Banana skin lurks in Preston

Preston North End manager Simon Grayson has already masterminded a famous FA Cup victory over Manchester United and will hope to do it again when the Red Devils visit his League One side in the fifth round on Monday.

Grayson was in charge of Leeds United, then a third-tier side themselves, when they won 1-0 at Old Trafford in 2010 to become the first lower-league opposition to beat an Alex Ferguson-led United team in the third round.

After a fourth round in which the FA Cup rekindled its old magic with the exits of Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea and last season's champions Manchester City to lower-league opponents, the Preston boss wants to use his experience of conquering 11-times winners United to do it again.

A win for his side, which won the FA Cup in 1889 - when they also won the Double in the first season of the Football League - and again in 1938 when they beat Sunderland via a penalty in the last minute of extra time - would end Louis van Gaal's best hope of his first trophy as Manchester United manager, with the league title seemingly out of reach.

Preston and United were regular opponents until 1961, when Preston lost their top-flight status and Grayson hopes their meeting will be as memorable as that victory by Leeds was five years ago.

"It was a fantastic occasion that day," Grayson said.

"This is a different United team, but one we will look forward to playing. The club deserves it, because we have not had any ties like this over the last few years.

"I'm sure Deepdale will be full and it's a massive boost for us. The profile of the game makes it a fantastic attraction."

Aston Villa are another club with a great, if fading, FA Cup tradition, and when they beat Manchester United in 1957 they secured a then-record seventh FA Cup win.

They haven't won it since, but of far more immediate concern to the Villa is how they will cope with fellow Premier League strugglers Leicester City on Sunday following the sacking of manager Paul Lambert this week.

Villa dropped into the relegation zone for the first time this season after losing to Hull City on Tuesday with caretakers Scott Marshall and Andy Marshall hoping for some respite against bottom side Leicester, the only club to play in four FA Cup finals and lose all of them.

Cup holders Arsenal will be hoping to avoid the same fate as Manchester City, who were stunned by Championship leaders Middlesbrough in the last round, but Boro, chasing a return to the top flight after six years away, will be no pushovers.

Bradford City, who caused one of the biggest FA Cup upsets in decades when they won 4-2 at Chelsea in the last round and are in the play-off places in League One, will be hoping for another upset when they face Sunderland at home on Sunday.

Liverpool, seven times winners of the world's oldest cup competition, travel to Crystal Palace, who famously beat them 4-3 in the 1990 semifinal, when current Eagles boss Alan Pardew scored the winner in extra time.