Monaghan and Westmeath meet in the championship for only the second time, this Sunday in Clones.
Their only previous championship meeting came in 2003 when Monaghan won a qualifier tie by 0-14 to 1-9 in Clones.
Westmeath have been one of the surprise teams of the championship landing the Leinster title with a victory after extra-time over Dublin.
However, with concerns around injuries and squad depth, particularly Matthew Whittaker and Ray Connellan. This championship season has seen Westmeath win five of their six championship games.
Whereas, Monaghan have won three of their five, having lost out to Armagh in the Ulster final and Mayo in the All-Ireland series.
Indeed, Monaghan have been a surprise after their league form. The farney sent shockwaves around the country last Saturday, putting Roscommon to the sword.
The contrast between Monaghan’s Allianz League and championship has been striking. Monaghan lost all seven Division 1 games by an average of over nine points.
However, the summer has seen them win three of five championship games.
Westmeath have scored a total 16 goals in their six championship games to date. Something that Moinaghan will have to watch out for on Sunday.
The last competitive clash between Westmeath and Monaghan was in the 2025 Allianz League when Monaghan won a Division 2 clash, 2-29 to 2-21 in Clones.
One suspects this one might just be solved by goals.
