London rivals need no incentive

ENGLISH FA CUP: When the English Football Association urged clubs yesterday to field their strongest teams in the FA Cup, there was one tie the governing body will not have been worrying about.

Arsenal and Chelsea have been drawn to meet at Highbury for a quarter-final place and it can be taken as read that neither will be putting out a reserve side.

The FA called on managers "to respect the values of the FA Cup and the importance supporters place in it" after Bolton and Wolverhampton Wanderers were knocked out with understrength teams.

Manchester United omitted several regulars at Northampton, though Alex Ferguson's starting XI was hardly unrecognisable and was designed to win the tie.

The FA said it would "monitor" the situation but a hint that it might consider disciplinary action in future was a gentle reminder rather than a sign that clubs are about to be fined or expelled from the competition.

An unwanted exit does, though, await Chelsea or Arsenal. Chelsea have not beaten their London rivals in 14 attempts since 1998 and have lost to Arsene Wenger's side in the cup in each of the past three seasons.

Knocked out by Arsenal in the fifth round in 2001, beaten by them in the final the following year and defeated in last season's quarter-final after a replay, Chelsea have a chance for revenge which they could have done without.

"It would've been nice to avoid them until later in the competition," said John Terry, though he emphasised there was no defeatism by adding: "It doesn't really matter who we play."

Their game is the round's outstanding tie, though it will have competition from a Manchester derby at Old Trafford if City win a replay at Tottenham. Another all-Premiership match sees Liverpool meet Portsmouth in a re-run of the 1992 semi-final.

Three clubs from outside the top flight are guaranteed a quarter-final place and at least one will be from outside the First Division because Second Division Tranmere play Third Division Swansea City.

The meeting between Arsenal and Chelsea comes the weekend before the clubs play each other in the Premiership at Stamford Bridge, making it a week of huge significance for both clubs.

Arsenal, unbeaten in 16 FA Cup ties, want to become the first club since Blackburn in the 1880s to lift the trophy three years in row.

Arsenal's local rivals Tottenham will be favourites to earn a trip to Old Trafford - where they have suffered nine straight defeats - after drawing at Manchester City. They knocked Kevin Keegan's team out of the League Cup at White Hart Lane.

The FA will be looking carefully at all the sides. "It has not gone unnoticed that some clubs have not fielded anything like their strongest teams this season," said the director of communications Colin Gibson.

"While it's only a few teams, I would like to emphasise just how important it is for managers to respect the values of the FA Cup and the importance supporters place in it.

"Clubs and managers should also remember that it is the paying public - their fans - who suffer most when they field a weakened team, which is clearly unacceptable. We will not be taking any disciplinary action on this occasion but in future we will be monitoring this area of the game very closely."