After the League Cup final last weekend, we have more cup action to come this weekend. This week’s football is almost completely dominated by the FA Cup, with the competition now at the quarter final stage and sides just one good result away from Wembley. There’s just one Premier League game all weekend, which means the great old trophy can take centre stage, and we have a great variation of games spread over three days from Saturday to Monday.
Every single one of the games is live, with huge clashes like Manchester United playing Arsenal, all the way down to an all-Football League clash between League One Bradford and Championship side Reading. Here we have previews for each of those games, with a betting tip to help you make some money along the way too.
Saturday 7th March 2015
Bradford v Reading (12:45) – Bradford to win (13/8 with Coral)
The opening game of the weekend sees a clash of two sides that you wouldn’t have expected to get this far. Reading are 18th in the Championship table, but they have an FA Cup quarter final and a very realistic chance of a Wembley semi final. Steve Clarke has helped steady the ship since taking over midseason, and this cup run is a ray of light in an otherwise dark campaign for the Royals. With a draw against lower league opposition, they’ll be targeting a place in the final four.
Despite being a division above their opponents, Reading aren’t the favourites for this one. Bradford’s recent cup shocks against the likes of Chelsea and Sunderland, not to mention home advantage, mean it is the West Yorkshire outfit that are priced at shorter odds. Bradford aren’t far off the League One play-offs, so there’s not actually too much between these two sides, and as we’ve seen so far this season the Bantams are capable of punching far above their weight. Bradford have been in a similar position before, reaching the League Cup final two years ago. That run helped them to promotion from League Two, and this cup run can be a similar springboard. Given their recent cup history, a Bradford win and another trip to Wembley looks like the best bet here.
Aston Villa v West Brom (17:30) – West Brom to win (15/8 with Betfred)
The second match on Saturday is a Midlands derby, a repeat of their meeting in the league just a few days before. This game will take precedence over the league meeting, given that there’s a place at Wembley up for grabs to the winner. Aston Villa come in to this game in the middle of a tough battle against relegation, and their goalscoring worries up front continue to plague them. The FA Cup has been a welcome break for them from their league problems, but will that be the case again against an in form West Brom?
Tony Pulis has worked wonders at the Hawthorns since taking over, combining a climb away from the drop zone in the league with progress in the FA Cup, and outside of the three favourites, West Brom are the dark horses for the trophy this year. Pulis has led a team to the final before, and he’ll be looking for a repeat with West Brom. They’d love nothing more than to beat their local rivals and book a place in the next round. Given how well WBA have been playing of late, that looks likely to happen so make hay whilst the sun shines on the Albion.
Sunday 8th March 2015
Liverpool v Blackburn (16:00) – Liverpool -1 (10/11 with Sky Bet)
Liverpool did crash out of the Europa League recently, but that could well be set to help their league and FA Cup campaigns. They’re chasing a Champions League place and the first silverware under manager Brendan Rodgers, and they’re favourites to do that with the bookies. They’ve been handed a great draw in the quarter finals, at home to lower league opposition, and they have a fantastic shot at reaching a Wembley final. Their opponents, Blackburn, are mid table in the Championship, and despite upsetting a few top flight sides this season, they don’t look likely to trouble the Reds here.
Liverpool are currently the form team in the top flight, and they’ve got a record to rival most of Europe in 2015. Just as last season, they’re hitting top form heading towards the end of the season, and that looks like taking them to a strong league finish. They’d love to add a cup win this season as well, especially to give Steven Gerrard a Wembley send off. Given how well the Reds have been playing, it’s hard to see them having any difficulty here. They should record a comfortable win, and a Liverpool victory with a -1 handicap looks like the best value here at a shade under evens.
Monday 9th March 2015
Manchester United v Arsenal (20:00) – Manchester United to win (11/8 with Bet365)
Monday night sees the highlight of the round, as Manchester United host holders Arsenal. This game is win or bust clash for both sides, as it’s their last chance of silverware and it will send out a huge message in the battle for the top four. Neither club have had a great campaign so far, but winning the FA Cup could change that. Arsenal capped off a tough campaign last year by winning the trophy, and that will make them extra determined to retain it this season.
For United, it’s been 10 years since they won this competition last, which is too long for a side with such a great record in the cup. After a season without silverware last year, Louis van Gaal can get things back on track with a trophy. They are favourites to win here, which mainly comes down to the squad’s experience in these big games, home advantage and their fine recent record against Arsenal. This will likely be a close game, but there’s good value to be had on the home side with them priced at odds of well above evens to win. Both teams to score is also worth looking at, but a win for the hosts is our tip here, given that they’ve won all of their last five games at Old Trafford against Arsenal.