FA Cup Predictions > Feb 4th - 6th

[StevieDay1983]

Here are the odds for the upcoming FA Cup 4th Round matches. I'll do my best to cover as many of these games as possible but feel free to also add your predictions and thoughts down below! 

[DarrenTse]

Manchester United vs Middlesbrough

Manchester United
The Red Devils advanced to this round by beating Aston Villa 1-0. Manchester United have won three of the last four games of all games. They beat West Ham United 1-0 before halftime and are currently rank fourth in the Premier League table. They are the second most successful team in the history of the FA Cup for winning the championship 12 times, the last time in 2016.

Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough have won eight of the past 10 games and lost only one in the process, including a 3-2 win over League Two team Mansfield Town in the third round of the FA Cup on January 8. Chris Wilders side beat Coventry 1-0 on January 29 to enter sixth place in the championship table.

Prediction
Middlesbrough will travel to Old Trafford with confidence and the team are fully capable of making it a tricky thing for Manchester United. However, the Red Devils showed many positive signs in the last game against West Ham and I support them to advance to the fifth round.

1X2 Pick: 1
Total: 1-0, 2-1

[StevieDay1983]

Manchester United vs Middlesbrough

The first game up in the FA Cup 4th Round is a clash between the Premier League and the Championship when Manchester United take on Middlesbrough in an 8pm GMT kick-off on Friday night at Old Trafford. All the pressure will be on the home team here and with things not going very well behind the scenes is this a chance for the away side to spring a shock result?

Manchester United are a team that are behaving like they don't know what they're doing. Ralf Rangnick has come in as the club's interim head coach after the departure of interim interim head coach Michael Carrick and it appears to have been nothing but problems. Cristiano Ronaldo having a tantrum after being subbed off, Dean Henderson walking out of the stadium after being left on the bench despite allegedly being promised to play, and Mason Greenwood... well, the less said about that individual, the better! The Red Devils are still 4th in the league though and are unbeaten in their last four competitive matches including their 1-0 win over fellow top flight club Aston Villa in the 3rd Round. Is it really that bad in the United dressing room or is it all just media whispers?

Middlesbrough may well see this as a chance to cause an upset in front of the television cameras. The Boro are thriving under new manager Chris Wilder with the team now up to 7th in the table and only outside the play-off positions by virtue of an inferior goal difference compared to West Brom. The team have lost just 1 of their last 10 matches in all competitions including winning 6 of their last 7 matches. They did require a little bit of fortune in their 3-2 win over League Two side Mansfield in the 3rd Round with a 95th minute own goal from Stags midfielder John-Joe O'Toole to decide the tie. This is a Middlesbrough team that could well be competing in the top division next season though if they can keep this cracking form going until the end of the season.

These two sides have played a surprisingly large number of matches against each other down the years with the last encounter coming in the Premier League back on 19th March, 2017. It was United who prevailed as 3-1 victors on that occasion. However, they last met in a cup game in the EFL Cup back in October, 2015. That game was played at Old Trafford and ended in a 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough winning 3-1 on penalties. Can Middlesbrough come away with a win again? I'm not sure I can see it unfortunately. Even with all their problems off the pitch I still think United should have enough to get through.

Manchester United HT/FT @ 2.08 with SBK

Manchester United to Win & BTTS @ 3.50 with Bet365

[StevieDay1983]

Chelsea vs Plymouth

The FA Cup 4th Round action continues on Saturday afternoon with a double header at 12:30pm GMT. The first of those that I'm looking at is the clash between reigning Champions League winners Chelsea and League One promotion hopefuls Plymouth at Stamford Bridge. The stats suggest that this game is already done and dusted but is there any evidence that the away team could cause an upset?

Chelsea come into this game having only suffered 1 loss in their last 14 matches across all competitions. The Blues are still in the hunt for all the major competitions having reached the EFL Cup Final last month and currently sit 3rd in the Premier League with a Champions League last 16 tie on the horizon. Thomas Tuchel has navigated his way through the Romelu Lukaku storm very well but there are still questions over whether his playing style is now getting the most out of this Chelsea side. I think their injuries in defence have been a factor in them dropping points recently but their 5-1 obliteration over non-league Chesterfield in the 3rd Round showed that when it comes to taking on teams positioned lower than them that they can breeze past such opposition.

Plymouth are adapting to life after Ryan Lowe with new head coach Steven Schumacher taking over the reigns. Results have been a bit patchy since the change of manager but this was occurring just before Lowe left the club anyway. The Pilgrims are down to 7th in the third tier of English football having previously been battling amongst the automatic promotion contenders. The team have knocked out Sheffield Wednesday, Rochdale, and Birmingham to reach this stage of the competition but this will be a far tougher challenge than any they have encountered thus far. Even though form isn't at its best for Plymouth they have still been managing to score having only failed to hit the back of the net in 1 of their last 11 matches.

This game has been a long time in the making with these two clubs not facing each other since 1989 when they met in the old second tier in the years before the Premier League was established. It was Chelsea who prevailed as 1-0 winners on that day. I think it's a tough ask for Plymouth here and I fully expect Chelsea to field a strong team in order to get the job done.

Chelsea to Win & BTTS @ 3.50 with SportNation

Chelsea -2 @ 1.73 with Betfair

[StevieDay1983]

Kidderminster vs West Ham

If ever the term David versus Goliath was needed for an FA Cup game then this is arguably it. National League North side Kidderminster play host to Premier League club West Ham in this 12:30pm GMT kick-off on Saturday afternoon from the Aggborough Stadium. This one is for all those FA Cup romantics out there who have witnessed the impossible on so many occasions before. Will we witness the impossible once more?

Kidderminster are the lowest ranked side remaining in the FA Cup and it's already been one hell of a journey for the Worcestershire-based team. Manager Russell Penn has led his team from the 2nd Qualifying Round back in September and have since navigated their way past Sporting Khalsa, Ware, Bedfont Sports, Grimsby, FC Halifax Town, and Reading. The team are in solid form coming into this having gone unbeaten in their last 4 matches and not even conceding a goal during that period. They currently sit 3rd in the league table and are just 4 points off top spot. Scoring goals at home hasn't been a problem for them either with them managing to score in 9 of their last 10 home matches.

West Ham will come into this game knowing that teams have fallen victim to FA Cup giant-killings before. The Hammers might well be 5th place in the Premier League but in games like this there is a large element of magic on the day so league position will count for nothing if they don't deliver a performance. Back-to-back defeats in the league have put the club on a bit of a downer and a lack of transfer activity during the January window has left fans wondering if this current squad has what it takes to stay in contention for the European qualification fight. Scoring goals hasn't been an issue for David Moyes's side on the road with the team bagging 3 or more goals in 2 of their last 3 away games. Jarrod Bowen will be the man to watch having scored 4 goals in his last 4 appearances for the club.

These are the sort of games that make the FA Cup so special. A sixth tier side welcoming Premier League quality to their 6,444 capacity stadium. I really want to back Kidderminster to get a shock win and I wouldn't be surprised if they scored first. It can happen quite a lot but I think the general fitness and quality of West Ham will prove too much. What a day it'll be for the home team and their fans no matter what the result.

West Ham to Win & BTTS @ 3.30 with SportNation

Kidderminster to Score First @ 6.00 with Bet365

[StevieDay1983]

Crystal Palace vs Hartlepool

The FA Cup 4th Round matches continue into 3pm GMT on Saturday afternoon when Premier League club Crystal Palace host League Two side Hartlepool at Selhurst Park. This is a nice day out for the visitors but they will be determined to do everything they can to avoid being humiliated. Their last five meetings have been in cup competitions with the spoils shared overall so maybe there is hope for the underdogs.

Crystal Palace are enduring a tricky spell under Patrick Vieira right now. The 2-1 win away to Championship outfit Millwall in the last round put some sparkle into the club that was needed given they've only won 1 of their last 5 league games and have dropped down to 13th place in the Premier League table as a result. The team are boosted by the return of star man Wilfried Zaha from the Africa Cup of Nations. The Eagles have only won 33% of their home matches this season but Vieira could opt to field a weakened side with some important fixtures coming up over the next month or so.

Hartlepool come into this game keen on an upset. Graeme Lee is the man given the job of replacing former gaffer Dave Challinor after his departure back in November. The Monkey Hangers may well be without a league win in their last 7 league outings but Lee has clearly made them a tough team to beat with 5 of those games ending in a draw. The team are now in 16th position in League Two and relegation would be a bit of a surprise given their 12 point gap with the bottom two but you never know! The FA Cup has provided some much-needed escapism from league duty with the team progressing past Wycombe, Lincoln, and Blackpool so far. Entertainment and goals is in short supply in Hartlepool away games with over 2.5 goals coming in just 5 of their 14 away league games thus far.

As mentioned above, these two teams have met in the cup competitions in their last 5 meetings. It has been two wins a piece and one draw over 90 minutes. Interestingly, the two FA Cup encounters have ended in a victory for Hartlepool. Both of those wins did come on home turf for Hartlepool though and they haven't tasted victory at Selhurst Park since 1st October, 1958 when the teams were competing in the old Division Four. I would be astonished to see anything other than a solid Crystal Palace win here.

Crystal Palace to Win to Nil @ 1.60 with BetVictor

Crystal Palace HT/FT @ 1.57 with Coral

[StevieDay1983]

Everton vs Brentford

Two world class attacking midfielders have joined the two teams playing in the next game I'm previewing when Everton take on Brentford in an all-Premier League tie at 3pm GMT from Goodison Park. The difference being that Frank Lampard has been appointed as the new Everton head coach where as Christian Eriksen will join Brentford in a playing role in what has to be seen as one of the shrewdest signings of the January transfer window.

Everton begin a new era this weekend with former Derby and Chelsea gaffer Lampard being appointed. The ex-England international was the firm favourite with Evertonians so it'll be interesting to see if they still have a moan and whinge at the board when it all goes to pot. Sorry, if it all goes to pot! The Toffees need a big turn around with the club down in 16th position and just 4 points outside the relegation zone. It's now just 2 wins from their last 14 matches in all competitions. They needed extra-time to get past Championship strugglers Hull in the last round. It was also a busy transfer window for the club with the additions of Dele Alli, Donny van de Beek, Vitaliy Mykolenko, Anwar El Ghazi, and Nathan Patterson all coming in.

Brentford will be satisfied with how their first season in the Premier League has gone so far. The Bees are in 14th place and 8 points clear of relegation but recent form has started to dip. 7 defeats from their last 9 matches in all competitions has left the club low on morale. There is a danger that if this poor form isn't halted soon then it could see them slip into a relegation dogfight. The signing of Danish international Eriksen is a marquee arrival but the team will need to improve across many areas if they want to start winning again. The 4-1 win away to Port Vale in the 3rd Round was resounding but this will be a tougher challenge. Brentford did pick up the win against Everton when they met in the league earlier this season so will feel they hold a psychological advantage.

A combination of poor home form this season and underwhelming home form in the FA Cup leaves Everton with a bit of a monkey on their shoulder. It's just 1 win from the last 7 home games and they haven't managed to win 5 of their last 7 home matches in the FA Cup in 90 minutes. I do think they will benefit from the new manager bounce of Lampard even though I have huge doubts about him being the right man for the job.

Everton to Win @ 2.10 with MansionBet

BTTS @ 1.81 with SBK

[StevieDay1983]

Manchester City vs Fulham

The current Premier League leaders take the latest step on their attempts to win the FA Cup for the first time since 2018/19 when they host Championship entertainers Fulham in a 3pm GMT kick-off on Saturday afternoon at the Etihad Stadium. This is a match up between arguably the most aesthetically pleasing footballing sides in their respective divisions so it's set to be a thriller.

Manchester City are the reigning Premier League champions and are looking well set to retain that title this season with the club sitting top of the league table and 9 points ahead of 2nd placed Liverpool. Pep Guardiola's men will have their eyes firmly on the treble with the Champions League also in their line of sight. The Citizens are on an unbeaten run of 14 matches in domestic competition including 13 victories. As if you needed any convincing that Manchester City will be a goal scoring threat in this game it is true that they have scored at least 3 goals in four of their last six FA Cup ties. A mixed team of first team players and young prospects easily progressed past Swindon away with a 4-1 win in the previous round.

Fulham appear to have found a decent run of form in the New Year with Marco Silva's side unbeaten in 6 matches in all competitions including winning 5 of those games and scoring an incredible 24 goals during that period. The Cottagers are up to 1st place in the Championship and 5 points clear of 2nd placed Blackburn with a game in hand. It's hard to see in this current form how they will be stopped from cracking on and earning automatic promotion now this season. Goals have been in abundance for Fulham recently and 12 goals have been scored in their last 2 away games. The frightening statistic is that during this epic scoring run, the goals have come from 10 different players so the goal threat is apparent right across the pitch.

In the battle between the top of the Premier League and the top of the Championship it's probably clear who is going to prevail victorious. If Fulham were at home then I'd fancy them to make it a tough and nervous night for Manchester City but with the game being played at the Etihad Stadium I can see Fulham finding it a tricky afternoon. City prevailed as 4-0 winners when they last met in the FA Cup back in January, 2020 and I wouldn't be surprised to see a similar score here.

Manchester City HT/FT @ 1.57 with Coral

Manchester City -2 @ 2.07 with Sporting Index

[Labrador]

For a bit of interest in the Kidderminster v West Ham tie it might be worth a small bet on the home side's Omari Sterling-James to score - with 10/1 available (Sporting Index) or a buy of his goal minutes at 5. He has scored a couple of "Ward-Prowsesque"  free kicks against York (in particular) and Leamington recently. 

However, on a cautionary note, Stuart Pearce has lately been seen at Aggborough scouting for West Ham more times than Carol Vorderman has denied having plastic surgery, so the Hammers may take extra care to line up any defensive walls.

[StevieDay1983]

Southampton vs Coventry

The FA Cup 4th Round offers another clash between the Premier League and the Championship at 3pm GMT on Saturday afternoon when top flight Southampton host second tier Coventry at St Mary's Stadium. Both teams can be satisfied with their respective campaigns so far with both settling into mid-table mediocrity but could we see weakened line-ups here as they focus on their league games?

Southampton have been a victim of a lack of consistency all season but the team has lost just 1 of their last 7 matches across all competitions. Ralph Hasenhuttl's men are up to 12th in the Premier League table and progressed to this stage of the FA Cup after a 3-2 win after extra-time away to Swansea. The Saints have a proud record of not losing any of their last six home matches in the FA Cup over 90 minutes. Their home record this season has been impressive as well with the team losing just 1 game on home turf across the whole season with no loss in their last 8 home matches across all competitions.

Coventry had started this season very well and were one of the surprise packages in the Championship. Recently, an inconsistent patch of form has seen the team fall off the pace and down to 10th in the table. Mark Robins will now face the challenge of stopping the team from going into freefall. Just 1 win from their last 5 away games means they won't exactly come into this encounter brimming with confidence. The Sky Blues won by a 1-0 score over fellow Championship side Derby in the previous round but just 2 wins from their last 10 league games means their form overall isn't looking too good.

The form book suggests this game is there for Southampton to win with their awesome home record this season. Coventry are faltering in the league and it'll be a tough challenge for them here. Both teams have scored in each of Southampton's last five home games and both teams have also scored in three of the last four away games for Coventry. Southampton to win with both teams scoring seems a fair shout.

Southampton to Win & BTTS @ 3.40 with Bet365

Southampton HT/FT @ 2.50 with SpreadEx

[StevieDay1983]

Wolves vs Norwich

It's an all-Premier League encounter for my last preview covering the 3pm GMT kick-offs on Saturday afternoon as mid-table Wolves play relegation battling Norwich at Molineux. Winning is looking like a habit for both of these teams based on their last couple of matches so both will be confident they can progress here but is there too much quality in favour of the home team?

Wolves are enjoying a very positive season under head coach Bruno Lage. Wanderers are in 8th place in the league and breathing down the necks of the teams currently occupying the European qualification spots. An unbeaten run of 6 matches in all competitions including winning the last 4 on the bounce has put the team in a very pleasing position. Four clean sheets coming in that six game undefeated run has shown that Lage has got his team back to their defensive best once again. The 3-0 win at home to Championship side Sheffield United in the 3rd Round was dominant. The quadruple signings of Hayao Kawabe, Chiquinho, Hwang Hee-chan, and Jung Sang-bin have also added much-needed depth to what was previously a thin squad.

Norwich were looking like they were back in the survival hunt when Dean Smith was first appointed as their manager after the sacking of Daniel Farke but then a poor run of results led many, including myself, to assume the fire had gone out. However, back-to-back league wins against Everton and Watford plus an FA Cup 3rd Round victory over Charlton has boosted the spirits at the Norfolk club once again. The Canaries are now outside the relegation zone and properly in the mix to stay up. The bad news is that they haven't beaten Wolves in their last five meetings with the Midlands team. No new signings have come in during January but Smith has sent a number of players out of the club including Todd Cantwell, Onel Hernandez, Rocky Bushiri, and Jordan Hugill.

I'm not expecting this game to be a classic. Wolves have based their entire playing philosophy this season on a stable back-line whilst Norwich have struggled to score freely all season. Both teams have not scored in 5 of the last 6 home games for Wolves and 10 of the previous 12 away matches for Norwich. I can see Wolves pulling off a turgid clean sheet win here to progress.

Wolves to Win @ 1.75 with SBK

BTTS No @ 1.87 with Betfair

[malabgd]

Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle

2022-02-05T13:30+01:00

 

Chelsea

Doubtful: -

Out (injuries/other): Thiago Silva (20/3 d), Christian Pulisic (12/3 m), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (12/0 m), Edouard Mendy (20/0 first goalkeeper, national selection), Reece James (16/4 d), Ben Chilwell (6/3 d)

Suspended: -

 

Plymouth Argyle

Doubtful: -

Out (injuries/other): Romoney Crichlow (2/0 d, cup-tied), Brendan Galloway (14/2 d), George Cooper (1/0 m)

Suspended: -

 

Daily updated injuries and suspensions information from more than 100 football leagues and competitions worldwide at: www.injuriesandsuspensions.com

[StevieDay1983]

Liverpool vs Cardiff

It's a repeat of the 2012 EFL Cup Final (I'll use any excuse to throw that in!) in the FA Cup 4th Round on Sunday when Premier League title challengers Liverpool play Championship relegation battlers Cardiff in a 12pm GMT kick-off from Anfield. Everything on paper suggests this will be a walkover for the home team but with the underdogs causing problems for their opponents already will we see another example of that here?

Liverpool are the undoubted favourites heading into this game. The Reds are 2nd in the Premier League and 9 points behind league leaders Manchester City with a game in hand. Jurgen Klopp's side are still without the duo of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah who are contesting the Africa Cup of Nations Final with Senegal and Egypt respectively later on Sunday. It is still expected that Klopp will field a strong side for this game with a limited number of changes. Liverpool have won 4 of their last 5 matches and remain unbeaten at home all season. However, they have conceded in 9 of their last 11 FA Cup matches.

Cardiff have it all to do here and there has been a strong emphasis from the fans that they'd take losing 10-0 if it means getting a win against Peterborough in midweek. This could be a mentality that Steve Morison shares. The season-long injuries to Sean Morrison and Alfie Doughty were a huge blow for the Bluebirds in the Barnsley game last week and has left the squad depleted so Morison's hand might be forced in a number of positions. Still, Cardiff pushed Liverpool all the way back in 2012 and have scored in 7 of their previous 8 away matches.

I'm not expecting much from Cardiff here. The Barnsley and Peterborough games that sandwich this match are far more important than this game so I wouldn't be surprised if Morison takes this game as a fitness exercise more than anything. I can see a few fringe players being given an opportunity and I can see changes being made during the game. Will we even score? I'm not sure. I can see Liverpool turning us over by at least 3 or 4 goals.

Liverpool -2 @ 1.91 with Novibet

Liverpool HT/FT @ 1.50 with Coral

 

[StevieDay1983]

Nottingham Forest vs Leicester

The last game that I'll cover for the FA Cup 4th Round is the clash between Championship promotion hopefuls Nottingham Forest and local rivals Leicester in a 4pm GMT kick-off on Sunday afternoon from the City Ground. The home side have already disposed of one Premier League team in Arsenal and they'll be hoping to repeat that feat here against a team they enjoy a competitive relationship with!

Nottingham Forest are still looking like a team that can evolve in a positive direction under head coach Steve Cooper. The Tricky Trees are up to 8th in the league table and their 1-0 win at home against Arsenal in the previous round was one of the shocks of the competition so far. It's 4 wins from their last 5 games now as the team remains in a decent run of results. The team has also won 5 of their last 6 games at home showing that they are turning the City Ground into a bit of a fortress. A number of new additions have been drafted into the team during January with centre back Jonathan Panzo coming in from Dijon, striker Sam Surridge from Stoke, centre back Steve Cook from Bournemouth, and striker Keinan Davis on loan from Aston Villa.

Leicester remain suffering from a lack of consistency with the team winning just 1 of their last 4 matches in the league but storming past Watford with a 4-1 win in the 3rd Round of this competition. Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed with his team's 10th placed position in the Premier League and will be hopeful that his team can go some way to retaining the FA Cup that they famously won last season. The Foxes are still in the midst of an injury crisis of sorts and there's been no transfer activity during January to address bolstering a squad that is quite depleted. Defensive issues continue to plague Leicester with the team conceding 17 goals in their last 6 away games.

This is a game that has potential to be a real ding dong battle. Nottingham Forest are in fine form under Cooper right now and you'd have to feel they are a real force at home. Leicester are struggling for form on the road and the defence is still a problem area. I wouldn't be surprised if Forest actually make it a second giant-killing in a row and get the victory here.

Nottingham Forest Double Chance @ 2.12 with SBK

Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.87 with Betfair