Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers
The FA Cup with Budweiser
Fifth Round Proper
3pm, Saturday 16 February 2013
Emirates Stadium, Arsenal
Winning clubs receive £180,000 from The FA's Prize Fund
Click here for fixtures
With a winners medal to his name and twelve career goals in the competition, Danny Murphy knows a thing or two about The FA Cup.
The Blackburn Rovers midfielder, who scored in The Third Round against Bristol City in January, understands the unpredictability of The Cup after playing a part in Liverpool‘s late victory over Arsenal in the 2001 Final.
He sees no reason why his side can’t overcome the odds against the same opponents tomorrow.
Speaking to FATV ahead of the trip to the Emirates, Murphy said: “I’ve been there a few times throughout my career and you always get a tough game against top quality opposition.
"We all know that on their day Arsenal can be one of the best footballing teams in the Premier League so we know it’s going to be tough. But it’s a kind of nice relief from the intensity of the Championship.
“Nobody expects us to go there and do anything and that in itself is a nice platform to play under sometimes.”
He added: “This isn’t a game that we should be scared of. Millwall got to The Final when they were a Championship club, partly through playing well and partly through the luck of the draw.
"It’s something you shouldn’t completely dismiss just because we are going away against a really big Premier League side. Teams get beaten.
“Who’d have thought that Liverpool would have been beaten by Oldham earlier this year, but there’s always shocks out there.
"It’s about belief, confidence and it’s about enjoying it as well and not taking it too seriously. What I mean by that is playing with a freedom and expressing yourself knowing that if you win the reward is big.”
Boosted by the arrival of former Gunner David Bentley on Friday on-loan from Tottenham Hotspur until the end of the season, Murphy will be looking to add Saturday's match to his collection of magic FA Cup moments, but none will be bigger than that day at the Millennium Stadium in May 2001.
Murphy said: “I was right midfield that day and spent 70 odd plus minutes chasing Ashley Cole up and down in 90 degree heat, which isn’t ideal. But it was such a memorable day.
"As a young English kid you watch all the Cup Finals and I remember them all growing up. Liverpool beating Everton in ’86 and ’89, I also remember the Coventry and Tottenham one in ’87.
"When I was like ten, eleven, twelve, they were great memories and to actually have an FA Cup winners medal is still special and means a lot to me. That’s what The FA Cup does, it gives you memories for a lifetime.”
The FA Cup Sixth Round draw takes place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday afternoon at 5.55pm. You can watch it live with us here on TheFA.com.
