The fourth round of the FA Cup is spread over four days, with the headline match of Cambridge United v Manchester United kicking off proceedings on Friday night.
The game at the Abbey Stadium is just one of seven matches which we’re tipping both teams to score in across the weekend.
Friday 23rd January 2015
- Cambridge United v Manchester United (6/5 with Bet365) – Manchester United have a fairly good record against lower league teams in the cup, but they did make somewhat hard work of Yeovil Town in the last round and there is no doubt that Cambridge will take heart from this. The U’s will be looking to make life difficult for their superstar opponents and with Louis van Gaal’s side defensively suspect at times then there could well be goals, especially should the Dutch boss opt for some rotation.
Saturday 24th January 2015
- Chelsea v Bradford City (13/8 with Coral) – We accept that this one is a bit of a punt, but Bradford will be keen to add yet another Premier League scalp to their collection after their amazing run to the League Cup final back in 2013. Chelsea will rest a number of players for this match and they have struggled against League 2 opposition already this season when they just edged past Shrewsbury Town in the League Cup.
- Birmingham City v West Bromwich Albion (19/20 with Coral) – With the last three games between these two sides seeing 10 goals scored we’re tipping both teams to score again at St Andrews. The Baggies have a poor record against teams from the top two divisions in the cup and that coupled with the fact it’s a local derby could make it a special day at St Andrews, especially with Tony Pulis sure to have prioritised premier League survival.
- Preston North End v Sheffield United (19/20 with Coral) – Sheffield United won 2-1 when the sides met a few weeks ago and Preston will be gunning for revenge. Only three places separate these two sides in League 2 and with a place in the fifth round at stake, this is going to be a very tight match that both sides feel they can win.
- Southampton v Crystal Palace (11/10 with Betfair) – The match at St. Mary’s is one of two all-Premier League ties to take place. Saints have the best defensive record in the league, but they may well rotate with injuries beginning to mount. Since taking over at Palace Alan Pardew has an impressive record winning all of his matches, including a 4-0 win over Dover in the last round of the cup and it could well be an exciting match at St. Mary’s.
Sunday 25th January 2015
- Bristol City v West Ham (4/6 with Sky Bet) – Bristol City are spearheaded by a man who knows all about cup upsets in Matt Smith, with the big striker’s goals helping former club Oldham Athletic to get results against Liverpool and Everton in the cup two years ago. Now at Bristol he can be a handful for any defence and with the Robins sat in second place in League 1 they certainly won’t be short of confidence.
- Aston Villa v Bournemouth (4/5 with BetVictor) – One team low on confidence can be found at Villa Park on Sunday, with Villa only three points off the drop zone in the Premier League. They come up against a Bournemouth side who have been excellent on the road in the Championship and they will be looking to get another win away from home at Villa Park where we certainly feel they will have enough to score.