There is a long weekend of FA Cup action ahead, with 16 ties spread across five days. The bulk of those matches take place on Saturday, where there could be a few upsets.
Saturday’s ten cup clashes begin with a mismatch as League One Leyton Orient entertain Manchester City. Ipswich could be in line for another FA Cup upset against Coventry, while the day's action wraps up with an all-Premier League affair at the Amex between Brighton and Chelsea..
- MILLWALL DRAW NO BET
- MANCHESTER CITY -2 GOALS ON HANDICAP
- COVENTRY TO WIN
- PRESTON TO WIN
- NEWCASTLE TO WIN AND OVER 2.5 GOALS
- CHELSEA TO WIN
Leeds United vs Millwall
Leeds United are strong favourites to progress to the fifth round at the expense of fellow Championship side Millwall. On the face of it, the hosts are well-positioned for a victory, having won five of their last six matches to nil.
After a 7-0 rout against Cardiff and a 2-0 victory at Coventry in the past seven days, there’s little doubt that Leeds are in pole position in the Championship title race. However, Daniel Farke’s side face a tough run to close out February.
Leeds head to a Watford side with a strong home record, before clashes with promotion rivals Sunderland and Sheffield United. They then begin March with a tricky encounter with West Brom, so the cup may be an unwelcome distraction.
Leeds rotated for the third round and just about saw off League Two outfit Harrogate. With Millwall heading to Elland Road on the back of three successive wins in the Championship, they may be able to upset the odds in what is sure to be fiercely-contested.
MILLWALL DRAW NO BET
Leyton Orient vs Manchester City
Leyton Orient lost 1-0 to Stockport in their last home game and they’re up against it in this clash with the reigning Premier League champions.
Manchester City shrugged off their issues in the last round, running out emphatic 8-0 winners against a Salford side who were flying at the time in League Two. While this is a step up from that, an Orient side who are sixth in the third-tier are clearly outmatched.
The FA Cup remains City’s best route to silverware and even a rotated side should have too much for Orient. Given how City dealt with Salford last time out, back them to clear a two-goal handicap.
MANCHESTER CITY -2 GOALS ON HANDICAP
Coventry City vs Ipswich
Ipswich missed a great opportunity to boost their survival hopes in last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to Southampton. The Tractor Boys have now lost four on the spin and you have to wonder how important the cup is to them.
In each of the previous two seasons, Ipswich have exited at this stage. That includes last year’s shock home defeat to Maidstone.
Opponents Coventry have won four of their last five and Frank Lampard named a strong side in the previous round. The Sky Blues are still weighing the cost of last season’s run to the semi-finals of this competition, but right now momentum is key. Lampard needs to string wins together and seeing off a Premier League side would be a huge boost.
COVENTRY CITY TO WIN
Preston vs Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe were able to upset Championship side Portsmouth in the last round, but the Chairboys had home advantage against one of the second tier’s worst travellers. This time around they’re on the road at Preston.
Wycombe have also lost manager Matt Bloomfield, who departed for Luton days after that win over Pompey. While they’ve stayed in the League One promotion chase since his departure, Saturday’s clash is a big step up for new boss Mike Dodds.
Preston saw off League One outfit Charlton in the last round which was part of a great run at Deepdale. The hosts are unbeaten in nine at home, winning four of their last five.
North End have a solid record at home in this competition and they appear good value to progress to the next round.
PRESTON TO WIN
Birmingham vs Newcastle
League One leaders Birmingham get to test themselves against Premier League opposition on Saturday evening, as they meet EFL Cup finalists Newcastle.
The Blues have built their push for a Championship return on a solid backline, but it’s hard to see that holding up against the Magpies. Even if Eddie Howe shuffles his pack, he still has quality attacking options to test Birmingham.
The visitors have been extremely entertaining of late, with five of their previous six matches featuring three or more goals. That includes a 3-1 victory over League Two Bromley in the previous round.
Newcastle have won their last five games on the road, scoring 13 goals across that stretch. They can boost that number at a third-tier side, but the hosts may get on the scoresheet.
Birmingham have scored in 14 of their last 15 at home, so back a high-scoring victory for the Premier League visitors.
NEWCASTLE TO WIN AND OVER 2.5 GOALS
Brighton vs Chelsea
Brighton have had a week to stew on their 7-0 thumping by Nottingham Forest. The Seagulls eased past Norwich in the last round, but they head into a tougher fourth round test having lost their previous two games to nil.
A 1-0 loss at home to Everton has left Brighton winless in their last five at home. They’ve dropped crucial Premier League points against the Toffees, Brentford, Crystal Palace and Southampton. Now their prospects of silverware are on the line against Chelsea.
It will be interesting to see how the Blues line-up for this one. They’ve been off since Monday and aren’t back in action until Friday night’s return to the Amex, so Enzo Maresca can afford to name a stronger side than their usual Conference League starting line-up.
This game isn’t exactly a rivalry but there’s some tension given Chelsea’s repeated raids on Brighton in recent years. Those moves seem to have paid off, as the Blues have won each of the previous four clashes between the pair.
Chelsea won at the Amex in the EFL Cup earlier this season and they’ve routinely exploited Brighton’s high-line in both meetings. Back the Blues to add to the Seagulls’ struggles, with the visitors fancied to progress to the last 16.
CHELSEA TO WIN
