Sutton United hosting Arsenal is what makes the FA Cup great

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The FA Cup has saved its best fifth-round game for last. On Monday, Arsenal travels to fifth-division Sutton United, and this game is the biggest thing to ever happen to the club.

Jonathan Liew’s piece in The Telegraph on Sutton and this game is well worth your time. Among the best quotes: “If the Queen phones up we’d have to turn her away.”

Sutton’s ground isn’t really suited to a game of this magnitude — their floodlights and locker rooms aren’t great, and Arsene Wenger isn’t thrilled about their artificial pitch. But a sold-out game against Arsenal and an international TV slot will allow Sutton to upgrade all of those things, as well as their facilities for their youth teams.

And if Sutton does pull off the impossible, they’ll get to host one of the greatest FA Cup ties in history — a quarterfinal against fellow fifth-tier side Lincoln City.

Leandro Paredes’ rocket half-volley for Roma. (r/soccer)

Partizan’s Everton Luiz was distraught after being racially abused throughout the Belgrade Derby. (Who Ate All The Pies)

Dani Alves says Barcelona’s current directors “have no idea how to treat their players.” (ESPN FC)

Carlo Ancelotti might be in trouble after giving the middle finger to Hertha Berlin supporters. (BBC)

Gareth Bale played on Saturday, but won’t be 90 minutes fit for two weeks. (Marca)

Mark Clattenburg’s big money move to Saudi Arabia has been delayed. He’ll do a few more Premier League games first. (Mirror)

Mario Balotelli got his third red card of the season this weekend, and now things have gone sour at Nice just like his other clubs. (SI)

Robin Bairner on Auxerre’s descent from Champions League competition into irrelevance, and their fight to come back. (The Set Pieces)

Adam White and Eric Devin on Marcelo Bielsa agreeing to become the new manager of Lille. (Guardian)

Jeff Carlisle on MLS teams investing more in big money defenders. (ESPN FC)

Lincoln City became the first non-league team to make the FA Cup quarterfinals in 103 years.

Real Madrid won, and Gareth Bale’s return might make them the most complete team on earth.

Barcelona barely squeaked out a win over Leganes. (Barca Blaugranes)

Juventus kept control of Serie A with a big victory over Palermo. (BWRAO)

Robert Lewandowski rescued a point for Bayern Munich. (Bavarian Football Works)

FA Cup: Sutton vs. Arsenal (3 p.m.) — Even if it’s not a great game, it’ll be a great spectacle.