8. Sutton United v Arsenal (7:55pm Monday)
I mean, it's a non-league side vs Arsenal. Arsenal. Yes they were murdered by Bayern Munich but given the absolutely vast gap between Sutton United and Bayern Munich, I'm not sure the two fixtures are even remotely comparable. Moreover, we're likely to see a lot of changes, and Arsenal's young guns have always been good in these sorts of games. Sutton realistically don't stand a chance.
CupShockOMeter: 1/10
7. Blackburn Rovers v Man United (4:15pm Sunday)
Man United are good at this sort of thing. As they've displayed in the last two rounds against Wigan and Reading, they can send out a middling team and do the business against lesser opposition. Yes they'll make changes from their Europa League game against St Etienne but they have a big enough squad to make plenty of changes and still send out a team better than lower end of the Championship. Nothing to see here folks.
CupShockOMeter: 3/10
6. Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea (5:30pm Saturday)
Without European football to worry about, Chelsea can afford to take the FA Cup seriously. As a result, I expect that there won't be too many changes to their side, and they'll send out a team somewhere close to full strength. Whilst I expect Wolves will put up a stern fight, a second string Liverpool side and a prime strength Chelsea team are two entirely different prospects, and I can't say much evidence that Chelsea will slip up as they chase a very plausible league and cup double.
CupShockOMeter: 3/10
5. Burnley v Lincoln (12:30pm Saturday)
This one has a real sense of magic about it. Non-league Lincoln travelling to Burnley feels like the sort of game that's properly up for an upset. But, sadly, I don't see it happening. Burnley have turned Turf Moor into a fortress and don't tend to lose games there. If Burnley were travelling to Lincoln then it would be a different story but they aren't. Sooner or later, all fairytales in the FA Cup come crashing down.
CupShockOMeter: 4/10
4. Huddersfield v Man City (3pm Saturday)
I wouldn't say that this one is likely to be a cup shock, given that City are the second best team in England at the moment, but it's certainly got more potential than the Chelsea or United games. Partly because Huddersfield are a significantly better side than Wolves or Blackburn, but also because City, who play Monaco on Tuesday, will be sending out the reserves for this one. Second string City vs top Championship club? Could get very tasty.
CupShockOMeter: 6/10
3. Fulham v Spurs (2pm Sunday)
I really like Fulham at the moment. They've been playing some good football, especially as they tore apart Hull to reach this stage. With Spurs' first team having travelled to Belgium on Thursday, there's almost certainly going to be either changes or fatigue, which means that a giant killing is almost certainly on the table. If Fulham turn up, this could be a real humdinger.
CupShockOMeter: 7/10
2. Middlesbrough v Oxford (3pm Saturday)
Boro are a side who are really struggling at the moment, particularly when it comes to goalscoring. Despite Oxford's middling league form, they looked very impressive against Newcastle, and the gap between Boro and Newcastle is not very big at all, assuming it even exists. I would say that Boro are solid enough that this one will probably go to a replay, but even so, if Boro make too many changes, they're ripe for the taking.
CupShockOMeter: 7/10
1. Millwall v Leicester (3pm Saturday)
It took Leicester extra time in a replay to see off a spirited Derby side, and they also have Champions League football in midweek. Millwall meanwhile were more than good enough to see off a mediocre Watford display last round, and will be snapping at the heels of the side in the Premier League in the worst, and most high-profile, run of bad form. All the red flags are out for this one, we really could have a cup shock on our hands.
CupShockOMeter: 9/10
The Hard and Fast Section
- Wenger confirms he won't retire in the summer.
- Strauss ruled out of Six Nations. Blow for the Scots.
- Wehrlein missing pre-season test. Ouch.
- Sri Lanka see off Aussies in first T20. Upset.
No comments:
Post a Comment