Derby
County v Manchester United – Friday 1955
Positions:
Derby 5th (Championship), Man Utd 5th (Premier League)
- Derby’s
only win in the last month was in the third round of this competition, so
their chances may not be as high as their league position suggests. United
are surely out of contention for the title, whatever their manager has
said recently, and should field a full strength team here. United will
start as favourites, but with the Old Trafford side this season, anything
is possible. Michael Carrick returns to contention for United, but Matteo
Darmian is injured.
Colchester
United v Tottenham Hotspur – Saturday 1245
Positions:
Colchester 24th (League One), Tottenham 4th (Premier
League)
- Non-league
Eastleigh have had more than a few things to say about not being selected
for live TV coverage during their run to the third round. It may now be
the case that the reduced prominence of the FA Cup means TV companies
choose the safe option of simply selecting matches involving the bigger
teams. Given Colchester’s position at the foot of League One, and their massive
goals against tally, the BT Sport cameras are surely not headed for the
Weston Homes Community Stadium in expectation of an upset. Spurs still
have title ambitions, and given the number of fixtures they will play if
they progress in two cup competitions, Mauricio Pochettino will surely
ring the changes here, but expect his side to progress with something to
spare.
Arsenal v
Burnley – Saturday 1500
Positions:
Arsenal 3rd (Premier League), Burnley 3rd (Championship)
- Arsenal
may choose to rest a few players, but given their strength in depth, a
home win remains the most likely outcome. Arsenal’s defence will have to be
wary of Andre gray though, with the Burnley hitman having scored 17 times
this season.
Aston
Villa v Manchester City – Saturday 1500
Positions:
Aston Villa 20th, Man City 2nd (both Premier League)
- Playing
Cup football may be a blessed relief for Villa, given their parlous league
position, but don’t expect the form book to be turned upside down here.
Oxford
United v Blackburn Rovers – Saturday 1500
Positions:
Oxford 3rd (League Two), Blackburn 18th (Championship)
- Oxford’s
third round win over Swansea was unquestionably the biggest upset of the
round. Oxford again host higher division opposition here, but with
Blackburn dropping down the Championship table – no win in seven league
matches – Oxford’s biggest problem might be coping with the expectations of
their supporters. Highly rated forward Kemar Roofe scored two in the win
over Swansea and he could easily fire the Us to more success here.
Portsmouth
v Bournemouth – Saturday 1500
Positions:
Portsmouth 5th (League Two), Bournemouth 16th (Premier
League)
- While
there was only one genuine upset in the last round, there could be more in
the way of romance this time around, as most of the lower ranked sides are
at home. This is an intriguing South Coast derby, and with Bournemouth
likely to ring the changes in their team, they will be extremely relieved
if they remain in the competition come Saturday evening.
West
Bromwich Albion v Peterborough United – Saturday 1500
Positions:
West Brom 14th (Premier League), Peterborough 8th (League
One)
- West
Brom manager Tony Pulis made 11
team changes for his side’s third round match, which may indicate where
his priorities lie, even though the Baggies enjoy a fairly comfortable
seven point advantage over the teams in the relegation zone. If he fields
a similarly weakened team again, free scoring Peterborough may stand a
chance – they have scored 53 and conceded 41 in their own division.
Liverpool
v West Ham United – Saturday 1730
Positions:
Liverpool 7th, West Ham 6th (both Premier League)
- Enigmatic
Liverpool, buoyed by reaching the League Cup final, host a West Ham team
that boast plenty of quality. Despite the Hammers’ abilities, one suspects
that it will be Liverpool’s performance on the day that holds the key
here. The Reds have looked short of firepower at times this season, but
banged in five in their last league match, so you just never know with
Liverpool.
Carlisle
United v Everton – Sunday 1330
Positions:
Carlisle 11th (League Two), Everton 12th (Premier League)
- Another
live TV match, and another encounter where the chances of an upset are
limited. Carlisle’s Jabo Ibehre is in the top five goalscorers in his
division, and can be a handful given his physical presence, but expect
Everton to cope.
Milton
Keynes Dons v Chelsea – Sunday 1600
Positions:
Milton Keynes 20th (Championship), Chelsea 13th (Premier
League)
- Chelsea’s
struggles this season have been well documented, but given they have
little to play for in the league, expect them to give the FA Cup a high
priority, and expect a strong Chelsea team to progress here.
Tipster Street.
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