FA Cup
Thrills And Spills On FA Cup Fifth Round Weekend
The Fifth Round of the FA Cup takes place this weekend, which generates some fascinating football betting angles from all-Premier League clashes to underdog stories.
Here, tipster Sam Cox previews the best of the action over the coming days – with several all-Premier League ties attracting attention on the road to Wembley.
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Liverpool
Wolves beat Liverpool in the Premier League a matter of days ago. The Midlands club have won back-to-back matches and suddenly have an inkling of hope that the greatest of escapes could be pulled off.
Liverpool’s defeat at Molineux was no more than they deserved amid a poor performance. It ended a run of three consecutive league wins, and they will be desperate to get back on track here.
As impressive as Wolves have been of late, lightning probably doesn’t strike twice.
Pick: Both teams to score (4/6)
Score prediction: Wolves 1-2 Liverpool (13/2)
Wrexham vs Chelsea
Chelsea broke out of a run of poor form with a scintillating 4-1 win at Aston Villa. It’s notable Liam Rosenior named a strong team for the Blues’ win at Hull in the last round, but he’s likely to rotate some key players for this one with PSG looming in midweek.
Wrexham are unbeaten in five matches in all competitions and have won four in that stretch. It won’t be straightforward for Chelsea, who have had plenty of slip-ups in recent weeks.
Even if Cole Palmer and others are rested, the Blues should have enough quality to win this one, but it won’t be without a scare.
Pick: Chelsea to win and BTTS (13/8)
Score prediction: Wrexham 1-3 Chelsea (9/1)
Newcastle United vs Manchester City
Newcastle won against Manchester United in dramatic fashion on Wednesday. Despite playing most of the match with 10 men, the Magpies dug deep and scored a late winner in what they will hope is a slump-breaking result.
In stark contrast, Manchester City saw their title hopes dented with a 2-2 draw at home to Nottingham Forest. This fixture is a chance to get back on track for City, but it could also be seen as a distraction before Champions League commitments return next week.
This probably means more to Newcastle than it does to City. The atmosphere at St. James’ is going to be bouncing.
Pick: Newcastle to win tie (7/5)
Score prediction: Newcastle 3-2 Man City (22/1)
Fulham vs Southampton
A hard-fought win at Stoke earned Fulham’s place in the Fifth Round. They are a prime candidate for a cup run, even though the club’s ownership might prefer to qualify for contintental competition.
Since losing to Hull in January, Southampton are on a nine-match unbeaten run, with only a pair of draws. They have won their last three away matches, taking nine points from trips to Stoke, Leicester, and Sheffield Wednesday.
Despite the defeat to West Ham, Fulham are a hard team to beat at Craven Cottage. We expect the Premier League team to get the job done.
Pick: Fulham to win and BTTS (9/5)
Score prediction: Fulham 3-1 Southampton (10/1)
West Ham vs Brentford
Nuno Espirito Santo wrung the changes in West Ham’s win over Burton in the last round. He’s likely to do the same here with the Hammers focused on avoiding the drop rather than progressing in the FA Cup.
Brentford, meanwhile, are having a wonderful season. They are seventh, only four points off fifth, and won at the London Stadium earlier in the campaign.
A repeat of that 2-0 victory is the most likely outcome here. The Bees are going to be a difficult opponent for whoever they meet in the next round.
Pick: Brentford to win to nil (17/5)
Score prediction: West Ham 0-2 Brentford (11/1)
Other FA Cup Fifth Round Score Predictions:
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
