England FA Cup

Nostrabet's Analysis

Hull City is having a very solid campaign in the second tier of English football and now has the opportunity to measure their strength against one of the giants of English football in the FA Cup - Chelsea.

"The Blues" are not invincible

Chelsea has improved under the management of Liam Rosenior, but it is far from being a team that can breeze through matches like this. It should also be noted that the manager is likely to make some rotations, which Hull will be anticipating. The hosts will be fielding their best possible lineup, and throughout the season, they have consistently demonstrated excellent quality in attack. Against Chelsea's reserves, this aspect of Hull's game could once again come to the forefront.

Bet on both teams to score and over 2.5 goals. Home handicap

The Londoners are likely to find themselves challenged against their second-tier opponents.

Nostrabet's Analysis

Burton will attempt to pull off an upset, although the prospects for such an outcome seem slim. The team is primarily focused on surviving in League 1, where they currently find themselves in the relegation zone and have not achieved a victory in their last five matches. Their last six encounters have featured over 2.5 goals, with both teams scoring, and there have been at least two goals in Burton's last 13 fixtures.

West Ham is also fighting for survival, but in the Premier League, where they have narrowed the gap to safety to just three points. They have suffered only one defeat in their last six matches, which came away at Chelsea with a goal conceded in stoppage time. Throughout the season, they have frequently been involved in high-scoring games and have allowed a fair number of goals.

West Ham can solidify their improvement with a victory in the FA Cup. Burton does not appear to pose a serious threat, and although surprises can happen in this tournament, an upset is not anticipated here. A win for West Ham with at least two goals in the match is expected.

Nostrabet's Analysis

Manchester City is expected to face no serious challenges in winning this match. It is clear that there will be several rotations, which is quite normal. This was also the case in the previous round of this tournament, where City decisively defeated League 1 side Exeter 10-1 at home, and now they are up against a team from even lower down the pyramid, League 2.

Exactly a year ago, Salford visited Man City in the same tournament and suffered a heavy defeat of 0-8. They have shown slight improvement this season, but they remain in League 2, and the gap between the two teams is still substantial. Salford last played on February 5th and has had ample time to prepare for the upcoming match, hoping for a more respectable performance this time around.

Even if it’s not another 8-0, City has all the necessary conditions to secure another convincing victory without any issues against Salford, regardless of the changes and experiments they may implement for the match.

Nostrabet's Analysis

Norwich has firmly risen in the Championship and is now looking more towards playoff positions rather than the relegation zone. They are set to face West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup.

The visitors are on the opposite end of the spectrum

For the "Baggies," a battle for survival seems inevitable, as things have not started well for manager Eric Ramsey. However, the 0-0 draw away against Birmingham earlier this week might provide some encouragement. The opponent in this match is certainly not an easy one. Norwich is currently one of the best-performing teams in the second tier, boasting three consecutive victories. Philippe Clement's side can confidently aim for a deep run in this tournament, especially considering their chances of reaching the playoff spots appear slim.

Bet on both teams to score

It seems that the visitors may be a bit bolder here and attempt to demonstrate their capabilities.

Nostrabet's Analysis

Burnley has recently reminded themselves of what it feels like to win in the Premier League, having come back from 0-2 down to defeat Crystal Palace 3-2 away from home on Wednesday. They now face a match in the FA Cup against a fully manageable opponent. In the previous round of the tournament, Burnley triumphed at home with a 5-1 victory over Millwall, and this task appears even easier.

Mansfield competes in League 1, currently sitting in 12th place and without a victory in their last five matches, four of which ended in draws. It is noteworthy that Mansfield has not lost in their last seven away games across all competitions, although these matches were not against teams of Burnley's calibre.

No surprises are anticipated from Mansfield in this encounter, and it is believed that Burnley will advance in the tournament with another home victory.

Nostrabet's Analysis

Newcastle managed to return to winning ways this week with a commanding performance against Tottenham in London. It remains to be seen if Eddie Howe's side can also overcome Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

Hosts experiencing a decline

There has been a noticeable regression in Aston Villa's performances over the past month, which is understandable given the reduced squad depth due to injuries. Unai Emery is currently keeping things on track, but it is uncertain how long this will last. Newcastle also has its own issues, but Eddie Howe is doing his utmost to prove he is still the right man for the Magpies. The team will not defend their Carabao Cup title and is significantly behind in the league, making this a crucial opportunity for silverware.

Bet on H2

Newcastle is given a slight advantage.

Nostrabet's Analysis

Liverpool has not experienced a home defeat for some time, but they suffered a dramatic 1-2 loss against Manchester City last week. On Wednesday, they returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory away at Sunderland. This brings their tally to four wins in their last five matches across all competitions. Given that the Premier League title is likely out of reach, it can be assumed that Liverpool will focus on pursuing the FA Cup trophy.

Brighton has not achieved a victory in their last six Premier League matches. In fact, they have only managed two wins in their last 14 games across all competitions. Notably, one of those wins was in the FA Cup, where they triumphed 2-1 away against Manchester United. Recently, the team's matches have not been particularly high-scoring, with six of their last eight games featuring fewer than 2.5 goals.

It is anticipated that the match will not be particularly high-scoring.

Nostrabet's Analysis

Birmingham has been experiencing fluctuations in form, but recently they have managed to stabilise their performance and will be looking to pull off a surprise against Leeds in the FA Cup.

The visitors are likely to rotate their squad

Daniel Farke is expected to make several changes to his starting eleven, given the demanding matches his team has faced recently. The exhausting trip to Chelsea a few days ago was particularly taxing, though the effort paid off. Birmingham, on the other hand, has had an entire week to prepare for this clash, which could prove significant. The hosts have some strong players and perform well at St Andrew's, where the atmosphere is guaranteed to be vibrant.

Bet on 1X

A double chance is recommended in favour of the home side.

Nostrabet's Analysis

Grimsby, a team from the English League 2, gained attention at the beginning of the season by eliminating Manchester United from another cup competition. However, they subsequently suffered a heavy 0-5 defeat against Brentford and will now attempt to prove themselves against another Premier League representative. There are reasons for optimism among the team's supporters, as Grimsby has been performing well lately, remaining unbeaten in their last ten consecutive league matches.

Wolverhampton is facing its own challenges in the Premier League, having recently drawn 0-0 away at Nottingham in the latest round, and they have managed only one victory this season. However, in the FA Cup, they did convincingly defeat a League 2 team. This was Shrewsbury, who are struggling to avoid relegation, and Wolverhampton triumphed over them at home with a score of 6-1. It is difficult to envision them achieving a similar success away against Grimsby.

Surprises can occur in these tournaments. While it is uncertain whether Grimsby will deliver such a surprise, it seems worthwhile to consider the option of them not losing by more than a single goal.

Nostrabet's Analysis

The 14th placed team in the Championship faces a challenging FA Cup test against a Premier League representative. Currently, Stoke does not seem well-prepared for the match. They are in poor form, having not won in their last seven games. They have also lost their last two home matches. Eight out of their last nine games have featured under 2.5 goals, and they have failed to score in their last three encounters.

Fulham, on the other hand, has lost their last three matches and will be looking to get back to winning ways here. They have already eliminated one Championship team, defeating Middlesbrough 3-1 at home. Seven of Fulham's last eight matches have had over 2.5 goals, and they now seem to have a good opportunity to return to victory.

Stoke City's form is not good, and overall they have been struggling lately, which leads to the belief that Fulham could secure a victory in this FA Cup away match.

Nostrabet's Analysis

Oxford is steadily heading towards relegation from the Championship, while the team is still part of the FA Cup. It remains to be seen if they can pose any challenges for Sunderland.

Guests experiencing a slight dip in form

Recently, there has been a noticeable decline in Sunderland's performance, particularly away from home, which is quite normal. The "Black Cats" should not underestimate this match, but teams like Oxford, who are struggling in their league, can sometimes pull off surprises in cup competitions. This scenario is the one being backed, even though it carries its own risks to some extent.

Bet on 1X

The "Yellows" may well rally their supporters.

Nostrabet's Analysis

Arsenal stumbled in their last league match, but they are now faced with a significantly easier challenge in the FA Cup. It's evident that squad rotations will take place, but this is unlikely to hinder the team’s pursuit of victory. At home, they rarely miss the opportunity to win. They have conceded only one goal in their last four matches and have kept a number of clean sheets since the start of the season.

Wigan, on the other hand, is struggling in League 1 and currently finds itself in the relegation zone, having not secured a win in the last eight rounds. They are even on a run of four consecutive losses. Their most recent away match ended in a heavy defeat to Peterborough, losing 1-6, and it’s hard to see how they could pull off an upset against Arsenal in the upcoming match.

The question here is how Arsenal will secure this victory, and the belief is that they can do so without conceding a goal and with a margin of more than two goals.

Nostrabet's Analysis

Macclesfield made headlines by delivering one of the biggest surprises in the tournament's history in the last round. They eliminated Crystal Palace with a 2-1 victory at home, and now they are set to face another Premier League team, once again dreaming of an upset. Currently, they compete in the sixth tier of English football, sitting in seventh place in their league. The last nine matches for Macclesfield have seen over 2.5 goals, with eight of those matches featuring goals at both ends.

Brentford should not underestimate the situation, particularly knowing what happened to Crystal Palace at this stadium, despite the expected rotations in their lineup. Recently, Brentford has been making significant strides in the Premier League and has been impressing with their performances. They have won five of their last six away matches, one of which was an FA Cup victory against Sheffield Wednesday with a score of 2-0.

It is unlikely that Macclesfield will pull off a second consecutive shock. Furthermore, Brentford should have learned from Crystal Palace's mistakes and is currently performing very well in the Premier League.