1) City’s Caballero is too big a risk for cup final

With all the focus on Manuel Pellegrini’s team selection, the post-match reaction to the heaviest defeat in Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi era largely overlooked the fact that some of the least impressive performances came from their senior players. Martín Demichelis was once a centre-half of high reputation but those days have passed now and there is also strong evidence that Pablo Zabaleta, the outstanding right-back in the Premier League a few years ago, is in decline. More than anyone, though, Willy Caballero always gives City’s opponents the sense that Pellegrini’s team might be vulnerable. A City game never looks like it is going to be a stress-free occasion when Caballero is chosen ahead of Joe Hart and it must be slightly disconcerting for the club’s supporters that Pellegrini says he will persist with the former Málaga goalkeeper in the Capital One Cup final against Liverpool on Sunday. Caballero saved Oscar’s penalty but it is beginning to feel like a trick of the mind that the Argentinian was signed to give Hart genuine competition. The final is City’s most realistic chance of silverware and it would be a needless risk on the part of Pellegrini to start with him at Wembley. Or, to put it another way, it is fair to say Liverpool’s supporters will be desperately hoping Pellegrini keeps to his word. Daniel Taylor

2) Bentaleb: undroppable in FA Cup, unpickable in league

Nabil Bentaleb has fashioned an intriguing position in Tottenham’s squad. The Algerian started 25 league games last season and was involved in the first four of this campaign, but since then he has made one fleeting substitute appearance in that competition plus one substitute appearance in the Europa League. In Tottenham’s 33 matches in those two competitions and the Capital One Cup combined – a total of 2,970 game minutes, plus stoppage time – Bentaleb has played 216, or 7.3%, all but 50 of them in August. In the FA Cup, though, he is considered undroppable. This was the third successive Cup game which he has started and finished. Of the 360 minutes Spurs have played in the competition (plus stoppages), he has been on the field for 292, or 81.1%. To be fair, an ankle ligament injury meant Bentaleb was unavailable for selection for a couple of months, but since his return to fitness he has been in the Premier League matchday squad on six occasions, kicking his heels in the stands on five, and actually used for only two minutes, against Palace last month. Quite what makes his game uniquely suitable for the FA Cup remains unknown but Sunday’s result leaves him in a bit of a pickle, as an FA Cup specialist without an FA Cup to play in. Perhaps his performance in midfield, which was surefooted without being outstanding and allowed Eric Dier to drop into the back four while Toby Alderweireld was rested, might encourage Mauricio Pochettino to give him a chance during Tottenham’s assault on the Premier League title. Failing that, there’s always next year. Simon Burnton

FA Cup quarter-final draw: Chelsea face tricky trip to Everton in sixth round Read more

3) Keeping Payet at West Ham may be difficult

Dimitri Payet recently signed a new contract at West Ham United, worth around £125,000 a week, that runs until 2021. Given the Frenchman’s scintillating displays, which continued with two goals in Sunday’s 5-1 hiding of Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup, this is particularly shrewd business from the Boleyn Ground executive. After the fifth-round tie at Ewood Park Slaven Bilic, the manager, said Payet is in the same class as Luka Modric, who he coached when in charge of Croatia. Payet will be 29 next month. This summer is his now-or-never moment to make a move to an elite Champions League-level club. If he is still at West Ham by 1 September that will be even better business from the club hierarchy. And it will also be considered a sizeable surprise. Jamie Jackson

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Blackburn’s Jason Steele dives in vain as Dimitri Payet scores West Ham’s second goal. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

4) Replays are part of a debate football needs to have

When the great replay debate came into focus at the end of Arsenal’s goalless draw with Hull, Steve Bruce made a point that messed with all the old stereotypes about a smaller club getting heavyweight opponents back to their place. He was contemplating the notion of going directly to a penalty shootout after the first match, and whether it might add some excitement to the FA Cup if games such as Saturday’s when Hull’s effective rearguard action nullified Arsenal, went straight to the roulette of spot-kicks. Then he said the most interesting thing of all: “It would give us a better chance.” For a manager of Bruce’s experience, and FA Cup background, to come to that conclusion certainly adds to the discussions about whether, and how, to reshape the competition. He reckoned his team would have a better chance of beating Arsenal in a penalty shootout after a dogged away performance than back at the KC Stadium over another 90 (or possibly 120) minutes. Bruce’s overall argument is football’s scheduling has changed sufficiently that squidging in replays doesn’t really fit with the modern game. It is a debate about the FA Cup that does need to be had properly. Amy Lawrence

5) When will Watford play a full-strength side?

So far in the Cup this season Watford have rested a number of players and Quique Sánchez Flores made six changes to his side for the 1-0 victory over Leeds. It was job done as far as Flores was concerned, not a classic game but one that Watford never looked like losing. Odion Ighalo started on the bench, with Troy Deeney playing behind Nordin Amrabat in attack, but with Watford in the quarter-finals and with their Premier League safety assured, surely Flores will pick a stronger side in the last eight. They are now one game from Wembley and have a realistic chance of challenging for the Cup. “What I like is the feeling I have in the squad, they are calm and positive,” said Flores after the win, when asked about his squad rotation. He may be tempted to alter that approach in the next round. James Riach

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Odion Ighalo started the match on Watford’s bench. Photograph: BPI/Rex/Shutterstock

6) Hector a real talent, whether or not Chelsea realise it

Outstanding during a Reading win over West Brom that was overshadowed by the throwing of a coin at Chris Brunt after the game, Michael Hector could be forgiven for being irritated his outstanding contribution to the Championship side’s success was overlooked because of some numpty with 50p too much in his pocket and some serious issues. Signed by Chelsea last September and immediately loaned back to Reading, the languid centre-half has been rewired as a central midfielder since his big break. As one of 33 players on loan from the Premier League club, whether he will ever feature in the champions’ first team remains to be seen. “I spoke to Michael about playing that role and said to him if you can develop another string to your bow and play in that holding midfield role, he can play in the position for Chelsea,” said the Reading manager, Brian McDermott, of Hector’s excellent performance in the centre of the field. “I spoke to Chelsea about Michael playing in that role and they were happy for him to do that. He can play centre-half, he can play holding midfielder and I thought he was terrific today. He’s been on loan everywhere … a lot of places. He hadn’t been playing in the team, but we changed the system and he’s been terrific in training.” Hector has been on loan at Bracknell Town, Didcot Town, Havant & Waterlooville, Oxford City, Horsham, Dundalk, Barnet, Shrewsbury Town, Aldershot Town, Cheltenham Town, Aberdeen, Reading. That’s 12 clubs. He is 23. Barry Glendenning

7) Iturbe may have made Bournemouth’s effort worthwhile

Eddie Howe will not lose too much sleep about Bournemouth’s exit from the FA Cup. Seven changes from the Premier League relegation battlers’ last selection said enough and, even if they played well enough to have got something out of the game on another day, his post-match observation that they had not lost any points made the statement in duplicate. Yet Howe also explained he wanted to keep players match-sharp for their next dozen games and it especially pleased him to see Juan Iturbe put in the most productive performance of his four to date. There is little doubting the Roma loanee’s quality but his adaptation was never likely to be instant; plenty of encouragement could be taken then from his tracking-back to dispossess first Bryan Oviedo and then Ross Barkley early on, and some incisive forays from the right flank were a feature of the home side’s first-half performance. “I thought he did really well in the first half,” Howe said. “He was a big player for us with his ability to drive with the ball and counterattack. He carried a threat and it was his best performance for us. He tired a little bit in the second half but overall I’m very happy with him. He’s improving all the time; I only see positive things in the future for Juan.” Iturbe may not add substantially to Saturday’s 71 minutes when Bournemouth visit Watford this weekend but on this evidence he will soon be equipped to make an impact in the league. Nick Ames