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With Liverpool and Manchester United already out of the FA Cup having been beaten by Reading and Leeds respectively the remainder of the Premier League teams must have fancied their chances of progressing to Wembley.
However, last weekend's cup ties did not entirely go to plan as there are already five teams through from outside the top flight with the possibility of three more depending on the outcome of the replays.
The shocks began in the first set of games when Reading scored a last-gasp winner at home to Burnley and will now play fellow Championship side West Bromwich Albion in the next round who were 4-2 winners against Newcastle. In the other lunchtime game there was no shock as Chelsea cruised past Preston 2-0 at Deepdale.
The afternoon games were much tighter and although Accrington Stanley and Brighton ultimately lost against Fulham and Aston Villa respectively they did not go down without a fight. Wigan, meanwhile, had to come from 2-0 down against Notts County to earn a draw as did Wolves who scrapped the same result at home to Crystal Palace.
Premiership managers who have top four or league survival on their minds are always likely to field weakened teams but, nonetheless, with the resources at their disposal they should not really be struggling against this kind of opposition.
In addition, with many Premiership teams already out they will have seen this as an opportunity to do well in the FA Cup and perhaps grab a spot in Europe and they need look no further than Portsmouth two years ago to get their inspiration.
This was borne out in the evening kick-off when Harry Redknapp put out a very strong side when his Spurs side took on Leeds United at White Hart Lane. Chasing fourth spot in the Premiership is obviously his priority but Redknapp is certainly a man who can spot an opening when he sees one and his line-up suggested how importantly he was taking this game.
However, it did not go according to plan as despite leading twice his team was pegged back to draw the game 2-2 and now face a very tricky replay at Elland Road on February 2.
Chelsea, meanwhile, must have been sitting and watching this with a very big smile on their face and just when they thought it could not get any better Sunday's game between Stoke and Arsenal proved them wrong. Arsene Wenger did put out a weakened side but when the game was still at 1-1 he did bring on his big guns but still they lost 3-1 and Stoke also had a goal disallowed.
With Everton also losing to Birmingham this year's competition has only three big names left after Manchester City struggled their way past lowly Scunthorpe in the last remaining tie. The quarter-finals to be played later in February now have a look about them that could have been from a bygone era when everyone fancied their chances of lifting the Cup.
The top teams not taking the cup as seriously as they used to may be one reason this is happening but it does not explain all the upsets. Maybe the number of foreign managers and players who do not have the same relationship with the FA Cup also has some impact but I suspect there is something more.
Attitude is everything when taking on teams from a lower division, especially when the game is at a smaller stadium with an uneven pitch and it appears some of the highly paid Premiership players are finding it difficult to display this quality. Pampered and paid beyond most people's dreams top players are, maybe, feeling they have a divine right to win these games but they underestimate the fighting qualities of hungrier players.
Some blame must also be placed on the managers also who obviously are finding it difficult to motivate their teams. It is easy to do this when teams are playing in the Champions League or against another top four side but when playing the likes of Reading or Leeds then this is where they truly earn their salary.
However, the way many of the teams played last weekend there is a distinct lack of urgency and commitment which does not bode well for many of the managers if their league form begins to suffer also.
Are we seeing a closing of the gap between divisions? It is too early to say at this stage but many more weekends like this and it maybe impossible to ignore the fact that Premiership players take too much for granted and should begin to look very hard at themselves.
