Portsmouth: Bass; McCrorie, Bolton, Burgess, Seddon; Close, McGeehan; Williams, Evans, Harness; Harrison. Subs: MacGillivray, Raggett, Whatmough, Naylor, Cannon, Marquis, Curtis.

Arsenal: Martinez, Sokratis, Mari, David Luiz, Saka; Guendouzi, Torreira; Nelson, Willock, Martinelli; Nketiah. Subs: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Xhaka, Ceballos, Pepe, Lacazette.

Welcome to the FA Cup, a competition that continues to be degraded by a thousand cuts and whose fifth-round fixtures this year will naturally be spread among four days in midweek. Be honest, on at least two of those days you don’t really want to be watching football, there’s enough going on. But we are where we are and – looking on the bright side! – it gives me great pleasure to present you one of the ties of the round tonight.

It should be a cracker, in fairness. Pompey are (as far as I can remember, because I support a League One team that is screwing its season up so much I literally can’t bring myself to survey the table) third in the third tier and flying – looking a good bet to go up and have a shot at recreating the glory years of a decade or more back, minus ‘Arry and a shedload of international recruits with fascinating back stories. They even won this thing in 2008! Fratton Park under the lights can generate a really special, old fashioned atmosphere and Kenny Jackett will fancy his players’ chances of giving this a real go tonight.

Related: Ronan Curtis: Portsmouth's Arsenal fan who banned his mum from Twitter

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