Don't understand this attitude at all.
Football is about entertainment and winning things. We are in the last 16 of a cup competition, with a small hope of getting into a quarter final for the first time in most fans entire lives. This is a positive thing. Something that matters.
Statistically too this "distraction" you speak about with cup ties versus big Prem teams makes very little sense.
In 2019/20 leading up to the Man City game we W6 D2 L2 and after the 3-0 cup defeat we W4 D3 L1. No distraction before or after.
In 2014/15 we played Sheff Utd in the cup replay. Our form leading into that game was W0 D4 L3. But we beat Sheff Utd, pulled Man Utd in the next round and our league form was W12 D6 L1. No distraction whatsoever.
Football shouldn't be about chugging through League fixtures, hitting long balls playing the percentages, hoping to amass enough points to stay up. Whilst fielding weak teams in the cups so you go out as fast as possible.
All that is the actual distraction from what I suggested football should be about. Entertainment and winning things.