Manchester City Eye FA Cup Success To Save Troubled Season

Manchester City face Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarter-finals aiming to keep alive their last chance of silverware in a turbulent season. City are the last of the Premier League's big guns still standing as Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Brighton headline the FA Cup's year of the underdog. AFP Sport looks at the key storylines ahead of the weekend's action:

Bournemouth threat to troubled Man City

In danger of enduring their first season without a major trophy since 2016-17, Manchester City will head to Bournemouth with some trepidation after losing at the Vitality Stadium earlier this term.

When Pep Guardiola's men were beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth in the Premier League in November, it was the first time in their history that City had lost to the Cherries.

The shock loss foreshadowed City's astonishing decline as they won just one of their next 11 games in all competitions.

After six English titles in the past seven seasons, City -- languishing in fifth place in the Premier League -- have been reduced to battling to qualify for next season's Champions League and avoiding their first campaign without silverware since Guardiola's maiden year at the Etihad Stadium.

A defeat at Nottingham Forest and a draw with Brighton in their last two games serve as a reminder that Guardiola is yet to solve the litany of issues that have plagued City this season.

Suffering more misery at Bournemouth -- who have never reached the FA Cup semi-finals -- would be another ignominious moment in a brutal season for Guardiola.

Fulham bid to end FA Cup woe

Fulham will host Crystal Palace on Saturday with history in their sights as the Cottagers look to end half a century of FA Cup futility.

The west London club haven't reached the FA Cup final for