The midweek games see more cup action coming our way, as the line-up for the fourth round of the FA Cup is decided. The third round replays are taking place between Tuesday and Wednesday night, and there are plenty of ties yet to be settled as the cup begins to heat up. Will the replays provide more shocks, or will the favourites ease through to the next round?
There are three live games from the cup across the week, with the BBC and BT Sport going head to head for viewers on Wednesday night. Tuesday sees West Brom head to Bristol City, who came close to knocking the Baggies out at the Hawthorns. Wednesday the rematch between Leicester and Tottenham is on the BBC, while BT have Exeter’s trip to Anfield live. Here we’re previewing four of the replays, and tipping the best value bets on each game.
Tuesday 19th January 2016
Bolton v Eastleigh (19:45) – Both teams to score (5/6 with Betfair)
This game really should be on TV somewhere, it’s a tie that had plenty of interest first time around, and its set to attract the same following again. The lowest ranked side still in the cup take on struggling Bolton, hoping to upset the odds against the Championship side. The Trotters won’t be happy with the extra game, but you get the feeling the club need the extra replay revenue, given their dire financial straits right now. Can they secure progression to the fourth round, or will they be toppled by the National League side?
A clash at home to Leeds awaits the winner of this tie in the next round, and that would be a huge game for Eastleigh, should they make it. They’ve shown how difficult they can be on their own turf, but can they pose a problem or two for Bolton at the Macron? Given how Neil Lennon’s side are playing right now, you could see the underdogs getting themselves a goal here. The Trotters aren’t great defensively, and Eastleigh have nothing to lose coming here. We’re backing both teams to score in this one, as we see the non-league side at least causing a scare.
Bristol City v West Brom (19:45) – West Brom to win (11/10 with Bet365)
This seems like a leftfield choice to be shown live, as West Brom look to progress at the second attempt. They were favourites to go through at the Hawthorns, but they ended up 2-1 down in the closing stages. A late equaliser kept them in the competition, and forced these two sides to face off once again. Tony Pulis named a strong side for that clash, and he should name another full strength team as he looks to give the Baggies’ supporters a cup run to enjoy.
That 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns wasn’t enough for Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill to keep his job, as he was sacked on Thursday. He leaves the Robins in the bottom three, with their Championship future in doubt. While this game against Premier League opposition is one to enjoy for the fans, their league position is much more important. Given their recent struggles in the league, we see West Brom picking up the win here. They’ve come to Ashton Gate determined not to slip up again, and they’re capable of securing a win here.
Wednesday 20th January 2016
Leicester v Tottenham (19:45) – Leicester to win (7/4 with BetVictor)
These two teams meet for the third time in 10 days, after Leicester picked up a cup draw and a league win at White Hart Lane. The Foxes came close to knocking Spurs out at home in the first game, but a controversial late penalty was converted by Harry Kane, forcing a replay. The two sides made 15 changes between them for that cup meeting, but will they take this replay a little more seriously? They’re both on course for strong league season’s but with the winners here facing League One Colchester next, they might fancy a cup run.
Tottenham start the tie as favourites, despite Leicester having home advantage. The Foxes won the last meeting between the two, a league clash at White Hart Lane, and that’s sure to be a big boost. The Foxes have been fantastic at home this term, losing only one game, and we’re backing them to keep up that good run with a cup win over Spurs. They may not field their strongest team, but they’ve shown that there is depth to their squad, and we see them just edging this tie.
Liverpool v Exeter (20:00) – Liverpool -2 handicap (13/8 with Bet365)
Liverpool face Exeter in Wednesday’s other replay, with the Reds boss Jurgen Klopp expected to rotate his squad following their tough run of games. Coming into this game on the back of clashes against Arsenal and Manchester United, plus with a League Cup semi-final second leg to come the week after, it’s easy to see why he’d make changes. Klopp is facing a bit of an injury crisis, but he should start getting a few of his stars back in time for this game. That would at least give him a few extra bodies in his squad.
The winner here will face West Ham at home in the next round, with Liverpool obviously heavy favourites. Exeter showed how they can cause a shock in the first meeting, but surely they can’t repeat that at Anfield? We expect Klopp to name a slightly stronger team now that a few players are starting to come back, and we also expect to see their quality prove to be a step too far for the League Two side. While the players and board should enjoy the trip and the financial reward along with it, we think this is the end of their FA Cup road, with the Reds pulling off a comfortable win.