Norwich and Ipswich are at opposite ends of the Championship table this season but the formbook can often be thrown out of the window for local derbies. Four of the last five games between these East Anglia rivals have ended in stalemate and this clash could be closer than many expect.
Newport will be fired up for another FA Cup upset when entertaining Middlesbrough in Tuesday night’s fourth-round replay. County have already beaten Leicester at Rodney Parade and are eyeing another notable scalp, whereas Boro are far more focused on chasing promotion from the Championship.
Emotions will be running high in Cardiff this weekend but anyone betting with their head, rather than their heart, will be on Bournemouth. The Cherries were outstanding when thrashing Chelsea 4-0 in midweek and have already beaten the Bluebirds in convincing fashion this season.
Alarm bells will be ringing at Chelsea after Wednesday’s 4-0 loss at Bournemouth but the Blues are expected to steady the ship by beating Huddersfield. Maurizio Sarri’s side prevailed 3-0 when these teams met in Yorkshire last August and Town are now cut adrift at the bottom of the table.
Qatar have been a revelation at the 2019 Asian Cup but Japan have the pedigree to ensure their fairytale run to the final does not have a happy ending. The Samurai Blue have lifted this trophy four times in the last seven renewals, coming out on top each time they have reached the decider.
As the January transfer window comes to a close, it’s natural to expect the Premier League clubs will have spent the most when the dust settles. The English top flight is the richest league in the world, but does that reputation mean that they’re getting overcharged in the transfer market?
Preston do not have a good record against Derby but look well placed to buck that trend after a couple of cracking Championship victories. The Rams prevailed 2-0 at Pride Park back in August and have won at Deepdale for the past three seasons, but will face a red-hot North End outfit this Friday.
The Hive will be buzzing for Monday’s FA Cup clash between Barnet and Brentford, not least because both teams are nicknamed the Bees! Non-league Barnet will welcome a £150,000 fee for hosting this televised tie and are fancied to further boost their coffers by earning a replay at Griffin Park.
Huddersfield have a mountain to climb to stay up but Jan Siewert’s arrival may give them a fresh impetus ahead of entertaining Everton. The Toffees have been suffering from travel sickness of late, losing their last two Premier League away games and Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Millwall.
Arsenal suffered a disappointing FA Cup exit when hosting Manchester United but can bounce back with a Premier League triumph over Cardiff. The Gunners had previously impressed when beating Chelsea in this competition, whereas the Bluebirds are languishing in the bottom three.
Sheffield Wednesday will take a big travelling support for Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Chelsea and have vowed to “give it a go” against the holders. The Owls do not have a good recent record in this event but their interest seems to have been rejuvenated by a third-round replay win at Luton.
West Ham have already beaten AFC Wimbledon away in the EFL Cup this season and we see no reason for a different result when they meet in the FA Cup. The Dons did have Rod McDonald sent off after 18 minutes when leading, but a much-changed Hammers line-up still ran out worthy 3-1 winners.
Millwall have generally been playing well in the Championship of late and are fancied to give Everton a tough test in the FA Cup. Toffees boss Marco Silva looks to be taking this competition seriously after fielding a strong team in the last round, so a close encounter could be on the cards at The Den.
Derby have enjoyed some memorable moments in knockout matches this term and are fancied to prove a class apart from Accrington in the FA Cup. The Rams beat Southampton on penalties in the last round and knocked Manchester United out of the EFL Cup earlier in the season.