Minnows Lincoln dream of miracle mission at the Emirates

LONDON: Non-league Lincoln City will try to extend their fairy-tale FA Cup run this weekend as the eight remaining teams in the competition battle for a place in the semi-finals.

Chelsea’s clash with Manchester United on Monday is likely to capture most of the headlines while Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will also hope to reach the last four.

But it’s Lincoln’s adventure that has captured the imagination of all football fans, with wins over Ipswich Town, Brighton and in the fifth round, Burnley, taking them to within one victory of Wembley, which will stage the semi-finals and final.

Arsenal will be the hosts today for one of the biggest days in Lincoln’s history, a chance to make themselves heroes.

“It might be one-in-1000 at the Emirates but we can ( win),” Lincoln manager Danny Cowley told

“Against Burnley we said it was one-in-100. I believed if we played Burnley 100 times at Turf Moor we’d draw four times and beat them once. But we went there genuinely believing it could be the one match we’d win in 100.”

Cowley said Lincoln would break the match down into nine 10-minute games in an effort to match the mentality of one of the top Premier League sides.

“We understand that Arsenal could blow us away,” he said. “We could play our very best and still get beaten 5-0 but we want to train the players’ minds for these 10-minute games.

“If winning at the Emirates is the only definition of success the likelihood is we won’t be successful.

“We’re trying to measure success dif ferently using achievable goals but we’re also professional and prepared. We might surprise some people.”

Lincoln will hope to exploit Arsenal’s vulnerability after their 10-2 aggregate exit from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will be looking for his side to bounce back immediately but he appreciates the danger.

“We are favourites, but when you are at a big club, you are favourites 90 percent of the time and you have to deal with that,” he said.

“It’s the next game and in the next game, people expect us to win, so there’s pressure there of course.”

Cup favourites Chelsea welcome Manchester United and their for mer manager, José Mourinho, on Monday night.

United may have one eye on their Europa League last16, second-leg tie, which will be played three days later, but Mourinho insists they will go 100 percent for the win.

“Monday we don’t go with a Nicky Butt team,” said Mourinho, refer ring to United’s academy team, which is now run by former United midfielder Butt.

“Manchester United is too big, it is the winner of the competition.

“It is not Chelsea’s fault that we were given this Monday match so we have to make changes for sure because we play Monday and Rostov play Sunday, but we can’t go to Stamford Bridge with a Nicky Butt team.”

Manchester City travel to Middlesbrough in the first of the four FA Cup ties while Tottenham are at home to Millwall tomorrow.

City midfielder Yaya Toure said he was deter mined to secure another Wembley date, having scored the winner there in the 2011 final.

“We have to try to do the business, Middlesbrough are going to be a tough, tough game,” he said.

“It’s about winning (today) and then we have to play the semi-final.

“It’s an unbelievable stadium, I love going there, and I hope we’re going to do the business.” – DPA