FA Cup Fourth Round: Match Previews and Score Predictions

by , 27 January 2023

The FA Cup resumes tonight at the fourth round stage. There are some great games to look forward to, including a blockbuster clash between Manchester City and Arsenal. Join us as we highlight the games to watch and share our score predictions for selected fixtures.

The FA Cup logo with a picture of a footballer

The Premier League takes a break this weekend with the world’s oldest football cup competition taking centre stage. Cup upsets are almost guaranteed at this stage, so the big boys will be hoping they don’t suffer at the hands of the underdogs. We preview ten of the eighteen games being played.

FA Cup Fourth Round – Manchester City V Arsenal

Manchester City and Arsenal are embroiled in an intense title race. Still, they will have a match away from the Premier League to flex their muscle ahead of their two league games against each other that could decide which could determine the title’s destiny.

Pep Guardiola will be pleased his leading man up front, Erling Haaland, returned to goalscoring form, bagging a hat trick in their 4 – 0 win against Wolves over the weekend.

The 22-year-old will be a pivotal player in dismantling the solid Arsenal defence with his record of four hat tricks and twenty-five goals, the best tally ever at this stage of the season. He is responsible for 47% of City’s goals this season.

The Citizens have an outstanding record of nine consecutive wins at home in the FA Cup, scoring at least three goals in all the victories.

Guardiola’s resounding record against the Gunners of thirteen wins, one draw, and two defeats would be confident in welcoming the league leaders at the Etihad Stadium.

Another player to consider when football betting is Riyad Mahrez, who has seven goals involvements (six goals, one assist) in the last five FA Cup appearances for City. Mahrez is 8/1 with bet365 to open the scoring and 11/4 to score at any time.

Arsenal has been flying high in the league and will have this encounter to test their progress against their title rivals in a game that will have no implications on the Premier League table.

Last season, the record FA Cup winners were knocked out of the tournament prematurely in the fourth round, losing 1 – 0 to Southampton. However, they hope to avoid getting knocked out by going against another Premier League side. Arsenal has met teams from the same division at this competition stage in consecutive seasons since 2010-11.

Triumph against Manchester City in this competition has been a good luck charm for the Gunners as they have gone all the way to win the trophy (1971, 2017, and 2020) in the last three editions they eliminated them.

Bakayo Saka became the first player after Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg to score three straight games against Manchester United and will try to break the Manchester City defence. However, the young Three Lions attacker has a poor personal record against the Citizens losing in the three encounters he has featured against them.

Every time Arsenal plays in the FA Cup fourth round, they have produced Over 2.5 goals.

Our Prediction: Manchester City 2 Arsenal 1 (15/2)

FA Cup Fourth Round – Fulham V Sunderland

Fulham and Sunderland will feature in one of four FA Cup fourth-round games between the Premier League side and the Championship.

Fulham lost on Monday 1 – 0 to Tottenham to dent their European qualification hopes, but a shock FA Cup triumph could be an unlikely path to the Europa League.

Marco Silva’s side is unbeaten in nine competitive outings against sides that weren’t in the Premier League top five (winning seven, drawing two). This run included an impressive win against his former employees at Hull City, knocking them out of the FA Cup in the previous round (0-2).

The Cottagers are outright favourites in this game, having avoided defeat in the last six (three wins, three draws). They were, however, knocked out of the FL Cup by League Two side Crawley as they don’t have the depth to challenge numerous competitions. Daniel James scored the winning goal in the last FA Cup tie.

Sunderland is eyeing a return to the top tier of English Football after a six-year hiatus. As a result, they would have an exciting Premier League experience travelling to Craven Cottage.

The Black Cats have enjoyed a stellar campaign since the return to the World Cup, beating fellow promotion rivals; Middlesbrough, Millwall, and Blackburn. In all competitions, they are unbeaten in the last eight games (five wins, three draws).

They hope to build up on a 2 – 1 win against Shrewsbury Town. However, Tony Mowbray will head to this game, understanding his side was knocked out in earlier rounds by teams playing below the top two tiers, making this match a tough battle with Fulham possessing better quality players.

Ross Stewart has scored in all but one in the previous seven games, including coming off the bench to score in their FA Cup win against Shrewsbury.

Our Prediction: Fulham 3 Sunderland 1 (10/1)

FA Cup Fourth Round – Preston V Tottenham

Preston came from a goal down to beat Huddersfield to book a home game against Premier League top-six side Tottenham Hotspur.

A twelfth FA Cup encounter between the two sides for the first time since 1967-68. Historically it has been an even encounter that has seen Preston win four against Spurs’ five wins with two draws between them.

A stern test will set them up for the competitive Championship playoff qualification race they kept alive with a 2 – 1 win against Birmingham over the weekend. In the league, they are 11th on 40 points, just four away from Watford in third.

Ryan Lowe has to inspire the team with a record of just two wins in their last ten FA Cup games and has lost the previous five games against Premier League opponents, managing to score in three. Alan Browne will be looking to score in two games in a row in the FA Cup for the first time in his career.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen to win its first trophy since 2008, with Antonio Conte the designated leader of the park. Their success feels destined with their attackers on fire, mainly Harry Kane, who recently became their joint top goal scorer with 266 goals from 415 appearances. The Three Lions captain would be eager to lead his side to a trophy to earn a legendary status with merit.

The last trophy they won was the FA Cup, but they have to be wary of another Championship side after being stunned by Middlesbrough in the fifth-round previous campaign.

Their form in the last seven FA Cup games isn’t great, however (two wins, two draws, and three defeats). Kane has fourteen goals in the previous fourteen appearances in the competition and could beat Jimmy Greaves’s record as a Spurs record scorer in the FA Cup.

Our Prediction: Preston 1 Tottenham 2 (8/1)

FA Cup Fourth Round – Walsall V Leicester City

Walsall last played Leicester City in League one in the 2008-09 season, where they lost 4 – 1 on this ground. The only FA Cup meeting with the Foxes was in the 1977-78 season, where they won 1 – 0, their only victory against their visitors in the seven games they have played each other (one draw, five defeats).

The Football League Two side had reached the fourth round for the first time since 2015-16 when Reading knocked them out. Leicester City stands in their way of qualifying for the fifth round for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

Danny Johnson is their most productive player in front of goal with fourteen goals this campaign (one in the FA Cup). He could be the hero if they stand a chance of disappointing the Premier League side.

Leicester City has suffered one defeat in nine FA Cup games against the English Football fourth tier (eight wins). The defeat came against Newport County back in 2018-19, which current Walsall manager Micheal Flynn managed at the time.

The trip to Bescot Stadium could be a risky encounter that some football betting fans might fancy an upset in, as Leicester could rotate with the league the priority. However, their good record against Walsall, winning both at half-time and full-time in their last three travels here, raises their prospect of the Foxes having a good game.

Brendan Rodgers has been struggling in the league and is one of the favourites to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post.

Kelechi Iheanacho has scored sixteen goals in twenty-two appearances in the FA Cup, six goals in the previous six evenly scoring in their third-round win against Gillingham.

Our Prediction: Walsall 0 Leicester 2 (11/2)

FA Cup Fourth Round – Manchester United V Reading

Manchester United has a tight run of ten games in thirty-two days across four competitions.

They started the marathon magnificently by thumping Nottingham Forest 3 – 0 in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup to recover from two disappointing league results against Arsenal (3 – 2 defeat) and Crystal Palace (1 – 1 draw) that could have put them in contention for the league title.

However, their realistic chance to end their six-year drought for a trophy is through domestic competitions, with a domestic cup double a possibility for the Red Devils.

Eric ten Hag’s side is unbeaten in their last fourteen home games (twelve wins, two draws) and just one defeat in thirty-nine home games against sides outside the top flight (thirty-one wins, seven draws). So, they are full of confidence in playing Reading at Old Trafford in the FA Cup, especially Marcus Rashford, who has been involved in five goals (two goals, three assists) in five appearances.

Reading has progressed just once (third round, 1926-27 season) in nine attempts in FA Cup games against Manchester United. They have as well won just once in twenty-two games (seven draws, fourteen defeats), including losing the previous six games. Apart from losing, they have failed to score in five of their seven games, losing both at half-time and full-time in the last three travels to Old Trafford. their only win was their FA Cup triumph in the third-round replay in 1927.

The visitors have always had a hard time in the FA Cup against Premier League opponents, having lost seven of their eight encounters, with the only exception being a 3 – 1 home win against West Brom back in 2016. All signs show this will be a tough outing, but with Tom Ince in their ranks, son of former Manchester United star Paul, they will hope to pull off an unlikely result.

It is also likely that United will be forced to rotate due to its workload, but we feel United have too much quality in its ranks.

Our Prediction: Manchester United 3 Reading 0 (6/1)

FA Cup Fourth Round – Accrington V Leeds United

It will be the first competitive match between Accrington and Leeds since they knocked horns in a first-round League Cup at Elland Road, with Leeds victorious in 2014. They hope to avenge their 2 – 1 defeat in their second-ever game against the Premier League club.

Accrington has lost all their ties (three) against sides from a higher division making this a tough test with their best positivity coming from playing at the Wham Stadium. They needed two ties to get past Boreham Wood, with Tommy Leigh scoring the ninety-seven-minute penalty to qualify for this competition phase. The Englishman is their best scorer in all competitions, and they hope to pull off a shock in a David against Goliath battle.

The Whites needed a replay to get the better of Cardiff in the third round. They came from two goals down to draw 2 – 2 in the first round but were dominant in the second game, thumping them 5 – 2.

They will now be hoping to do a double against sides in the Championship for the first time since 2002-03 when they knocked out three teams from the second tier of English football in the Cup.

Jesse Marsch had led Leeds to a first-ever fourth-round tie since 2016-17, where they lost to non-league side Sutton United and haven’t reached the fifth round since 2015-16 when they were managed by Steve Evans when they knocked out Bolton in the fourth round.

Their attack has been diverse, with three players scoring a brace (Patrick Bamford, Rodrigo, Willy Gnonto) in the FA Cup, making them a dangerous side in front of goal.

Our Prediction: Accrington 0 Leeds 2 (13/2)

FA Cup Fourth Round – Southampton V Blackpool

Two struggling sides from different divisions face off at the weekend.

Southampton has serious Premier League concerns sitting bottom of the Premier League table with relegation concerns shaking the Saints faithful. However, they have excelled in domestic competitions, triumphing 2 – 1 in the third round against Crystal Palace and beating the title-chasing Manchester City 2 – 0 to book a place in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup.

The last time the two sides played each other, the Saints went all the way to win the trophy, winning 3 – 1 in this encounter. They have progressed twenty-four times in their last twenty-six ties against sides from lower divisions than them.

Sekou Mara has been a regular in the domestic competition and made his mark by scoring the opening goal in their win against Manchester City could be the difference in the quality of the attack.

Blackpool and Southampton have not played each other in the FA Cup since the 2010-11 season, where the visitors lost 2 – 0 but met in 2012 in the Championship, where the Tangerines won 3 – 0.

The travelling side has been knocked out eleven times in the last thirteen fourth-round encounters managing to reach the fifth round just once this century which was in the 2011-12 season. However, they will be confident playing another Premier League side after knocking out Nottingham Forest in the third round.

On the road is where they have struggled in the FA Cup, especially against top-flight opposition, as they have failed to win in twenty-one away FA Cup games (drawing five, losing sixteen).

Jerry Yates is their best player in front of the goal, with ten goals this campaign and is their best threat up front.

Our Prediction: Southampton 2 Blackpool 1 (15/2)

FA Cup Fourth Round – Bristol City V West Brom

Bristol City and West Brom all had to go through replays to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The home side has been eliminated in all their three FA Cup ties when they face West Bromwich Albion, with their most recent performance losing 1 – 0 in a third-round replay.

Bristol had qualified for the fifth sound twice in the last four seasons (2020-21 and 2018-19); before that, they had failed to reach the stage in the previous seventeen editions.

The hosts have not conceded more than one goal in their eleven FA encounters, conceding nine goals.

John Swift (three goals, six assists) and Jed Wallace (four goals, five assists) have the best numbers in goal involvements.

West Brom won 2 – 0 against Bristol City the last time the two sides met in the Championship during the festive season. They hadn’t won two away games in the same season since 2007-08, when they triumphed against (Coventry and Peterborough).

The Baggies have been great on the attack, scoring in eighteen FA Cup games, only failing to bag a goal on one occasion in a goalless encounter against Brighton.

Their scoring expedition has seen them score at least three goals in their last two games; the last time they performed this well in front of a goal saw them reach the semi-finals in 2007-08.

Nahki Wells (nine goals, three assists) will lead the Baggies line. He is yet to feature in the FA Cup, making this the perfect platform to debut in the FA Cup.

Our Prediction: Bristol City 0 V West Brom 2 (9/1)

FA Cup Fourth Round – Blackburn V Birmingham

Blackburn Rovers would have been delighted to be drawn against Birmingham, who have won their last five games against them in all competitions. The Blue and Whites are also unbeaten against them in their previous eight games at Ewood Park (winning five, drawing three), an excellent record to carry to the tie.

They have won their last four fourth-round FA Cup ties and would be anxious to appear at this level for the first time since 2016-17, where they won 2 – 0 against Blackpool here.

However, they lost their previous three games on home soil in the FA Cup. For a squad fully embroiled in the promotion battle, they will hope for a good performance.

Ben Brereton boasts the best output in all competitions, with nine goals and four assists that could provide quality in front of the goal.

Birmingham City has triumphed in all their four encounters against Blackburn in the FA Cup, with their most recent engagement a 2 – 1 win dating back to the 2019-20 season.

They have progressed from only two FA Cup games against teams playing in the top two divisions with their win against their hosts their last triumph.

The Blues came from a goal down to win 2 – 1 against Forest Green in the third round and will be full of confidence to perform.

Kevin Long scored the winning goal in the match and could again be influential on the rotation as they try to recover their league form after losing the last five consecutive games.

An FA triumph will significantly affect their confidence, especially on the road.

Our Prediction: Blackburn 1 V Birmingham 1 (5/1)

FA Cup Fourth Round – Brighton V Liverpool

Brighton has found joy playing Liverpool taking four points from them in the league lately, winning 3 – 0 earlier this month and drawing 3 – 3 in the first meeting. They will be hoping to win consecutive games against the Reds for the first time in their history as they work on progressing to the fifth round of the FA Cup.

They have a poor record against the reigning Champions of the FA Cup when they meet in this competition, losing both ties when they played Arsenal, both coming in the fourth round (2 – 0 in 1979-80, 3 – 2 in 2014-15).

However, the Seagulls have an excellent record in the fourth round, having proceeded in three of the last four ties but losing 3 – 1 to Spurs at this stage last season.

Roberto De Zerbi is flourishing with his team and will look at Solly March for inspiration against Liverpool after scoring a brace against them the last time they met.

The Reds have progressed from three of their five FA Cup encounters against the Seagulls, playing them last in 2012, where they triumphed 6 – 1.

In an indifferent season, Liverpool has been struggling to impose their dominance and control game this campaign. However, the title defence sees them earn revenge against one of the tricky sides to play against, who recently thumped them 3 – 0.

Jurgen Klopp’s side sits ninth, seven points off the European slots; with the way the league has progressed, winning the FA Cup to qualify for the Europa League could be achievable.

Mohammed Salah has been their standout performer, but the dipping team form has seen his goal output drop. However, he still shows glimpses of his excellence, and we anticipate we could see that in this match.

Our Prediction: Brighton 1 V Liverpool 2 (9/1)

FA Cup Fourth Round – Games Schedule

Games will be played as follows;

Friday – Manchester City v Arsenal (2000 GMT).

Saturday (1500 GMT unless stated) – Accrington v Leeds (1230), Walsall v Leicester (1230), Blackburn v Birmingham, Bristol City v West Brom, Fulham v Sunderland, Ipswich v Burnley, Luton v Grimsby, Sheffield Wednesday v Fleetwood, Southampton v Blackpool, Preston v Tottenham (1800) Manchester United v Reading (2000).

Sunday – Brighton v Liverpool (1330), Stoke v Stevenage (1400), Wrexham v Sheffield United (1630).

Monday – Derby v West Ham (1945).

The draw for the FA Cup fifth round takes place on Monday. We will bring you the complete draw and reaction next week.

Similar Posts

By visiting our website, you are declaring that you are 18+ and agree to our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and to accept our use of Cookies. This website contains advertisement.

Got it!