/2 Man Utd
- 12/1 Southampton
Will FA Cup get the critics off Mourinho’s back?
The answer to this question is no, but it may just give Mourinho some breathing space – even if it didn’t work for Louis van Gaal. United are second in the table but are a million miles away from Manchester City in points.
Old Trafford has not been a feast of football this season ever and watching the likes of Liverpool and Spurs playing expansive, entertaining football has created a lot of unrest at the club, as has the way Mourinho has handled a few of their players.
He’ll probably get big money to spend again this summer, but another trophy would just add more credence to Mourinho’s defensive game plan. It’s not the trophy he wanted but it could give him the time he needs for one last Premier League push next season.
Conte could leave Chelsea even with FA Cup win
All signs are pointing towards Antonio Conte being another short-term but successful manager at Stamford Bridge. A Premier League title and FA Cup in two seasons at the helm would let Conte move on as a success at Chelsea.
A trophy-less season, coupled with failing to qualify for the Champions League and should he depart in the summer his stock would be lower despite landing the Premier League title in his first season.
It’s a tough ask for Conte then, given that his side have shown signs at times of knowing their manager will be on his way in the summer, but he managed to engineer a 3-2 victory at Southampton from 2-0 down to suggest there’s still some fight in this team.
Could Southampton win the FA Cup but still be relegated?
New manager Mark Hughes has Saints’ survival very much as his top priority, but he’d love to add an FA Cup-sized cherry on top if he could achieve both this season.
They’re five points adrift of safety in the Premier League and really up against it after a shocking season, but the FA Cup could offer the chance to make it a season to remember instead of one to forget.
Wigan became the first team to win the FA Cup and get relegated back in 2013, and although they slipped further down to League One many fans say they’d rather that and have an FA Cup win to remember than merely another few years in the top flight.
