Valentine’s weekend is known for all things romance, and that could definitely be the case this year as it’s the FA Cup fifth round weekend. After a round of incredible twists and turns last time out which saw the Premier League’s top three all go out at the same time, expectations are certainly high ahead of this weekend. With the FA Cup looking wide open, any team left in it will fancy themselves to do well, given they’re just two wins away from Wembley.
While the majority of FA Cup shocks tend to come away from the live TV games, there are some interesting-looking live matches across the weekend. Ahead of all of those, we have previews for all four of the televised FA Cup games across Saturday and Sunday, including a betting tip for each game.
Saturday 14th February 2015
West Brom v West Ham (12:45) – Both teams to score (4/5 with Ladbrokes)
These two sides are real dark horses in the cup at this point. While there are a few bigger sides left in, Manchester City, Chelsea and Southampton’s exits mean the likes of West Brom and West Ham have a real chance of making the latter stages of the cup and maybe even making it to the final. Both sides at this point will be looking to do that, as both managers are experienced enough to know that this is a unique opportunity. Don’t expect to see any weakened teams in this game, both managers are likely to be going all out for this one.
Of course, only one of them will be going through here. West Ham are currently fourth favourites for the trophy, but the hosts are sixth favourites with the bookies. Despite the gap between these two in the league, it’s too close to call the winner here. Home advantage could prove crucial in the end, but it’s tough to back against the Hammers nicking a win. Given they’re both looking to go for the win, both teams to score looks like the best bet to us. West Ham have only kept one clean sheet away from home all season, and that came against League One side Bristol City.
Crystal Palace v Liverpool (17:30) – Liverpool to win (21/20 with BetVictor)
The late game on Saturday sees one of the front runners in the FA Cup betting, Liverpool, heading to Crystal Palace. It’s been hard to avoid people pointing out that the FA Cup final falls on Steven Gerrard’s birthday, which would be his final game for the club if they got there. They will be pushing hard in this competition, as Brendan Rodgers knows he needs to secure a trophy sooner rather than later, as he has yet to procure any silverware since taking over the reins at Anfield. This competition is their best shot at a trophy, so expect strong line ups from here on out.
Before the Reds can think about winning it, of course, they need to get past Palace. Liverpool lost 3-1 at Selhurst Park back when Neil Warnock was in charge, and since he was replaced with Alan Pardew, things have been looking better for the Eagles. They’ve moved away from the drop zone in the Premier League, and they can now feel comfortable balancing between league and cup, with a solid cushion between them and the bottom three. Despite that, Liverpool are much improved from their defeat here in November, and we feel they will have enough to get the victory.
Sunday 15th February 2015
Aston Villa v Leicester (12:30) – Aston Villa to win (11/8 with BetVictor)
This clash of two relegation-threatened teams is a strange choice by the BBC to bring the cameras to, especially when there are more interesting games which have been overlooked. Given that Villa are a side that rarely score, and they’re the favourites here, it’s hard to imagine this one will turn out to be a classic. It will show two sides who will be free of their relegation worries, even if it’s just for this weekend. The cup provides escapism for club and fans alike, and these two sets of supporters surely need it.
Villa recently ended an 11 hour run without a goal, while Leicester have been bottom of the Premier League table for most of the season, and they don’t look cut out for this level. Both sides have performed much better in the cup, with the Foxes winning at Spurs, and Aston Villa actually scoring goals. Granted, Villa have only played Championship opposition thus far, but there is little between Bournemouth at the top of that league and Leicester at the bottom of the top division. While Villa may be struggling to pick up wins in the league, we expect them to get another victory in the cup here, which might just start to brighten their season.
Arsenal v Middlesbrough (13:30) – Arsenal to win and both teams to score (21/10 with Coral)
Arsenal are the holders and favourites to lift this season’s trophy, and they face the side who knocked out the Premier League champions in the last round. Middlesbrough went to the Etihad and beat City 2-0, an incredible result that was slightly overshadowed by Bradford’s slightly more incredible win at Chelsea. Aitor Karanka has worked wonders at the Riverside, and he’ll have to do something similar to get a win at the Emirates. Arsenal are still in the Champions League but realistically we feel this is their last chance of silverware, and they should continue their run in the cup here.
Given that their Premier League campaign is inconsistent and many don’t expect them to mount a real challenge in the Champions League, Arsenal have a lot resting on this competition. Fourth place will be the main aim for Arsene Wenger again, but he’ll want to follow that up with a trophy. Arsenal will know they face a tough tie here, given what Middlesbrough did in the last round. Last time out the Gunners faced Championship opposition in Brighton and struggled at times in that game, which will give ‘Boro confidence. An Arsenal win with BTTS seems like the best bet here.