The Premier League takes a weekend off this weekend as the FA Cup reaches the fifth round stage. With just 16 teams left in, sides are just two wins away from booking a place at Wembley, and three away from the final. This is the stage when things start to get serious and the real favourites become clear, but hopefully we’ll also be getting a shock or two along the way.
Although, let’s just hope there aren’t too many shocks in the live games, as those are the ones for which we’ve picked out our betting tips. Here we’re looking ahead to all the big matches on Saturday and Sunday in the cup, previewing the four that are being broadcast live. Those include the holders, the Premier League champions and two Championship sides, so there’s plenty of variety. That should give us a weekend packed full of great games.
Saturday 20th February 2016
Arsenal v Hull (12:45) – Arsenal -1 handicap (8/5 with Betfair)
The weekend starts with Arsenal against Hull for the third season running in the FA Cup. These two met in the 2014 final, with Arsenal winning 3-2 in extra time after trailing 2-0. The Gunners knocked the Tigers out last season too, and now they face them once again. The main difference this time around is that Hull are a Championship side, and their main aim is pushing to win their division, as they look to make a swift return to top flight football. Will the FA Cup be a welcome break for them, or another distraction?
Arsenal may come into this game with more than half an eye on their massive Champions League clash with Barcelona which is just a few days later, but there’s plenty of time between this lunchtime kick off and that game. Expect them to name a strong enough side, as they look to win the cup for a third straight season, along with the hope of maintaining their title challenge. While they don’t really have the squad to compete across all three competitions, they should have a strong enough side to win this cup tie comfortably. We’re going with Arsenal on the -1 handicap, at best betting odds of 8/5 with Betfair.
Bournemouth v Everton (17:30) – Over 1.5 Everton goals (23/20 with Betfair)
The evening game is an all Premier League clash, as Bournemouth look to continue their impressive cup run. While they’re still quite close to danger in the top flight, the Cherries have enough of a cushion to afford taking the cup seriously, much to the delight of their fans. Staying up is obviously the main priority, but it’s a nice change to have success in the cup alongside that. Can they please those fans by making the step into the last eight?
This is a crucial match for Roberto Martinez, after his side’s exit from the League Cup. Their fans aren’t too happy about their patchy season so far, so a cup run is needed to quieten down the dissenters. Martinez has a pretty good record in the cups, and his side seem to suit playing away from home. This is a pretty good draw for the Toffees, and we think they’ll do pretty well here. They should have won at the Vitality Stadium in the league, but they conceded late on and drew 3-3. We think they’ll at least get back in to scoring form here again, as we’re backing them to get over 1.5 goals at 23/20 with Betfair.
Sunday 21st February 2016
Blackburn v West Ham (13:30) – West Ham to win (23/20 with SkyBet)
The first of Sunday’s double header sees West Ham make the trip north to Ewood Park. After knocking out Liverpool in the last round, they should be capable of dispatching Championship opposition, even if it’s away from home. Paul Lambert is starting to settle in at Blackburn, and he’s got his side progressing well in the cup. As much as he’d like to see them push on further, it’s hard to see them finding a way past a strong West Ham side.
Slaven Bilic said his team were aiming to win this trophy, and you’d have to make them dark horses right now. They have so much attacking talent in their side, and if they’re taking this seriously, they’ll be a threat to many teams. With no European distractions, they can push for cup success, and we see them booking a place in the last eight. Their fans probably wouldn’t mind a replay, given how Upton Park is hosting its last ever cup run. Despite that, we think Bilic’s men will go out and get the job done, continuing their great season so far.
Chelsea v Manchester City (16:00) – Chelsea to win (21/20 with Betfair)
The big game of the round doesn’t look quite so big when you focus on it, as 12th placed Chelsea host a struggling fourth placed Man City. While these two are among the favourites to lift the trophy, it’s not a huge clash between two behemoths. Chelsea are beginning to get back into form, but there are still plenty of problems in that team, and they’re in the middle of a defensive crisis. With several stars still not in form, and a shaky backline without their two best centre-halves, the Blues are far from their best here.
Despite that, Chelsea are favourites. That might be partly due to home advantage, but it’s also down to how City are doing. They’ve fallen from second to fourth in recent weeks, and their best 11 isn’t quite hitting the highs they’re used to. That first choice team won’t be seen here in all likelihood, with City in Champions League action on Tuesday night. They face a trip out to Ukraine to play Dynamo Kiev just two days after this one, so don’t expect to see too many of their top stars risked here. City will be prioritising Europe, which is why we expect Chelsea to sneak through.