The fourth round of the FA Cup gets underway again this weekend which, for all the excitement it brings, is a gambler’s nightmare. The one guarantee in cup football is that there’s an upset across the list of fixtures, and that’s exactly why a winning accumulator will not be tipped here. Yes, it’s fun to try to predict where the ‘cupset’ will be, but Sods-Law has it that it’s always that other match you had in mind.
Another guarantee which the FA Cup brings with its name is goals. And (without wanting to jinx it) plenty of them. So the tip for this weekend will be on the much-loved both teams to score accumulator.
Aston Villa vs Man City
Villa may be rock bottom of the Premier League table, but as last year shows, they do love an FA Cup run. They only just scraped past League Two Wycombe Wanderers to make it to the Fourth Round, but form goes out of the window on cup weekend. A home fixture against Manchester City, who themselves have only kept two clean sheets away from home since they played Villa in the League at the start of November, could see the title-challengers tested after they celebrated a League Cup semi-final win against Everton. It is a risky tip and City should progress, but Villa can score against a tired and Kompany-less defence.
Arsenal vs Burnley
Arsenal very rarely fail to score at home, except for their title run-in slip-up to Chelsea last week, and as they face a Championship side they should score a few to put critics to bed. Sean Dyche’s men, though, have been on absolute fire in front of goal recently. In their last three matches they’ve scored an incredible 12 times as they picked up maximum points as they eye Premier League football for the 2016/17 season. As much as an Arsenal win is expected at the weekend, Burnley could very easily score.
Crystal Palace vs Stoke
Admittedly, this fixture doesn’t scream goals. Both teams are known for their defensive approaches in football matches and for a lot of people this stands out as a bore 0-0 draw. But both teams here will really fancy their chances of going far in the FA Cup, and that’s why both teams will attack.
Stoke, even more than Man City, may be leggy from their 120-minute match against Liverpool on Tuesday night, so their normal sturdy defence could suffer. Palace have lost their last three fixtures too so should be wanting to prove a point to their fans. But Stoke also pose a really strong attacking threat, and with very good odds this boosts the accumulator returns.
Bolton vs Leeds
Neil Lennon’s side are in real trouble in the Championship at the moment, so Wanderers fans will want nothing more than progression in the FA Cup against Leeds. Bolton have won three of their last four fixtures at home in all competitions so will want to carry this on. But they face a tough side in Leeds who themselves have a lot of confidence behind them. Manager Steve Evans has already outlined his desire to be in the draw come Sunday evening, so don’t be surprised to see his team go all-out attack. The last fixture between the two ended 1-1, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a similar scoreline this Saturday.
PLEASE NOTE: One thing which will never be given is predictions between any lunch-time and evening kick-offs. There’s literally nothing worse than a bet losing before 3pm, and equally as bad is when you’re waiting on one team later on in the day and being stuck whether to cash out or not. Inevitably, you end up frustrated when that so-called banker draws just when you need them the most.
Please bet responsibly as it’s a very addicting habit. Do not bet just to win money but do it to add that bit extra fun to the beautiful game.
