We’re down to the last 16 sides in the oldest and most well known cup competition in world football, the FA Cup, and this will be halved across this weekend as the 11 EPL teams, four Championship sides and single League One club do battle on Saturday, Sunday and Monday for a place in the Quarter Finals. This will move them all one step closer to Wembley for the final four shootouts, but who’ll progress?
We preview the three biggest matches playing this weekend with online sportsbook 10Bet.com to provide our best FA Cup tips this fifth round.
Arsenal v Hull: 1.54 – 4.00 – 6.55
Coming into this FA Cup Fifth Round tie these two sides are currently challenging for the titles in the Premier League and Championship with Arsenal two points behind Leicester at the top of the EPL having beaten the league leaders last weekend while Hull are top of the Championship by two points looking for a return to the top flight after being relegated last season. It is not surprising to see Arsenal, who have won the last two FA Cup Finals including beating Hull in extra time two seasons ago, the favourites to win this match, but with them having a vital clash against Barcelona coming up on Tuesday will they take their eye off the ball in this match and exit early?
Arsene Wenger has already stated that he’ll be resting a number of key players for this game ahead of welcoming Lionel Messi and co. to The Emirates Stadium with David Ospina certainly coming in for Petr Cech in goal and January signing Mohamed Elneny is sure to get his second start for the club. Will this disrupt balance that has seen three wins and a draw in their last four games?
It is likely and with Hull having won seven and drawn one of their last nine matches in all competitions they will certainly bring plenty of confidence to the capital city. Unfortunately for Hull they have not won at The Emirates since 2008 and have exited this competition to Arsenal in both of the last two seasons, but with their confidence right now and Arsenal’s gaze shifted to Tuesday night we can see them getting at least a replay from this clash.
Our best Arsenal v Hull bet is back Hull/Draw Double Chance @ 2.40 with 10Bet.
Chelsea v Man City: 1.83 – 3.50 – 4.10
The big name draw in the fifth round of the FA Cup comes from Stamford Bridge as the winners of this competition in 2011 and 2012 clash for second time this season following Man City’s 3-0 domination of the defending EPL champions at The Etihad in Manchester at the start of the season. Both of these sides have had relatively easy routes to this stage of the competition with Chelsea seeing off League One Scunthorpe and Championship side MK Dons while City won away at Norwich and Aston Villa, both of whom occupy places in the bottom four of the EPL, so how will they fare with a much more difficult side to overcome this weekend?
Chelsea will be the more focused side on this game as they played their first leg match from the Champions League last 16 stage during the week as they were beaten 2-1 by PSG while Man City travel to Ukraine following this match to face Dynamo Kyiv. They will need to be at their best to win that match, but following defeats to fellow EPL title chasers Leicester and Tottenham on home soil they will lack confidence for this game, but with them likely to rest players for this game to save their best for Wednesday night those that come in will go all out to win this and try to move into the starting XI for the EPL and Champions League.
As a result of this, we can see this match being a competitive fixture that sees both teams go all out to win and we are backing goals from both of these Premier League giants.
Our top Chelsea v Man City tip is back Both Teams to Score – Yes at odds of 1.80 in the 10Bet Sportsbook!
Shrewsbury Town v Man United: 8.50 – 4.40 – 1.40
Both of these sides are teams in crisis right now as Shrewsbury at just a single point above the relegation zone in League One and Manchester United are playing some terrible football that sees them six points away from the Champions League qualification places for next season whilst already out of that competition this season and having lost their first leg in the Europa League. That happened on Thursday night and it was a poor performance from the side that took the lead in Denmark and, while they will have plenty of time to recuperate before this Monday night match, their low level of confidence could cost them.
10Bet clearly believe that they EPL side will have more than enough despite their issues to win this match but with Shrewsbury already having defeated sides that sit above them in the football pyramid with Championship sides Cardiff and Sheffield Wednesday eliminated in the last two rounds there is a chance of an upset in this match. There is certainly value on this outcome, but with the home side having won just two of their last nine home matches at New Meadow we feel that United will just have enough to see off the third tier side, although we’re not as confident as the bookmakers.
With United having just one clean sheet away from home in their last 11 away games since the end of October we feel that Shrewsbury will push them all the way and even find the net, but we are backing the big boys to progress to the last eight stage of the FA Cup.
Our money is on the Away Win and Both Teams to Score – Yes @ 3.15 at 10Bet.com.