There’s no Premier League action this weekend, as the FA Cup takes over once again, as the competition reaches the fourth round stage. It was at this stage last year when Chelsea, Man City and Spurs all fell in one highly exciting weekend, so could we possibly get another weekend of shocks, thrills and spills like that?
The main focus of the weekend is on the Premier League sides facing trips to lower league opposition. Manchester United kick things off on Friday night at Derby, and that’s followed by lower league trips for Tottenham, Chelsea and Everton live on TV. There’s also a clash between two top flight sides, as West Ham head to Merseyside to take on Liverpool. We have previews for all of Saturday and Sunday’s live TV matches, with a betting tip for each.
Saturday 30th January 2016
Colchester v Tottenham (12:45) – Tottenham -1 handicap (17/16 with Betfred)
Tottenham needed two goes to get past Leicester in the last round, after both sides fielded very changed sides for those clashes. Expect a similarly rotated starting 11 for Spurs here, as they travel to face a side who are stuck in the relegation zone in League One. Colchester aren’t having the greatest of seasons, and this tie could prove to be a highlight in a terrible year for them. Ten years after pushing for a place in the Premier League, they’re now on course to end up in League Two. Can they put all that behind them to cause a huge shock on Saturday afternoon?
Mauricio Pochettino said he wants to kick on and win the FA Cup, even though they have a great chance of winning the title. That being said, you’d have to imagine that a rotated Spurs team should be able to handle a side who are toiling in League One, even if they are motivated and looking to produce a massive shock. Manchester City apart, Spurs probably have the strongest squad depth in the top flight, and we’re counting on that to come good here, as they record a comfortable win.
Liverpool v West Ham (17:30) – West Ham or Draw (11/10 with Bet365)
The only all Premier League tie on TV sees Liverpool facing a side who completed a league double over them this season. The Reds were well beaten by the Hammers at Anfield in August, then Jurgen Klopp’s side lost at Upton Park over Christmas. This will be an even tougher game for the Hammers, however, as they’re going to face a much improved side than the one they beat here in the summer. But they can certainly cause the Reds plenty of problems, and anything can happen in the cup.
The problem for Liverpool is that they come into this game just a few days after a League Cup semi-final, while West Ham have had all week to prepare. With an injury-hit squad, Liverpool might not have the depth to handle two big games in a week, and this would be the game to suffer. Klopp will prioritise a semi-final ahead of this clash, which gives West Ham a chance. That’s why we’re backing the visitors to get at least a draw in this one, and we’re going with West Ham or draw on the double chance market.
Sunday 31st January 2016
Carlisle v Everton (13:30) – Everton to win and both teams to score (17/10 with Betfair)
Sunday’s action gets back to the David versus Goliath encounters, as League Two side Carlisle host Everton, marking a big return for them to their own ground. Storm Desmond flooded Brunton Park, meaning that Carlisle’s home games have been on the road in the last few weeks. That’s seen their team and fans making huge trips for home games, and it’s bound to have taken something out of the squad. Now, their ground is open for business again, and they have a huge FA Cup tie to reward the fans who stuck by them during this tough spell.
That does make things harder for Everton, just think of how up for this game those Carlisle players and fans will be. Even though there’s a massive gap in quality for them to bridge to get anything here, they should be pushing the Premier League side, with a strong support watching on. That’s why we’re backing the hosts to at least make a dent in the Toffees’ defence, something that many sides have been doing with ease of late. While we still see Everton making it through to the fifth round, we think that the League Two side will get at least a goal in defeat.
MK Dons v Chelsea (16:00) – Chelsea -2 handicap (27/10 with BetVictor)
Following up on that tie, Chelsea head to Championship side MK Dons. Expect a very strong line up for the Blues here, as they have big ambitions of winning this trophy. With the title gone, Guus Hiddink is putting everything on the cup competitions, to land himself more silverware ahead of a widely expected exit in the summer. That would be another impressive line on his CV, as well as a big boost to his reputation in the game. Given how important it is to him, expect all of the Blues’ superstar players at Stadium MK on Sunday.
The Dons are currently just above the drop zone in the Championship, after winning promotion from League One last season. This will be a huge game for them, and they’ll be hoping to pull off a massive shock. There’s not too much love for MK Dons in the game, but they’ll still be the neutrals’ pick here, with fans hoping to see a giant killing. We expect Chelsea to get through, and with their full strength team out they should make short work of their opposition in this game. We’re backing Chelsea to win with a -2 handicap, which is priced at just under 3/1.