Championship basement dwellers Wycombe are expected to find Tottenham too hot to handle in Monday night’s FA Cup fourth-round tie. However, Wanderers are in good form going forward at present, drawing a blank up front in only one of their last nine matches in all competitions.
West Brom were the last team to avoid defeat against Manchester City and we’re hoping they have their moments again in Tuesday’s Premier League clash. City have flourished since Albion drew 1-1 at Etihad Stadium in Slaven Bilic’s final match as manager, but the Baggies are showing some spirit themselves.
Everton are enjoying an impressive season in the Premier League and a favourable draw could also have them dreaming of FA Cup success. The Toffees are again at home to Championship opposition from South Yorkshire and are expected to put out a strong side as they return to action after a 12-day break.
Cheltenham face the unenviable task of trying to prevent Manchester City from rattling off a 10th straight victory in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round clash. The visitors lifted this trophy two years ago and reached the semis last term, so it is safe to assume Pep Guardiola will be taking the tie seriously.
Chorley stunned a Covid-hit Derby in round three of the FA Cup but are now expected to be brought back down to earth by Wolves at Victory Park. Wanderers boss Nuno Espirito Santo has shown plenty of respect for this competition and will be keen to advance after a poor run of Premier League results.
Frank Lampard’s job could be on the line when Chelsea host Luton in the FA Cup and we’re backing the Blues to fight for their manager’s future. The Hatters are a likeable outfit who have done better than expected since moving up to the Championship, but they were beaten 3-0 by Man Utd in the EFL Cup.
Porto and Benfica are both playing catch-up behind Sporting in Portugal’s Primeira Liga this season but the Dragons can put pressure on the leaders here. Sergio Conceicao’s side beat Benfica three times last term, twice in the league on route to a title triumph and in August’s cup final on neutral territory.
Birmingham boss Aitor Karanka could badly do with a positive result to ease the pressure on him as he prepares to return to his former club Middlesbrough on Saturday. Blues have taken just one point from their last six league games and are only four points clear of the relegation zone.
West Ham are well placed to have a good crack at the FA Cup this season following some solid Premier League results and should brush aside Stockport. Hammers boss David Moyes reached the final of this competition back in 2009 with Everton and three other cup semis, so he does take knockout events seriously.
Tottenham cruised through to the EFL Cup final this week and should make light work of Merseyside minnows Marine in round three of the FA Cup. Jose Mourinho is not the type of manager to get caught up in the romance of this tie and a clinical performance is expected from Spurs.
Crawley are in fine form in League Two and will not be short of confidence as they look to cause an FA Cup upset by beating Leeds. The Red Devils have climbed into the play-off places thanks to an eight-match unbeaten run but we’re not convinced they have the quality to get past Marcelo Bielsa’s men.
Newport have a proud history of FA Cup upsets in recent years and are backed to give Brighton a tough work-out at Rodney Parade. In the last few seasons, County have beaten Leeds and Leicester in Wales in this competition, as well as earning a replay against Tottenham.
Chorley may be missing out on a meeting with Wayne Rooney but now have a realistic shot at reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup. A Covid-19 outbreak at Derby this week means the entire first-team squad and coaching staff are self-isolating, with their squad set to feature Under-23 and Under-18 players.
Bournemouth ended 2020 with two successive away games and start the new year on their travels once again as they head to promotion rivals Stoke. The Cherries lost 2-1 at Brentford on Wednesday but are still three points clear of the seventh-placed Potters, plus they have a game in hand.