Whilst Manchester United’s Premier League exploits have captured our attention recently, it’s perhaps the FA Cup that could give Jose Mourinho’s team their best chance of silverware in the 2017/18 season.

Manchester United face a thrilling quarter-final clash with Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday after beating Huddersfield in the last round, it’s clear that United will be keen to continue their strong form and book a place in the FA Cup semi-finals.

The last time that the two sides met saw Manchester United emerging 1-0 winners. But this match in November was a close affair that was only won after the Brighton player, Lewis Dunk, scored an unfortunate own goal in the 66th minute.

And as it’s the first time that Brighton have been in the FA Cup quarter finals since 1986, it’s clear that their travelling fans will be in full voice for what’s expected to be a thrilling game of football.

What makes this match all the more interesting is the fact that it will be a repeat of the 1983 FA Cup final where Manchester United emerged 4-0 winners in a replay after the first final was held at a 2-2 draw.

So do Brighton have what it takes to cause an upset for Jose Mourinho’s team? There’s no denying the fact that Brighton have enjoyed some decent form with Chris Hughton’s side in a respectable mid-table position in the Premier League.

But it’s also true that most tipsters are putting down Manchester United as favourites to win this clash as Mourinho’s side are just too strong for Brighton to compete with. Not only are stars like Romelu Lukaku in impressive goal-scoring form, but even players like Jesse Lingard are proving to be capable of helping Manchester United put on some seriously impressive performances.

The fact that Brighton will have to come to Old Trafford will also make it much harder for the visitors. In addition to this, the match will be one of the first to take place at the new time of 7.45pm on a Saturday evening which is sure to add an extra dose of adrenaline to what’s already going to be a very exciting match.

Despite some fans being unhappy with the timing of the FA Cup quarter-final, it’s clear that it’s a match that Manchester United must win if they hope to gain some silverware this season. United’s fans have had to put up with watching Manchester City racing ahead at the top of the Premier League table so will want some glory of their own.

So when the FA Cup quarter final kicks off, it’s clear that Manchester United will have to put on a very strong performance for the Old Trafford faithful.