Just two games away from Wembley, it's not too early to get excited, is it?
Bristol City booked their spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup with an emphatic and dominant victory over West Bromwich Albion and pocketed themselves a tidy £120,000 reward as a result - not a bad day's work.
Yesterday was superb for many a reason. Not only does everybody love a cup run with the possibility of playing one of the big guns (cue a trip to Luton or Grimsby), but it was another nod to the City academy and the conveyor belt of talent that continues to emerge through the youth ranks.
Sam Bell and Alex Scott will grab the headlines for their unstoppable performances, and rightly so, but there was also a senior debut for Australian youth international Marlee Francois who was introduced in the final stages of the game. The winger, 20, certainly wasn't short of confidence with a superb piece of skill on the left touchline to announce himself to supporters at Ashton Gate.
Then there was also 17-year-old Olly Thomas on the bench following a loan spell from Bath. Having joined from the SGS College, just like Antoine Semenyo, there are high hopes for the powerful attacker in the future.
Omar Taylor-Clarke earned some more minutes while Dylan Kadji was on the substitute bench. Other academy players also proved their worth with Max O'Leary and Zak Vyner also turning in fine performances.
Here's the verdict from City's 3-0 victory and we eagerly await the FA Cup fifth round draw on Monday evening.
City's £40m man
We're at risk of repeating ourselves with Alex Scott sometimes but when he turns in a performance like that, it's just impossible to ignore. We have become so accustomed to seeing the midfielder turn out weekly consistent showings to such consistent levels but sometimes, he'll produce a performance that makes you sit back and realise just how good he is.
Yesterday was one of those days. Simply put, he was unplayable made all the better with his first goal of the season. "About time," Pearson joked after the full-time whistle but it was a goal synonymous of Frank Lampard back in his glory days for Chelsea with the perfectly timed run from deep.
Nahki Wells and Mark Sykes deserve credit for their role in the build-up with some smart work down the flank and it was the latter's low delivery that was met by Scott to finally open his account. Sometimes, it's just the one goal that can unleash a newfound confidence in front of goal and maybe spark a flurry of strikes - just ask Sam Bell.
When Scott - at the age of 19 - can dictate a game to his own tempo at his age against quality opposition it's no wonder interest in his signature is so rife from top-flight clubs. Half a dozen Premier League clubs are believed to be looking at him but there would be no surprise if a few more were lurking in the shadows weighing up their interest.
With Antoine Semenyo leaving this month, it's highly unlikely Scott will follow him out of the door ahead of deadline day on Tuesday unless an extraordinary offer comes in that can't be refused. The England Under-19 star is also believed to be more than happy to see out the season with the Robins before the inevitable flurry of interest in the summer.
There's 18 games left of the Championship season and at least one more in the FA Cup (hopefully more) and we'll just have to enjoy Scott while he lasts because nobody's naive enough to know he will be playing Premier League football in the near future.
With a contract until 2025, City can stand firm in their asking price and if Brian Tinnion has anything to say about it, clubs will have to cough up a small fortune. On Twitter, in response to a comment saying: "And some people don't think Alex Scott is worth £25m", Tinnion responded, "40m now."
Sam Bell comes of age
The goals are coming buses. Just 11 days after scoring his first for the club, Bell topped that moment with two superb strikes to all-but confirm his name in the starting XI for the trip to Preston next weekend.
Antoine Semenyo's boots are big ones to fill and that's not saying the 20-year-old will be tasked with filling them, but an opportunity in the first-team has arisen as City wait in an attempt to try and bring in a new forward with Luton's Harry Cornick a possibility.
If there was any doubt that Bell would be too inexperienced or lack the physicality of playing in the Championship, well he's just proven what a brilliant asset and talent City have at their disposal. Those two goals were of the absolute highest quality
The first was just instincts as Matty James' corner rolled back to him on the angle of the area. He picked his spot and curled in an effort right into the far corner beyond the reach of keeper David Button.
What was particularly striking was his blistering pace and given City's threat on the counter-attack, he suits that wide forward position perfectly. When he was running at Semi Ajayi in defence, Bell made the Baggies man look very uncomfortable, unable to deal with his speed of movement and darting runs in behind.
If his first was good, his second was equally as impressive. He controlled George Tanner's cross with a first touch that gave him yards of space to get away from his defender and simply lifted it over the hapless Button to put the game beyond reach.
Another attribute that we haven't really seen with his bit-part roles this season (yesterday being his first start of the campaign) was the fact he was able to maintain his fitness levels and acceleration throughout the duration of the game. Pearson made note of it after in his post-match press conference and said: "He can do it for the whole of the game, I think that’s something worth noting that his ability to reproduce those types of runs is pretty impressive really and the two finishes were both unbelievable really.”
A flourishing combo
Kal Naismith and Matty James were arguably the unsung heroes as City's central three won the midfield battle that proved crucial to victory.
Naismith in particular is adapting and looking more comfortable sitting in that holding position. Yesterday, he made the most attempted tackles on the pitch (5), the joint most successful tackles (3), the second most clearances behind Zak Vyner (6), and more interceptions than any of his City team-mates.
Towards the beginning of the season, Pearson said in a press conference how he doesn't see Naismith as a midfielder but given the change in formation, there is no better player in the squad suited to slotting into that role in front of the defence.
He looks a lot more assured on the ball knowing he has the security of his two central defenders behind him, and he has the defensive awareness to position himself where he can intercept and break up play. His passing range and more specifically his diagonal balls to the likes of Bell and Mark Sykes get City moving quickly on the counter-attack.
Then there's also the fact that his defensive presence allows Scott with more freedom to press forward. Pearson picked up on it after the game and said: "When you've got two players with the intelligence Kal Naismith and Matty James and their ability to play balls which some people don't see, it's always going to be important.
"Scott gives you that added ability physically too. His ball-carrying is extraordinary at times too. It was a good all-round performance because it takes a disciplined defensive set-up to allow those players to function."
West Brom boss Carlos Corberan also said after the game: "We weren't secure enough (in midfield). When we put the ball in the middle, the centre-backs were too far from the midfielders. They were a lot braver, they have more options to recover. When you make changes in a side, these things can occur."
If Pearson is going to stick with his formation and then there's no doubt he will be looking to bring in a defensive midfielder at some point - most likely in the summer but Naismith has proven he's more than capable of filling that void with James and Joe Williams also available if needed.
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