Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is already relishing another Emirates FA Cup tussle with non-league side Lincoln City after his Arsenal side put an end to the Sutton United fairytale.

Arsenal’s 2-0 victory at Gander Green Lane, thanks to goals from Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott on Monday night, set up a quarter-final tie with Lincoln in north London.

And Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was introduced at half-time against Sutton, delighted at returning to the type of venue where he made his name.

“I grew up in League One so I’m used to these kind of stadiums on tough away nights on a Monday,” he said.

“Having that experience again, I think that was one of the most exciting times I’ve had this season.

“Just coming off the bus and seeing people in such close proximity and everyone out in force to support both sides was a really good experience for me. I really enjoyed it.”

Sutton’s facilities may have been a far cry from the comforts of the Emirates Stadium but Oxlade-Chamberlain claims he enjoyed the differences between Premier League trappings and those at Gander Green Lane.

The midfielder insists he loved being a part of the non-league side’s memorable cup run and is now relishing the challenge of Lincoln in the last eight.

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“It’s obviously different to what we’re used to and it was another challenge for us to get our heads around,” added Oxlade-Chamberlain.

“Even being on the bench first half, just looking around and seeing all the fans really enjoying themselves was great.

“And then to have a few moments at the end with the Sutton players in the dressing room was really nice – that’s what the cup is all about.

“After what they (Lincoln) did at Burnley, I’m sure Lincoln will be right up for that. So we’re going to have to go into that one with very concentrated minds and get the result.”

West Ham defender Arthur Masuaku may know Abdoulaye Doucoure very well but claims he won’t be going easy on his friend when they square off this weekend.

Both men moved to the Premiership last year, with Doucoure joining Watford from Rennes in January, before Masuaku made the switch to the London Stadium from Olympiakos over the summer.

The two are good pals from their time in the France U19s set-up but that won’t affect the Hammers left-back’s performance when they take on the Hornets this Saturday.

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“We played together for the France U19s,” explained Masuaku. “He is a very good player and a nice guy as well.

“When he came to Watford he didn’t feature at the beginning but he is now starting to play and I am very happy for him. He has adapted well to the Premier League.

“He is my friend, but when we play on Saturday we will not be friends!”

West Ham will also be seeking revenge, according to Masuaku, after spectacularly blowing a winning position in the first clash between the sides back in September.

Michail Antonio notched a double as the Hammers raced into a 2-0 lead inside 40 minutes at the London Stadium, only for Watford to come storming back and win the game 4-2.

“We want to get revenge on Saturday,” added Masuaku. “I remember the game and we played so well in the first 40 minutes and should have killed the game off.

“I don’t know how we lost but we want to make amends for that defeat and hopefully we can win on Saturday.

“We were unlucky not to get the three points in the last game against West Brom and we could have got the victory if certain decisions had not gone against us. Hopefully we will have more luck in the next game.”

Fans and pundits alike may believe the ‘magic’ of the FA Cup is dwindling, but that is certainly not the case for runaway Premier League leaders Chelsea according to club legend Pat Nevin.

The Blues are eight points clear of Manchester City at the league’s summit, but also progressed into the quarter finals of the FA Cup last weekend where they will face a showdown with Manchester United and former manager Jose Mourinho.

Manager Antonio Conte made seven changes to his side that beat Wolves on Saturday, with the back three and goalkeeper completely different to the side that took on Burnley in their previous Premier League game.

But Nevin – a fans’ favourite during his time with the Blues in the 1980’s when he made almost 200 appearances – is adamant that rather than fielding a weak team, Conte picked a side that was perfectly equipped to progress in the competition and maintain the momentum at Stamford Bridge.

“The thing to always remember is that a season is about a number of competitions if you are a football club and you have to manage them all in the best way you can,” he said.

“Go full blast at every competition and we have all witnessed teams blowing up and failing from tiredness and injury at the end.

“From Chelsea’s point of view, the weekend was a perfect opportunity to give some of the players that haven’t been starting regularly some invaluable game time.

“So JT [John Terry], Nathan Ake and Kurt Zouma all got the shout along with Asmir Begovic at the back – and because it was still a team picked to win it had all sorts of other benefits as well.

“Squad morale is helped by others getting a chance, but the run keeps going and the manager knows just who is capable of fitting in to the Premier League side when needed.

“By the looks of it most of them would slot in pretty effortlessly, but even the players that were ‘rested’ can look upon the positives.”

David de Gea may be the undisputed No.1 at Manchester United but fellow goalkeeper Sergio Romero insists he is desperate to force his way into the first-team.

Romero joined United from Sampdoria in 2015 when De Gea looked likely to sign for Real Madrid, but the Spaniard quickly regained the gloves when the move fell through.

Romero has become an able deputy and has seen regular action of late, with the FA Cup and Europa League providing a platform for him to show his worth to manager Jose Mourinho.

And the Argentine insists he is doing all he can to usurp De Gea and become Mourinho’s trusted man between the sticks.

“I feel great and I’m happy to be playing. I think it’s always important to get the chance to help your team-mates on the field,” he said.

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“I need to get minutes under my belt to keep my place in the national team and these games are also a mental boost for me, because they show me that I’m at the right level to play in this league as well as for the national team.

“I always have a very positive mindset. I work really hard to prepare myself for when the opportunity comes along.

“Once I get that chance, I try not to waste it. I want to show everybody that I am ready, that I want to play and am good enough to play.

“It’s also a case of wanting to prove this to myself – that’s probably my main objective. I approach each training session thinking that I might play at the weekend.

“If I end up on the bench, I’m disappointed. But when I do get my chance, I try to prove to myself and to my family that I’m up to the job. “

Liverpool’s Premier League assault has stumbled since the turn of the year, but former striker Emile Heskey believes they have the individual quality to get back on a winning run.

The Reds have won just one of their previous six Premier League matches and have fallen from second to fifth in the table – 11 points off leaders Chelsea.

With Manchester City and Manchester United regaining their form of late, Liverpool’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League have been plunged into doubt as they prepare for Monday night’s trip to champions Leicester City.

But Heskey, who spent four years at Anfield between 2000 and 2004, claims that the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane are capable of winning matches on their own for Jurgen Klopp’s men and urged them to remain patient against more defensive teams.

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“I’ve done it when I went back to Liverpool with lesser teams,” he said.

“Your first objective is to stop them scoring and then it’s thinking about how you’re going to score after.

“They just set up to stop you. It’s for you to figure it out, but that’s where you need your individual brilliance at times to create something.

“I believe Liverpool do have those players to create something out of nothing.”

Burnley boss Sean Dyche wants his players to view their shock FA Cup loss to nonleague Lincoln City as a learning experience, rather than sweeping it under the rug.

Three days on from the cup upset, Dyche is keen for his men to add the air of confidence, professionalism and assuredness to their game that he claims comes with being an established Premier League side.

The Imps’ victory made them the first non-league side to reach an FA Cup quarter final in 103 years, and while Dyche would rather forget the day ever happened, he wants the club to learn from it.

“It was a day to forget, rather than one to remember and unfortunately there is no positive,” he said.

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“The fact is it’s the first time since I’ve been at the club when we were really big favourites.

“We haven’t experienced that before and it can bring a different feeling in the crowd and a different feeling from the players.

“The real assuredness that comes with growth as a footballer, particularly in the Premier League, is the bit that needs to be added, because we want a future where we are the favourites more often.

“That’s what’s got to change in our psyche.”

Sebastian Larsson has called on his Sunderland team-mates to draw inspiration from previous seasons as they aim to avoid relegation.

With the season entering into the closing stages, the Black Cats once again find themselves at the wrong end of the table, currently two points adrift of safety.

It’s a situation they are all too familiar with however, having finished fourth, fifth and seventh-bottom the last three campaigns.

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Last year they secured their safety after a 3-0 win over Everton at the Stadium of Light on May 12 having surprisingly beaten Chelsea 3-2 in the previous game.

And ahead of another clash with Everton this weekend, this time at Goodison Park, Larsson was keen to send out a rallying cry.

“It’s a tough run of games we’ve got, starting with Everton. But looking back at previous seasons, it’s this stage of the season when strange things happen,” he said.

“We’ve picked up many points in games where people probably haven’t backed us.  So let’s hope that’s going to happen again.

“We’ve spoken about how important it is to keep clean sheets and be tough to break down, especially at this stage of the season.

“We feel like if we can get in front we can stay solid and we’re tough to break down.

“But unfortunately a few too many times when we’ve gone behind we haven’t been strong enough to turn things around so that’s something we have to improve.”

Teddy Sheringham believes Harry Kane has shown he’s a complete striker as he continued his rich vein of form with a hat-trick against Fulham.

The Spurs striker has already notched two trebles in 2017, and now has five for Spurs, helping them into an FA Cup quarter-final.

Kane has endured some dry spells for Spurs, notably he has never scored for them in August, but according to Sheringham – a legend in his own right at White Hart Lane – that should never be a concern.

Sheringham said: “He’s a class act, isn’t he? I never have a problem with Harry going through a spell of not scoring goals because you know he’s going to score again at some stage.

“He scores all sorts of goals. He keeps getting across defenders in the box, he keeps moving, can hit shots from range, can score with his head. I love him. He’s got everything.”

Kane has had an injury-disrupted campaign, missing an extended spell before Christmas with an ankle injury.

And Sheringham believes that spell on the sidelines may have helped Kane in the long term.

He added: “He’s had that period (September 19-November 5) when he was out injured and that might have done him a favour after playing throughout last summer in the European Championships.

“That break won’t have done him any harm. He looks sharp again now, and that’s fantastic for the run-in.”

It may be the players on the pitch that have turned things round for Swansea in recent weeks but Alfie Mawson believes the fans deserve their share of the credit.

Mawson joined from Barnsley over the summer and witnessed a first half of the season that saw Swansea look like almost certainties for relegation from the Premier League.

But Paul Clement has come in as boss and inspired a change in fortunes, with the Swans winning three of their last four league matches.

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That run, which included victory over Liverpool at Anfield, has seen the club climb to 15^th in the table and Mawson is adamant the supporters have played their part.

“The fans have taken to me and I have taken to them because they have helped us through a bad patch,” said the defender.

“The new gaffer has come in and made us a more compact team, and the results are coming now.

“We are on a good run and have given ourselves a small lead on the teams below us, but we need to continue the performances and results we’ve been picking up.

“The players and staff have really produced the goods, and if we carry on like this then the fans will have played a key role in our turnaround.”

Middlesbrough’s win over Oxford United in the FA Cup can give them momentum in their fight for Premier League survival, according to captain Grant Leadbitter.

The 31-year-old skipper smashed home a penalty as Boro battled past their League One opponents 3-2 at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

Aitor Karanka’s men take on Crystal Palace at the weekend in a crucial six-pointer in the battle to stay in the Premier League.

Boro are two points above the drop zone and have not won in the league since December 17.

However, Leadbitter feels that a winning feeling could help Boro put in the performance they need to get three points at Selhurst Park.

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“We’re relieved to be in the next round,” said Leadbitter. “I think there was a contrast in performance from the first to second half.

“We just look forward to the next game. That’s what we do at the football club.

“At the end of the day we have to start winning a lot more football games and we need to win games to stay in the division.

“We were expected to win on Saturday. People might not give us credit but we did our jobs, you’ve seen other Premier League teams go out.

“So we’re happy to be in the next round and hopefully it gives the boys confidence going into the next game against Palace. It’s going to be tough but we’re really looking forward to it.”