Merson's FA Cup Quarter-Final Verdicts: Man City to Edge Liverpool at the Etihad

Paul Merson has cast his eye over the weekend's FA Cup quarter-final action and offered his verdicts on all four ties, with Manchester City's clash against Liverpool taking centre stage at the Etihad.

The backdrop to this one is intriguing. City have just lifted the Carabao Cup following their Wembley triumph over Arsenal before the international window, while Liverpool's recent form has been decidedly patchy—they slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Brighton in their last Premier League outing. Arne Slot's side face a crucial period, with a Champions League quarter-final against PSG looming on Wednesday, though Merson reckons the Reds should treat the FA Cup as their priority given their prospects in Europe.

The former Arsenal man has plumped for a 2-1 Manchester City victory, though he acknowledges the unpredictability of Liverpool's season. Speaking to Sportskeeda, Merson highlighted the inconsistency plaguing the Merseysiders, pointing to their contrasting performances against Galatasaray and Brighton as evidence. He believes the tie will hinge on which Liverpool team shows up at the Etihad on Saturday.

Merson expects Mohamed Salah to return to the Liverpool starting XI and suggested Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz should partner him in attack. He also flagged the tactical battle in wide areas as potentially decisive—specifically the contests between Jeremy Doku and Jeremie Frimpong on one flank, and Nico O'Reilly against Salah on the other.

Elsewhere, Merson sees little drama in Chelsea's trip to Port Vale, predicting the Blues will cruise to a 3-0 victory over the League One basement club. He also fancies Arsenal to edge past Southampton 2-1, despite acknowledging fitness concerns could make it a tougher assignment than expected.

The final quarter-final sees West Ham host Leeds United at the London Stadium. Merson has forecast a 1-1 draw followed by a penalty shootout victory for the Hammers.