Our best bets for the FA Cup quarter-finals include two high-scoring games on Saturday and a good result for Manchester United on Sunday.
We have reached crunch time in this season’s FA Cup with just eight teams left in the competition heading into this weekend’s quarter-final action.
The lowest-ranked side still in the draw, Championship club Coventry, will travel to Premier League Wolves in the first of the quarter-final ties on Saturday lunchtime, while later that day defending champions Manchester City will lock horns with Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium.
Sunday’s early kick-off will see Championship leaders Leicester heading to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in a repeat of the 2021 final, while the action will be rounded off at Old Trafford where Manchester United will play host to Liverpool in what promises to be a blockbuster clash.
Best bets
Wolves to win and both teams to score /
Man City to win and both teams to score /
Chelsea v Leicester: Over 3.5 goals /
Man Utd v Liverpool: Man Utd to qualify /
Wolves v Coventry (Saturday, 12:15)
A West Midlands derby will kick off FA Cup weekend and Wolves will fancy their chances of reaching the semi-finals when Championship side Coventry go to Molineux.
Gary O’Neil’s side have won four of their last five matches heading into this one, as well as three straight games on home soil, while they have seen off fellow top-flight clubs Brentford and Brighton as well as local rivals West Brom to reach this stage of the competition.
Coventry are yet to face top-flight opposition in the cup this season and they may be outgunned by Wolves, but the Sky Blues are capable of getting on the scoresheet, as they have netted in 13 successive away league and cup matches.
Manchester City v Newcastle (Saturday, 17:30)
Manchester City are bidding to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the sixth season in a row and they will head into their clash with Newcastle on a 21-match unbeaten run across all competitions which includes 18 victories.
Newcastle’s season may well fizzle out if they lose this one and the omens are not good, as despite claiming an EFL Cup success over City at St James’ Park in September, they have not won away against the Citizens since 2014.
The Magpies will at least give this a go and they have scored in each of their last 13 matches. That includes two in a 3-2 league defeat against City in January, so expect goals in this one, but City should prevail.
Chelsea v Leicester (Sunday, 12:45)
Like Newcastle, Chelsea’s season largely rests on their exploits in the FA Cup and they will hope to outpower Championship leaders Leicester.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are unbeaten in their three matches since losing the EFL Cup final to Liverpool, registering 3-2 victories over Leeds and Newcastle and drawing 2-2 with Brentford, a run of results which underlines that attack is their best form of defence.
Leicester love to attack too and they are averaging two goals per game in the Championship this season following last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Hull. They can contribute to another high-scoring contest featuring at least four goals in London.
Manchester United v Liverpool (Sunday, 15:30)
The most eye-catching tie of the round is at Old Trafford where inconsistent Manchester United will host a Liverpool side fighting for trophies on multiple fronts but dealing with numerous injury issues.
Jurgen Klopp’s visitors will head into this game after Thursday’s Europa League clash with Sparta Prague, while United will have had eight days to prepare for this contest following their 2-0 victory over Everton.
United have only won one of their last six meetings with Liverpool, but that success came when the pair last met at Old Trafford in August 2022, while they also won the teams’ most recent FA Cup clash – a 3-2 fourth-round triumph three years ago.
With home advantage and a less hectic schedule to deal with, Erik ten Hag’s side can book their spot in the FA Cup semi-finals for the second season in a row.
