FA Cup Fourth Round Preview
Now entering the fourth round of competition, the 2014-15 FA Cup is in full swing. A full set of matches await us this weekend; and with the Premier League off till the end of January, full focus will be placed on these matches.
Unlike in league play — where a club can lose and still continue — a loss in tournament means termination. For most top clubs still alive at this stage, anything less than a win will be considered failure in the tournament. For the lower league clubs, advancement would greatly help the club.
Overall, the FA Cup may not mean as much as it used to for the country’s top clubs. However, for the lower level clubs, the competition gives them a chance to take on the English giants, and win. Below is a preview of what we can expect in the FA Cup fourth round.
Match of the Week
Manchester City vs Middlesbrough
Easily the best watch of the fourth round. Premier League giants Manchester City will host promotion contender Middlesbrough in what appears — on paper — to be the cup’s top match. Manchester City come into the match following their 2-0 home defeat against Arsenal.
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The Sky Blues of Manchester will be looking for an improvement in form, having won only once in their last four matches. For manager Manuel Pellegrini, a loss here could all but spell the end of his tenure with Manchester City.
With the side beginning to struggle in the Premier League, Pellegrini could suffer the same fate as previous manager Roberto Mancini, being sacked the year after winning the league title.
For Middlesbrough, this match gives the club a chance to continue the form that they have had all season. They have only lost five matches in league this term, just once in their last 13 games. Middlesbrough is coming off a 2-0 win in the third round against League One side Barnsley.
However, with the match at the Etihad, expect Manchester City to have the advantage. For Middlesbrough, the goal will be to survive the first and last ten minutes of both halves, looking for chances on the counter attack. If they can do that, Middlesbrough will have a chance to cause an upset.
Upset Alert
Aston Villa vs AFC Bournemouth
Goal shy Aston Villa will be on upset alert when they host English Championship leaders AFC Bournemouth. The Lions come into the match with only 11 league goals this season, the lowest by far in the Premier League. Villa will be in need of a strong performance from the whole squad if they want to continue on in the FA Cup.
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Rush The Kop
The Villans will need to find some type of scoring presence during the match, though it remains to be seen if there is one to be found. Having only scored one goal in the club’s last seven league matches, Aston Villa are on track to set a Premier League record for least goals scored in a season. They will need to find some output if they want to stay alive here.
Bournemouth on the other hand are having the opposite type of season. With 57 goals in league play, Bournemouth sit at the top of all English soccer for goals scored this season. The Cherries will look to take that form into this match. However, coming up against Villa could mean that only one goal could do the job for the Championship leaders.
Aston Villa are easily the Premier League club most in trouble during this round of the FA Cup. Look for AFC Bournemouth to take this match and move into the next round.
Predicted Results
Key: Bold denotes predicted winner. Italics denotes home side.
- Manchester United defeat Cambridge United
- Blackburn defeat Swansea City
- Southampton defeat Crystal Palace
- Chelsea defeat Bradford City
- Derby County defeat Chesterfield
- Preston North End defeat Sheffield United
- Birmingham City defeat West Brom
- Reading defeat Cardiff City
- Tottenham defeat Leicester City
- Fulham defeat Sunderland
- Manchester City defeat Middlesbrough
- Liverpool defeat Bolton
- West Ham United defeat Bristol City
- AFC Bournemouth defeat Aston Villa
- Arsenal defeat Brighton & Hove Albion
- Stoke City defeat Rochdale