FA Cup

Manchester City will start their FA Cup semi-final against Brighton & Hove Albion as the overwhelming favourites on Saturday, as they continue their quest for a domestic treble.

Oddschecker shows sportsbooks have installed the Premier League champions as 1-7 favourites, while the Seagulls are coming in as high as 25-1. A draw―after 90 minutes―carries odds of 19-2.

The match at Wembley Stadium will be broadcast on BBC One (for UK viewers), with live-streaming options available via the BBC iPlayer and ESPN+ (for U.S. viewers). Kick-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET.

The Citizens have been in sublime form of late and have ridden their hot streak to the top of the Premier League standings, last tasting defeat in January away at Newcastle United. They enter Saturday's match having won 13 in a row in all competitions, going up against a Brighton side that has lost its past two.

Both teams will likely rotate their squad a bit because of what's at stake in what they likely deem as more important competitions. The Sky Blues will face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League just days after the semi-final, while Brighton have a slim lead in the Premier League over relegation-threatened Cardiff and have Bournemouth on the schedule next.

The Seagulls will get a full week's worth of rest before they face the Cherries, but health is crucial at this stage of the season, and they likely won't risk all of their star players in a match they are widely expected to lose.

While Wembley presents a neutral ground, Brighton should have the advantage in crowd support because of City's issues with selling their allocated tickets:

Raheem Sterling has taken the opportunity to hand some of the tickets to pupils at his former school:

While this is just another semi-final for City, who could end the season with four major trophies, it's a massive occasion for Brighton, who have only made it to the FA Cup final once, in 1983. They beat the Citizens and Liverpool that year but lost to Manchester United in a final replay.

Manager Chris Hughton doesn't think motivation will be a problem for his players:

But while the incentive will be there for the Seagulls, the gap in quality will be hard to overcome. City are arguably the hottest team in Europe, and they have more than enough depth to rest a few starters on Saturday and still cruise to a win.

Prediction: City 3-1 Brighton

The 2019 FA Cup reaches the semi-final stage this weekend, with Manchester City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Watford and Wolverhampton Wanderers the remaining sides in the competition.

Wembley Stadium will host the last-four matches, with City facing Brighton on Saturday before Watford take on Wolves the following day.

City are the overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy, as the Premier League champions chase a quadruple this season.

FA Cup Semi-Finals and Predictions

Saturday

Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion

5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET, BBC One (UK)

Prediction: 4-1

Odds: City 1-7, Brighton 30-1, draw 43-5

Sunday

Watford vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET, BT Sport 2 (UK)

Prediction: 1-1 (Wolves win on penalties)

Odds: Watford 2-1, Wolves 29-18, draw 29-18

Live-stream links: BBC iPlayer, BT Sport App, ESPN+

Odds via Oddschecker.

FA Cup Semi-Final Preview

The FA Cup has an all-Premier League flavour in the last four this term, but only one side can walk away with the famous trophy.

City have built themselves up from an ambitious club with enormous potential into one of the best teams in the world.

Manager Pep Guardiola has remoulded the Etihad Stadium team into a machine that continuously chases the biggest trophies in the game.

After capturing the Carabao Cup on penalties against Chelsea on February 24, City are now looking to add the UEFA Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup this season.

Brighton have spluttered their way through the campaign, just keeping their heads above water in the Premier League, but the FA Cup offers them a chance to cap the season off in style.

The tournament's official YouTube channel shared footage of the Seagulls' route to the last four:

The task of beating City is a heady one for the south-coast team, and Guardiola was able to rotate his squad for the 2-0 win at Cardiff City on Wednesday.

Raheem Sterling, David Silva and Bernardo Silva were left on the bench in preparation for the trip to Wembley on Saturday.

Watford and Wolves have been two of English football's surprise packages this season.

The pair have been the best sides outside of the top six in the Premier League, and they continue to produce remarkable consistency considering the depth of their squads.

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo cut his managerial teeth at Valencia and FC Porto, and he has enhanced his reputation with his work at Molineux.

Per Dan Samson of Sky Sports, Wolves skipper Conor Coady said the Portuguese has transformed the west Midlands club:

"He's been fantastic since he came in. It started two years ago when he came to the football club. He had an identity and a philosophy on what he wanted to do and he's really changed the direction of the club. We need to make sure as players that we keep listening to him as much as possible because his ideas and the way he wants to play on the training field is absolutely brilliant."

Watford boss Javi Gracia has also seen his stock rise in the past 12 months. The Spaniard has found a home in Hertfordshire after coaching spells in Spain, Greece and Russia.

Per Sky Sports News, he spoke of his surprise at leading Watford to the latter stages of the cup.

"I've never played as a coach a final," Gracia said. "Semi-finals I played in Russia, but a final I've never played. It will be the best achievement in this competition for sure. If I win it I don't know what I'll do."

The second semi-final could go to the wire, with little between Watford and Wolves in terms of talent.

However, the winners are likely to face the irresistible force that is Manchester City in the final on May 18, which would represent a far different prospect.

Watford and Wolverhampton Wanderers will have the chance to add to their impressive 2018-19 campaign on Sunday, when the Premier League clubs meet in the semi-finals of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium.

Oddschecker has named Wolves as the slight 29-18 favourites, while Watford come in at 2-1. A draw―after 90 minutes―checks in at 44-19.

BT Sport 2 (UK) will provide TV coverage of the contest, with live-streaming options available via the BT Sport app and ESPN+ (U.S.). Kick-off will be at 4 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET.

Both of Sunday's semi-finalists sit just outside the Premier League's top six, checking in as the so-called best-of-the-rest behind the division's giants.

The gap to Manchester United is well over double digits, but the road to Europe is still wide open. The winner of the FA Cup qualifies for the UEFA Europa League, and if City win the tournament, the Premier League's seventh-placed finisher will take their place.

Wolves and Watford have the inside edge in the league, as they sit just ahead of the likes of Leicester City and Everton. West Ham United are also still in the mix, but fans have seemingly already given up:

Winning the FA Cup outright would be a much safer and better way to move into Europe, though. Both Watford and Wolves have found some success against the Premier League's top clubs, even if City would likely come in as the clear favourites should they beat Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

Sunday's semi-finalists both won their Week 32 Premier League contests, as Wolves beat Manchester United 2-1 and Watford pushed Fulham into relegation, winning 4-1 at Vicarage Road.

The win snapped a two-match losing streak for the Hornets, who will face Wolves without Tom Cleverley and have other injury doubts to worry about:

Wolves' tremendous midfield unit of Joao Moutinho, Leander Dendoncker and Ruben Neves again stood out in the win over United, and they will be the driving force against Watford on Sunday. They have a tremendous ability to win the ball back in a hurry and set up the attacking duo of Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota, two mobile, technical forwards who will trouble any defence.

Abdoulaye Doucoure will have his hands full shielding the Watford back four and battling in the trenches with the Wolves trio, but the midfield ace has the talent to hold his own in such a difficult fight.

Prediction: Watford 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Brighton & Hove Albion completed a remarkable comeback to beat Millwall on penalties and book their place in the semi-finals of the 2019 FA Cup on Sunday.

Chris Hughton's side were 2-0 down with just two minutes of normal time remaining, but late goals from Jurgen Locadia and Solly March forced a draw and sent the match into extra-time.

Neither team could come up with a winner as the tie went all the way to penalties. Brighton eventually prevailed 5-4 to end the Championship side's dreams of FA Cup glory.

Here's a look at the semi-final draw:

The ties are to be played at Wembley Stadium on the weekend of April 6/7.

Sunday Recap

Millwall started the game strongly, with striker Lee Gregory looking particularly lively against Premier League opposition.

Brighton took their time to grow into the game but began to dominate as the first half wore on, although they lacked the quality in attack to carve out clear chances.

Anthony Knockaert looked Brighton's most likely source of inspiration with his delivery into the box, but Beram Kayal could not come up with a finish to beat goalkeeper David Martin.

A mix-up in defence at the start of the second half almost saw Brighton concede a comedic goal.

Shane Duffy attempted to shepherd the ball back to Mat Ryan but saw the goalkeeper smash the ball straight at his defender and the loose ball almost fall for Gregory

Millwall started to gain the upper hand and broke the deadlock with a little over 20 minutes of normal time remaining.

A corner from the left found Pearce at the far post, and he powered a header home despite the presence of four Brighton players and the goalkeeper on the line:

Millwall then added a second nine minutes later, when Wallace skipped into the penalty area and picked out O'Brien to slot the ball past Ryan at the far post.

The hosts looked set for victory, but Brighton showed remarkable resolve to produce two late goals and force the game into extra-time.

Substitute Locadia gave the Seagulls hope on 87 minutes by firing home a loose ball to set up a nervy finish.

March then completed the comeback with virtually the last kick of the 90 minutes.

The midfielder sent in a free-kick that slipped through goalkeeper Martin's fingers and flew into the back of the net:

Neither side could come up with a winner during the 30 minutes of extra-time, although Brighton had the better of it against a tiring Millwall side who lost Shane Ferguson to a red card for a nasty foul on Lewis Dunk late on.

Locadia did manage to get the ball in the back of the net with just minutes remaining but was denied by the offside flag, in what appeared to be a harsh call, as the game went to penalties.

Glenn Murray missed the first penalty for Brighton, but Ryan saved from Mahlon Romeo and Jake Cooper then fired over the bar to give the Seagulls victory and a trip to Wembley to face Manchester City.

Premier League leaders Manchester City will face Brighton and Hove Albion in the semi-finals of this season's FA Cup as they continue their quest for a European and domestic quadruple.

Wolverhampton Wanderers defeated Manchester United 2-1 at Molineux on Saturday and were drawn opposite top-flight rivals Watford, who edged Crystal Palace 2-1 at home in their quarter-final:

Brighton were the last team to progress from the quarter-finals on Sunday. They beat Millwall 5-4 on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra time, and drew the reigning champions as they hope to book their first FA Cup final appearance since 1983.

The semi-finals will take place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 7.

Preview

Only first-tier teams remain in the running for this year's FA Cup, and City will consider themselves big favourites against a Brighton team that had to come back from two goals down to beat Championship Millwall.

Despite Glenn Murray missing their first spot-kick, Chris Hughton's side fought back to secure their ticket to Wembley. Underdogs though they might be heading into their semi, OptaJoe pointed to one reason City will want to avoid going past 120 minutes against the Seagulls:

Sportswriter Graham Ruthven joked about the Citizens' rather routine run to the last four:

Pep Guardiola's side beat Chelsea on penalties to lift the Carabao Cup in February, while they're set to face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals next month. They trail Premier League leaders Liverpool by two points but have a game in hand over the Reds.

The Citizens won both the Premier League and League Cup titles in 2014 and 2018, but they stand a great chance of winning three major trophies for the first time this year. The chance of that number rising by one will increase if they beat Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in April.

Youngster Phil Foden has only made two starts in the FA Cup this season but is the joint-top scorer still active in the competition with three, matched alongside Wolves duo Raul Jimenez and Matt Doherty.

That duo have been critical for Nuno Espirito Santo's side this season in attack and defence, respectively. The West Midlands club will fancy their chances against Watford based on previous clashes in this competition:

City have made the most final appearances of any team left in the running (10), but haven't made it back to the fixture since losing 1-0 to Wigan Athletic in the 2013 decider.

Manchester United were knocked out of the 2019 FA Cup quarter-final after losing 2-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday. Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota scored the goals as Wolves returned to the semi-final for the first time since 1998, and United lost back-to-back games in all competitions under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Earlier, Manchester City fought back from two goals down to beat Championship side Swansea City 3-2. Sergio Aguero headed the winner late on at the Liberty Stadium as the Citizens joined Watford and Wolves in the last four.

The Hornets began the day by seeing off Premier League opposition Crystal Palace at home. A late goal from Andre Gray saw Watford through at Vicarage Road.

Saturday Scores

• Watford 2-1 Crystal Palace
• Swansea City 2-3 Manchester City
• Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Manchester United

Sunday Schedule

• Millwall vs. Brighton and Hove Albion, 2 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET

Wolves were comfortable for large periods against a sluggish United side. The hosts put backup goalkeeper Sergio Romero through his paces, forcing the Argentinian into splendid saves to deny Jimenez and Joao Moutinho.

Jimenez and Co. had to wait until the 70th minute for a breakthrough. Typically, it was the prolific Benfica loanee who got it:

Few players have been as effective leading the line as the Mexico international this season, but there is more to Wolves' attack than the brilliance of Jimenez. Jota has made a seamless transition from the wing to a central role, evidenced by his 76th-minute finish, which effectively settled the tie.

Marcus Rashford netted for the Red Devils deep into injury time, but it was too little too late for a team that failed to click through the midfield and forward lines.

Despite a strong lineup, including Paul Pogba as captain and Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial up top, United struggled to create chances. Solskjaer also lost the tactical battle to his Wolves counterpart, Nuno Espirito Santo.

City needed to call Aguero and Raheem Sterling off the bench after Matt Grimes and Bersant Celina had put the Swans in front.

The team from English Football's second tier was producing some slick and intuitive possession against pass-masters City. Manager Graham Potter had formulated a plan designed to keep the Premier League leaders on the back foot, a strategy working so well it forced opposite number Pep Guardiola to call on his star names.

Aguero and Sterling joining the fold forced Swansea goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt into action more often. He couldn't stop Bernardo Silva getting one back from the visitors in the 69th minute, but Nordfeldt did produce an outstanding double save to deny Gabriel Jesus, then Aguero.

Unfortunately luck wasn't on the Swedish stopper's side when Aguero stepped up from the penalty spot with 13 minutes left. The shot was going wide until a touch off Nordfeldt took it onto the post and in.

City now had all the momentum and kept hopes of the quadruple alive when Aguero stopped to meet Silva's pinpoint cross in the 88th minute:

Once again, though, fortune appeared to have favoured the away side:

Regardless of any controversy, the comeback proves City have both the mettle and resources to win multiple trophies this season.

Watford boss Javi Gracia is using more limited resources in an intelligent way to fuel the Hornets' cup run. He started Heurelho Gomes in goal, despite the 38-year-old being set for retirement, ahead of regular No. 1 Ben Foster.

Gomes is "99 per cent sure" he will retire at the end of the season to take up a new role as a pastor, according to Simon Collings of the London Evening Standard.

Gracia did keep a strong midfield in place, so Abdoulaye Doucoure, Etienne Capoue and Will Hughes still bossed the middle. Troy Deeney and in-form Gerard Deulofeu led the line up top against a Palace defence missing centre-backs Scott Dann and Mamadou Sakho.

Capoue opened the scoring in the 27th minute, but the Eagles found an equaliser two minutes after the hour mark when Michy Batshuayi pounced on a mistake and finished smartly:

Watford's strength in depth came to the fore when Gray was summoned from the bench and promptly netted the winner. The striker finished coolly after being set free by a deft ball over the top from Roberto Pereyra.

Gray's telling contribution proved enough to send Watford into the semi-final for just the sixth time in club history.

With either Brighton or Championship outfit Millwall set to complete the semi-final field, City are firm favourites to lift the trophy regardless of who they get in Sunday's draw.

Wolverhampton Wanderers shocked Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, beating last year's finalists 2-1 at Molineux.

United dominated possession but barely created chances in the first half, and the hosts became more adventurous after the break. Raul Jimenez got the opener after 70 minutes, and Diogo Jota doubled the lead shortly after.

United played their worst match yet under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who had limited options on the bench because of injuries to the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez. Marcus Rashford got a late goal, but time ran out on the comeback.

With the loss, United's focus will shift to the race for the Premier League's top four and the UEFA Champions League. United will face Barcelona in the quarter-finals of Europe's top competition in April and sit two points off the league's top four in fifth.

Moutinho, Neves Expose United's Midfield Limits

Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves were the two standout players for Wolves on Saturday, as the midfield battle saw those two and Leander Dendoncker pitted against Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera.

Pogba is a star and among the very best midfielders in the world, but of the rest of that group, Moutinho and Neves are arguably the best options. That's a major issue for United, and something Saturday's match highlighted.

United dominated large stretches of possession but barely created any chances, as their best attacking players weren't on their game. Sportswriter James Robson noted the final ball was the main issue:

Moutinho and Neves had far less possession to work with, but what they did when they had the ball stood in stark contrast:

It was no coincidence Moutinho created Jimenez's goal with a great run. Sportswriter Matt Law noted the Portuguese has been an astonishing bargain for Wolves:

Neves got the assist for the second goal, setting up Jota with a clever pass. Football blogger Jonas Giaever was impressed:

Wolves' enormous quality in midfield is incredible, but United shouldn't start a contest at this level with inferior options at the position. Even with the emergence of Andreas Pereira and Fred starting to find his feet in the Premier League, it's the one area where the Red Devils have to add a world-class player in the summer.

They could also splash the cash on someone like Moutinho―who would add some much-needed creativity to an attack that is mostly built around pace and movement―or Neves. The latter in particular would fit well alongside the likes of Rashford and Anthony Martial, who are also still developing.

What's Next?

United will host Watford after the international break on March 30. Wolves will visit Burnley on the same day.

Manchester United suffered their first domestic defeat under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Arsenal on Sunday, but the Red Devils will look to bounce back against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.

United will make the semi-finals for the third time in four seasons if they win at Molineux, but Wolves have enjoyed a solid season after earning promotion back to the Premier League last year.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side claimed a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in the league in September, but United have since discovered more cohesion under Solskjaer.

The Red Devils haven't made the trip to Molineux since March 2012 and were 5-0 victors on that occasion, but the risk of losing their best chance at silverware this term puts greater emphasis on Saturday's clash.

Date: Saturday, March 16

Time: 7:55 p.m. GMT/3:55 p.m. ET

Venue: Molineux, Wolverhampton, England

Live Stream: BBC iPlayer (UK), ESPN+ (U.S.)

TV Info: BBC One (UK)

Odds

Wolverhampton Wanderers: 21-10

Draw: 23-10

Manchester United: 13-10

Via Oddschecker.

Preview

Wolves and United were both left disappointed in their previous outings, with the former conceding a stoppage-time equaliser to miss out on a famous win at Chelsea.

Solskjaer's side were more deservedly beaten in Sunday's visit to the Emirates Stadium, after which the Norwegian said he didn't agree with a penalty converted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as the Manchester Evening News shared:

The manager said after the loss that United had hit their lowest point since he took charge:

"It has been fantastic so far but today is the the lowest we have been because we lost and missed the chance to put pressure on Spurs. We have won games we have not deserved to win and today we lost a game we did not deserve to lose. When you see the boys work as hard as they do, the attitude they show in training... hopefully we will be ready for Wolves in the FA Cup next week."

United previously went 15 domestic matches unbeaten under Solskjaer (13 wins, two draws), but Sunday's defeat dropped them to fifth in the league, two points off Arsenal in fourth. What's more, Chelsea are only one point behind and have a game in hand.

The added pressure means a trophy such as the FA Cup could serve as a much-needed consolation come May.

Wolves will also host United at Molineux after the international break, though Sky Sports highlighted the majority of the Red Devils' end-of-season run will come at Old Trafford:

Santo's side beat United at home in February 2011, when striker Kevin Doyle supplied the winner in a 2-1 victory.

However, the most recent FA Cup meeting between this pair didn't go in favour of the west Midlands club, per journalist Joe Edwards:

Joao Moutinho scored Wolves' goal at Old Trafford earlier in the season, and the former AS Monaco man will be out to leave his mark on one of England's elite once more on Saturday.

Diogo Dalot looks set to start at right-back for United after Ashley Young joined Antonio Valencia and Matteo Darmian on the treatment table, while Alexis Sanchez is also injured.

Fred was the scorer for United in their September clash against Wolves. The Brazilian fell out of Jose Mourinho's plans but has found his way into the team again under Solskjaer and will look to replicate that impact away from home.

Wolves haven't qualified for the semi-finals of the FA Cup since 1998, but they have already knocked Liverpool out of this season's tournament and can oust another Premier League giant on Saturday.

The final four of the 2019 FA Cup will be determined on Saturday and Sunday, when the eight remaining teams go head-to-head in the quarter-finals.

Watford and Crystal Palace will kick off proceedings with an all-Premier League affair at lunchtime on Saturday before Championship side Swansea City host top-flight leaders Manchester City.

Manchester United travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday night, and Millwall take on Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.

Here's the schedule, complete with viewing information, odds and predictions for each tie.

Saturday, March 16

Watford 2-1 Crystal Palace, 12:15 p.m. GMT/8:15 a.m. ET, BT Sport 2 (UK)

Swansea City 0-3 Manchester City, 5:20 p.m. GMT/1:20 p.m. ET, BT Sport 2 (UK)

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-2 Manchester United, 7:55 p.m. GMT/3:55 p.m. ET, BBC One (UK)

Sunday, March 17

Millwall 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion, 2 p.m. GMT/10 a.m. ET, BBC One (UK)

Live-streaming is available via BBC iPlayer, the BT Sport App. Viewers in the United States can watch all four matches on ESPN+.

Odds

Watford (13-9), Draw (12-5), Crystal Palace (11-5)

Swansea (25-1), Draw (42-5), Manchester City (1-6)

Wolves (44-19), Draw (12-5), Manchester United (23-17)

Millwall (11-4), Draw (44-19), Brighton (11-9)

Via Oddschecker.

Swansea vs. Manchester City

Fresh from their 7-0 UEFA Champions League win against Schalke 04 on Tuesday, Manchester City resume their pursuit of the quadruple with a trip to Wales.

After surprisingly suffering three defeats in December, the Sky Blues have been in incredible form since the turn of the year, as Opta's Duncan Alexander highlighted:

With Swansea being in the Championship, City manager Pep Guardiola may opt to start Phil Foden in midfield.

The 18-year-old has already scored three times in the FA Cup this season, having started the 7-0 win over Rotherham United and the 4-1 victory at Newport County.

On Tuesday, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal:

The clash with Swansea is the perfect time to give him another run-out, as there may be few matches remaining in the final months of the season wherein Guardiola will be comfortable putting out a reserve side, with three trophies on the line.

The Swans are 15th in the Championship, where they have lost five of their past seven matches.

With City playing so well, it's difficult to envision anything less than a comfortable win for the Premier League side.

Wolves vs. Manchester United

Aside from drawing City, Manchester United and Wolves were each handed the toughest possible draw for the quarter-final.

The Molineux side have had plenty of success against the biggest teams in the Premier League this season, including wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. Wolves drew with the Blues in their most recent match, and they have also held United, Arsenal and City during the campaign.

They also beat Liverpool 2-1 in the third round of the FA Cup, albeit against a much-changed Reds side.

One of the keys to their success against their toughest opponents has been Raul Jimenez, according to football analyst Dave O'Brien:

The 27-year-old has three goals and an assist in his past four games, so United will need to be wary of him. 

The Red Devils come into the game on the back of just their second defeat under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer since he took charge in December, a 2-0 loss at Arsenal on Sunday.

However, Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News saw indications the defeat will not damage their momentum too much:

It's likely to be a close gmae, with both teams feeling they can progress.

United have an excellent record under Solskjaer, though, so if they bounce back from the Arsenal result with the kind of showing they usually put in under him, they will be favourites to win.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called Paul Pogba one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. 

The France international continued his extraordinary run of form on Monday in the FA Cup, as he set up one goal and scored another in the Red Devils' 2-0 win over Chelsea. Since the arrival of Solskjaer in place of Jose Mourinho as manager in December, Pogba has been rejuvenated for the Red Devils.

Speaking about his star man after the game, the United boss said he doesn't think there are many better game-breaking midfielders than Pogba and praised the way the 25-year-old bounced back after his red card against Paris Saint-Germain last Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League, per Rob Dawson of ESPN FC:

"It was a great response, playing against one of the best defensive midfielders in the world with [N'Golo] Kante next to him.

"We know [Pogba] is one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. He has vision, so the cross for Ander's goal was fantastic. Then the way he plays the ball out to Marcus [Rashford] and gets into the box for the second was fantastic, too."

The FA Cup's Twitter account posted highlights of the excellent United win:

Former United player Phil Neville also had high praise for the midfielder after the game, saying on BBC Sport that "right now, under him [Solskjaer], I don't see a better player in the Premier League than Pogba," per Jeorge Bird of MailOnline.

With Pogba in sensational form at the heart of midfield in recent weeks, fresh life has been breathed into the Red Devils' campaign.

While challenging for the Champions League is going to be tough after a 2-0 home loss to PSG in the first leg of their last-16 tie, United are in the final eight of the FA Cup and in contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League. They sit in fourth, leading Arsenal and Chelsea by a point.

If Pogba continues to play with this sort of verve, you wouldn't back against United achieving both of those ambitions. The transformation in his productivity since Solskjaer took charge has been remarkable:

Sports writer Sam Pilger noted how differently Pogba has performed since the departure of Mourinho:

The former Juventus man has been afforded the freedom he needs to flourish in the heart of the United midfield.

With Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera more defensively minded, Pogba can work into dangerous areas and pick up the ball. As he's shown consistently since Solskjaer took the helm, the playmaker can be a devastating prospect when he has time in the final third.

Footballer writer John Brewin noted Pogba is revealing new facets to his game:

It's hard to argue with Solskjaer's assessment of his star midfielder, with Pogba finally replicating the form he showcased regularly for Juventus.

The recent run has been the player's best in a United shirt, and now Pogba will be expected to shoulder a lot of responsibility in their charge for the FA Cup and top four. Solskjaer and his team's supporters would love to see another majestic 90 minutes when rivals Liverpool visit Old Trafford on Sunday.