The FA Cup reaches the sixth round this weekend with the competition’s eight remaining teams now potentially just 90 minutes away from a trip to Wembley.
There will be a new name on the trophy after holders, Chelsea, were eliminated in round five. Manchester City are the bookmakers’ favourites to add the FA Cup to their Carabao Cup claimed last month.
Here at InterBet we preview the four round six games taking place this weekend, offering team news, match odds and suggested bets for all four fixtures.
Saturday 16th March
Watford vs Crystal Palace (12:15pm)
The first game of the weekend is an all-Premier League affair at Vicarage Road. Watford are hoping to continue their fine season when they host Crystal Palace at lunchtime. The fixture is a repeat of the 2016 semi-final. On that occasion, Crystal Palace were successful, winning 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.
It is however, the home side that has had the edge in this season’s Premier League meetings, winning both home and away against Palace. They are also unbeaten in four previous FA Cup meetings at home to the Eagles.
The Hornets have never won the FA Cup but will go into the fixture full of confidence. Javi Gracia’s side currently sit eighth in the Premier League, ten points and six places above Saturday’s opponents.
Both league games this season have been won by Watford by the same 2-1 scoreline. InterBet are currently offering odds of 15/2 on a 2-1 home win on Saturday.
Match Odds
Watford – 137/100
Draw – 23/10
Crystal Palace – 207/100
Swansea City vs Manchester City (17:20pm)
Manchester City’s relentless march towards a clean sweep of trophies will take them to Swansea City’s Liberty Stadium on Saturday. The two sides will meet in the FA Cup for the first time ever and it will be no surprise to hear that the away side are overwhelming favourites to progress.
City were knocked out at this stage of the FA Cup last season after suffering a shock defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic. However, Swansea’s chances of replicating that giant-killing have been dealt a major blow after reports that top scorer, Oli McBurnie, will be unavailable from the start. The Scotland international has been suffering from illness and will hope to earn a place amongst the substitutes.
With that shock defeat to Wigan Athletic last season still fresh in their minds, Manchester City have selected a near-full strength side in almost every round of this season’s competition. City boss, Pep Guardiola, will again opt for his big guns in South Wales. Although, Kevin de Bruyne, John Stones and Vincent Kompany all look set to miss out through injury.
The two sides met in the Premier League last season with Manchester City scoring eleven unanswered goals in those games. The league game at the Liberty Stadium last season finished 5-0 to the away side. Therefore, City to score 4+ goals will prove very popular at 11/8.
With four goals in his past two games, Raheem Sterling is the man of the moment for Manchester City. You can back the England international at 3/4 to score at any time on Saturday. Sterling also available at 16/5 to either score first or to score two or more.
Match Odds
Swansea City – 18/1
Draw – 81/10
Manchester City – 1/9
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United (19:55pm)
In what is arguably the closest game to call of the four quarter final ties, Manchester United’s reward for knocking out holders, Chelsea, is yet another away trip to a Premier League team.
Manchester United have already taken on and beaten Arsenal in round four and Chelsea in round five on their own ground and now the Red Devils will hope to get past Wolves at Molineux.
United suffered their first away defeat under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last weekend, losing 2-0 at Arsenal in the Premier League. Saturday’s visitors to the West Midlands will hope that loss was merely a blip as they target a second successive FA Cup semi-final.
In contrast to Man United’s all-Premier League clashes with Arsenal and Chelsea in the past two rounds, Wolves have had more modest opposition in Shrewsbury Town and Bristol City. However, Wolves did dump Liverpool out of the cup in round three.
The two teams are yet to meet at Molineux in this season’s Premier League but the game will come almost seven years to the day since Manchester United claimed a 5-0 win away at Wolves in the Premier League.
In-form forward, Romelu Lukaku is set to miss out for Manchester United. His absence will again leave Marcus Rashford as the visitors’ main goal threat. Rashford can be backed to score first at 5/1. The forward in the best run of form in front of goal will however line up for the home side. Mexican international, Raul Jimenez, has scored three goals in Wolves’ last four games. Jimenez is available at a very attractive 9/2 to open the scoring on Saturday. Jimenez is 6/4 to score at any time during the match.
Match Odds
Wolverhampton Wanderers – 227/100
Draw – 221/100
Manchester City – 2/7
Sunday 17th March
Millwall vs Brighton & Hove Albion (14:00pm)
The final FA Cup sixth round tie involves the lowest ranked side left in the competition. Millwall of the Sky Bet Championship, host Premier League strugglers, Brighton & Hove Albion at The Den.
Millwall have developed an excellent FA Cup pedigree over recent years and the 2004 finalists are fifth on the list of total FA Cup wins in the past fifteen years. Their league form however leaves a lot to be desired. A 2-0 win away at Birmingham City on Wednesday evening halted a run of four straight defeats in the league, leaving Neil Harris’ side just one point above the drop zone.
Like Sunday’s hosts, Brighton are enduring a torrid time in the league this season but their current cup run is offered an unwelcome distraction in their battle for Premier League survival. Chris Hughton’s side remain just five points above the relegation zone but two league wins in a row have offered some respite.
Next up in the league is a relegation six-pointer at home to south coast rivals, Southampton. This weekend’s FA Cup meeting with Millwall has seen the postponement of another key battle in the race for survival. The new date for Brighton’s game at home to Cardiff City is yet to be confirmed.
With just nine wins apiece in their respective leagues this season it is fair to say that both Millwall and Brighton have found victory hard to come by this season. The draw at 119/100 could therefore be very popular, especially when you consider that five of the last eight meetings between the sides have ended in a stalemate.
Match Odds
Millwall – 251/100
Draw – 221/100
Brighton & Hove Albion – 119/100
Sign up to InterBet today to place a bet on any of the weekend’s Emirates FA Cup games. Outright odds to win this season’s competition will be updated immediately after the semi-final draw. All new customers will receive a £10 free bet as soon as they sign up and make their first deposit.