FA Cup Quarter-Finals – Luke Andrew’s Match Previews & Latest Betting Odds

by Luke Andrews, 15 March 2024

The FA Cup quarter-finals take place this weekend, with eight teams going head-to-head with a semi-final spot at Wembley at stake. Six Premier League teams and two Championship teams are left in the mix. The two standout fixtures are Manchester City v Newcastle United, and its enemies reunited as Manchester United take on Liverpool. Join Luke Andrews as he shares the latest FA Cup betting odds and previews all the games.

For many, the FA Cup is the best domestic football competition in the world. Not only do we see an underdog story each year, but the competition always throws up some great fixtures, which is certainly true this weekend.

On Saturday, the early game (12:15) is Wolverhampton Wanderers v Coventry City. It’s a Premier League v Championship fixture, and a giant-killing is possible. The visitors are just one point away from the play-offs in the Championship, but their attention switches to the cup with a fixture against Europe-chasing Wolves, who are ninth in the Premier League.

Saturday’s teatime fixture (17:30) is a heavyweight clash between the current cup holders, Manchester City, and the club with the wealthiest owners, Newcastle United. The home side will not want to give up the famous cup easily, but they could face a challenging game against the Toon, who themselves are desperate for silverware.

Sunday also promises a great day of knockout competition. The early fixture (12:45) sees two former winners of the FA Cup going head-to-head. Eight-times winners Chelsea, who last won the trophy in the 2017-18 season, take on Championship side Leicester, who famously beat their hosts in the 2020-21 season.

We love to see, naija 🇳🇬 music no dey carry last ❤️. Chelsea || Tuchel || Falz || Kpee || Kepa || #TheVoiceNigeria #CHELEI #TheVoiceNigeria. Congratulations to Leicester city the 2020/21 FA CUP WINNERS! 🔵🦊 pic.twitter.com/b7FNygrISV

— Oladunni O. Alalade 🇳🇬 (@PraizzOfficial) May 15, 2021

The Foxes sit at the top of the Championship table and look odds-on to regain their Premier League status. They will fancy their chances against Chelsea, who are 25 points behind Arsenal in the title race.

You could argue that the FA Cup has saved the best for last, as the 17:30 kick-off on Sunday is between Manchester United and Liverpool, two of the most successful teams in the competition. The Red Devils have won the cup on twelve occasions, four more than the visitors. However, Liverpool will be favourites to qualify for the semi-finals as they are in much better form than the hosts. But as FA Cup betting fans know, there is no such thing as a dead cert in this competition.

FA Cup Quarter-Final – Wolverhampton Wanderers v Coventry City

Wolves are having a fine time in the Premier League this season, sitting in ninth place, ahead of Chelsea and Newcastle, and have a realistic chance to qualify for European competition this season. As there is potentially an extra Champions League spot for English teams next season, a solid finish to the season could see Wolves qualify for the Europa or Europa Conference League competitions.

Recent results have been good for Wolves. Defeats against Brentford (0-2) and Newcastle (3-0) have blemished what would otherwise been a perfect run in their last six as they beat Tottenham (1-2), Sheffield United (1-0), Brighton (1-0) and Fulham (2-1).

Wolves needed a replay and extra time to get past Brentford in the Third Round. A penalty by Matheus Cunha in the 105th minute was enough after 1-1 and 2-2 draws. Cunha was also on the scoresheet, alongside Pedro Neto, in a 2-0 win against West Bromwich Albion of the Championship. They beat Premier League opposition in the last round. A Mario Lemina goal after two minutes was enough for the win over Brighton.

Wolves tend to favour playing three at the back, with Craig Dawson the anchor in the defence. Hwang Hee-Chan is the main danger up front.

Sorry to burst any bubbles, but if we go for a forward from Wolves it won't be Neto.

It'll be South Korea International Hwang Hee-Chan who has 13 g/a in 22 PL games. pic.twitter.com/UDGhxR2eaN

— James (@JSpurs___) March 9, 2024

The South Korean has ten league goals but has yet to get off the mark in the FA Cup. However, he will miss this game because he has a thigh injury. The other dangerous man, Matheus Cunha, is also ruled out with a thigh injury.

Home team top scorer (available) : – Mario Lemina, anytime goal scorer 11/4 & first goal scorer 15/2 with bet365.

As Coventry are a Championship side, they go into the clash with Wolves as the outsiders. They are performing well in the second tier, sitting in eighth, just a point away from the play-off zone. They have three wins, two defeats, and a draw in the last six games.

Coventry started their FA Cup campaign in style, hammering Oxford 6-2 in the third round. They needed a reply in the fourth round but dismantled Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 in the rematch. A kind draw saw them play Maidstone United, which plays in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. Ellis Simms scored a hattrick within 35 minutes in that game, and two late goals from Fábio Tavares sealed the win.

Coventry tends to play in a 4-3-3 formation and has good players in each department. Bradley Collins has put in some great performances in goal. Josh Eccles and Callum O’Hare have performed well in midfield.

Haji Wright puts his team ahead

Watford 1-2 Coventry pic.twitter.com/TxflzT8N0i

— Heaven Football (@heavenfootball_) March 9, 2024

Haji Wright is the main danger up front. The versatile American can play on the left, right, and centrally. He has scored 13 goals in the Championship and one in the FA Cup.

Away team top scorer (available) : – Haji Wright, anytime goal scorer 10/3 & first goal scorer 9/1.

The home side has the upper hand in the head-to-head, winning 33% of the last six (2). Coventry has won one, with 50% of the games ending in a draw. However, Coventry won the last time the teams met in a friendly in 2021.

Selected bets: – Wolves 8/13, Draw 14/5, Coventry 9/2. Over 2.5 4/5, Under 2.5 1/1. BTTS: No 19/20 Yes 4/5.

Luke Andrews prediction: Wolves 2 Coventry 1.

FA Cup Quarter-Final – Manchester City v Newcastle United

Manchester City had a dream season last campaign, emulating their neighbours by winning an incredible Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup treble. They can create history by repeating the feat this season. So far, things are going well. They are just one point off the lead in the Premier League, have qualified for the later stages of the Champions League and are just one match away from the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Manchester City’s FA Cup journey got off to a great start. Phil Foden was the standout player in a 5-0 win over Huddersfield, who play in the Championship. The 23-year-old is enjoying a fine campaign (20 goals, 12 assists) and grabbed a brace in the game. Things were much tighter in the fourth round. A Nathan Aké goal scored in the 88th minute enough to see them overcome Premier League rivals, Tottenham. Erling Haaland was the show’s star in the 2-6 win over Luton. Haaland scored five of City’s goals (Mateo Kovacic scored the sixth). Luton did at least make a game of it, scoring two to make it 2-3, but City found another gear to ease past the league strugglers.

City often line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but Pep frequently switches to a 3-2-4-1. Rodri is the team’s lynchpin. The 27-year-old is mainly used in the central defensive midfield position (32 games) but has also been employed in a more advanced role (12 games) and defence if needed (4 games).

Is Rodri Manchester City's best player? 📊 pic.twitter.com/OrUGSmZA80

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 20, 2024

Far from being a one-man team, City also have Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Jérémy Doku, Bernardo Silva and Julián Álvarez all have average match ratings of over 7.0 this season.

Home team top scorer : – Erling Haaland, anytime goal scorer 8/13 & first goal scorer 12/5.

While Manchester City have carried on where they left off last season, Newcastle’s form, which saw them qualify for the Champions League, has deserted them. Starting in December, Newcastle lost eight out of ten games to plummet down the league, and Chelsea knocked them out of the League Cup. However, a win in the FA Cup third round against neighbours Sunderland appears to have been the jolt they needed, and in the last ten games, they have won five, drawn two and lost three.

Against Sunderland, Alexander Isak was clinical, scoring with his two shots on goal in the 3-0 win. Miguel Almirón also played well, winning his personal battle with Sunderland’s Jack Clarke. Defender Dan Burn was the star of the show in the next round, getting on the scoresheet in a 2-0 away win at Fulham’s Craven Cottage. Newcastle won on penalties in the last round, beating Blackburn after a 1-1 draw.

Away team top scorer: – Alexander Isak, anytime goal scorer 10/3 & first goal scorer 11/1.

Rather uniquely, Newcastle tend to have a fixed 4-3-3 formation. The three-man attack does allow them to score plenty of goals (59 goals in the league) but leaves them vulnerable at the back (48 conceded). Therefore football betting fans often back both teams to score (BTTS) market when Newcastle plays.

In the head-to-head record over the last six fixtures, Manchester City has dominated, winning four (67%). Newcastle have a solitary win, a 1-0 in September last year. There has been one draw, a thrilling 3-3 in 2022.

Selected bets: – Manchester City 1/4, Draw 5/1, Newcastle 10/1. Over 2.5 2/5, Under 2.5 15/8. BTTS: No 19/20 Yes 4/5.

Luke Andrews prediction: Manchester City 3 Newcastle 1.

FA Cup Quarter-Final – Chelsea v Leicester City

Chelsea have had a season to forget, but the FA Cup could yet provide a high in a season of lows. No-one can accuse the new owner, Tom Boehly of not investing in the squad. Following an initial period of minimal activity after Boehly took control, Chelsea completed nine acquisitions in less than two months as the 2022 summer transfer window drew to a close, bringing in an additional eight players during the winter window.

This brought their total new signings to 18 by the end of January. In addition to breaking the summer transfer spending record for the Premier League, Chelsea also established a new high for winter window expenditures with £291.65 million.

The spending trend continued into the 2023 summer window under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, who welcomed several significant signings, including Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo, French internationals Christopher Nkunku and Axel Disasi, and Senegalese standout Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal, complemented by numerous player sales.

Yet despite this, Chelsea have failed to hit top gear and have been inconsistent. They have only won three games in a row twice this season, and as a result, they are 11th in the league, 25 points behind Arsenal.

Chelsea had a favourable FA Cup draw in the third round, beating Championship team Preston North End 4-0 with four different scorers. They had a much tougher draw in the fourth round, paired against Aston Villa, who are flying in the league under Unai Emery. The first game ended 0-0 at Stamford Bridge, but the Blues were dominant in the replay, with Conor Gallagher, Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernández scoring in a 1-3 win.

Thomas Tuchel loved Conor Gallagher commitment!!! pic.twitter.com/sGwWSuWtbU

— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) March 8, 2024

Gallagher also scored in the last round. His goal in the 90th minute secured a 3-2 victory over a battling Leeds United side.

Chelsea favours a 4-2-3-1 formation with a bank of two in front of the defence. In three games, they have switched to a 3-4-2-1 with Malo Gusto & Ben Chilwell pushing further up but dropping back to help the defence when needed.

Home team top scorer: – Cole Palmer, anytime goal scorer 11/8 & first goal scorer 9/2.

Leicester fans probably wish they had faced Chelsea earlier in the season, as they were in sensational form. For a long time, it seemed that promotion as champions of the Championship was a mere formality. In the first 14 games in the Championship, they suffered just one defeat (0-1 Hull). In the last five games in the league they have won just once (0-1 Sunderland) and have suffered losses against Middlesbrough (1-2), Leeds (3-1) and Queens Park Rangers (1-2) and drawn against Hull (2-2). Such is the drop in form that Leeds United has cut their lead at the top to just three points with nine games remaining.

Leicester appeared to be coasting in their third-round game. Goals from Cesare Casadei (on loan from Chelsea) and Ricardo Pereira within the first 40 minutes put them in the driving seat. Duncan Watmore scored early in the second half to give the home side hope, but Thomas Cannon scored for Leicester minutes later to restore the two-goal advantage. The Foxes had to endure a nervy finish when Zian Flemming scored for Millwall with four minutes remaining, but the game ended 2-3. The game against Birmingham was more straightforward. Three second-half goals, including one from Jamie Vardy, saw them cruise 3-0 against Birmingham. In the last round, it took a 105th-minute goal in extra time, scored by Abdul Fatawu, to see them overcome Bournemouth 0-1.

Away team top scorer: – Jamie Vardy, anytime goal scorer 10/3 & first goal scorer 10/1.

In the league, Leicester have switched between a 4-3-3 formation (22 games) and a 4-2-3-1 (13 games). In a 4-3-3 formation, Jamie Vardy leads the line, but Patson Daka is preferred when playing with the lone striker.

Patson Daka was a late substitute on Saturday as Leicester City came from behind to draw with Hull City. pic.twitter.com/T0d6IlnKno

— #Mr-Zambian-Football (@Mubajnr) March 10, 2024

As there is an age gap of 12 years between the two, that is understandable.

Chelsea has had the upper hand in fixtures between the two, winning 67% of the last six (four wins). The last time Chelsea failed to win was in a 1-1 draw in May 2022. Leicester beat Chelsea in an FA Cup clash in May 2021, the same year they won the competition. In the last two games between the two, a player has been sent off. Jannik Vestergaard and Hamza Choudhury are both 28/1 to receive their marching orders.

Selected bets: – Chelsea 4/9, Draw 15/4, Leicester 6/1. Over 2.5 8/15, Under 2.5 7/5. BTTS: No 21/20 Yes 7/10.

“The FA Cup clash between Chelsea & Leicester is much harder to call than the bookmaker odds would have you believe. Both teams have been excellent in patches but suffer from inconsistency. I feel this will end in a draw after 90 minutes, and I’ll be backing that at 15/4.” – Luke Andrews, Betting Expert – UK Market.

Luke Andrews prediction: Chelsea 1 Leicester 1.

FA Cup Quarter-Final – Manchester United v Liverpool

It’s been a frustrating season for Manchester United fans so far. After finishing third and qualifying for the Champions League, many expected them to kick on and at least challenge for the title this season. However, the Red Devils suffered a bad start to the season, losing six times in the first ten games. They crashed out of an easy Champions League group and way off the pace in the Premier League, seventeen points behind Arsenal and eight points adrift of Aston Villa in fourth.

The FA Cup draws have been kind to Manchester United this season, with Wigan the opponents in the third round and Newport County in the fourth round. Diogo Dalot and a Bruno Fernandes penalty saw them win 2-0 against Wigan. They suffered a massive scare in the game against Newport. Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo put United 0-2 ahead after just 13 minutes, but Bryn Morris (36′) and Will Evans’s goal (47′) brought the League Two team level. Antony (68′) gave the visitors the lead again, and Rasmus Højlund ensured the win in the 93rd minute.

Game 37 – 28/02/2024 – FA Cup fifth round – City Ground

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Manchester United
⚪️ Casemiro

🅰️ Bruno Fernandes pic.twitter.com/7kfvHAp6Lo

— RedReveal (@RedReveal) March 10, 2024

In the last round, a Casemiro goal in the 89th minute was enough to see them past a spirited Nottingham Forest.

In all but four games this season, Manchester United have employed a 4-2-3-1 formation. Goals have been scarce, with Rasmus Højlund, Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay all on seven goals. Højlund has been injured but is expected to return for the game against Liverpool.

Home team top scorer: – Rasmus Højlund, anytime goal scorer 2/1 & first goal scorer 6/1.

Liverpool fans will rightly feel gutted at the moment. Despite Liverpool already winning the Carabao Cup, being in the driving seat in Europe, and being part of the leading pack in the league, their manager Jurgen Klopp, has announced his retirement from the club. As a result, every game, especially those played at Anfield, presents an opportunity for the players and the fans to show their appreciation to the man who has delivered every major trophy during his nine-year reign.

Liverpool were handed the most formidable challenge possible in the third round, drawn away against Arsenal, the current league leaders. Arsenal had more shots in the game, 18 compared to Liverpool’s 13, but an own goal from Jakub Kiwior in the 80th minute and a stoppage-time effort from Luis Díaz secured the win. The following two fixtures were much more routine: a 5-2 win against Norwich and a 3-0 thrashing of Southampton.

Klopp rarely changes his formation, and this season, in all 28 league games (and in Europe), he has played a 4-3-3. In those Premier League games, they have scored 65 and conceded 26. They are an excellent team to back in the BTTS market, as they have only kept a clean sheet in two of their last twelve games.

Despite missing 2 months of football, Mohamed Salah now has 40 goal contributions for club and country this season in 35 matches.

Best player in the world…🇪🇬👑 pic.twitter.com/LnAtdRUWNO

— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) March 15, 2024

Away team top scorer: – Mohamed Salah, anytime goal scorer 5/4 & first goal scorer 4/1.

Liverpool have not only had the better of United in 50% of the last six games, the 7-0 humiliation in March last year is a result that is likely to be mentioned for years to come. Although United gained a valuable point in the previous meeting between the two, Liverpool was the dominant team. United did win 4-0 in July 2022, but that was a preseason friendly.

Luke Andrews prediction: Manchester United 1 Liverpool 2.

This weekend’s FA Cup fixtures promise to provide excellent entertainment, and we will likely see a few surprises.

Wolves are expected to ease past Coventry, but the Sky Blues under Mark Robins side have won six of their last ten, so shouldn’t be underestimated. It’s a similar situation to that of Manchester City and Newcastle. Most people will expect a routine win for The Citizens, but it’s worth remembering that City have only lost five games all season, and one of those defeats was against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.

Chelsea should have enough quality to see off Leicester, but it is far from a certainty, given Chelsea’s erratic form. The Foxes are decent away from the King Power stadium, winning 17 of their 24 away games. In the match between Manchester United and Liverpool, anything can happen. Liverpool’s form should ensure a comfortable afternoon, but never underestimate United’s desire to spoil Liverpool’s quest for four trophies.

All stats are taken from SoccerSTATS.comand WhoScored.com, and the odds are from bet365 and are correct at the time of writing but can fluctuate, especially in play.

All tips are provided as entertainment only; the author’s opinion should not be considered financial guidance. Always bet responsibly; if you need help with problem gambling, you can find organisations that offer support in this page’s footer.