Rashford to finally punish Arsenal? A prediction for every FA Cup fourth-round game

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The FA Cup fourth round is due to take place this weekend, with a couple of big ties.

The weekend kicks off on Friday night with the tie of the round as Arsenal host Manchester United (at the same time as Bristol City host Bolton) in an all Premier League clash that is sure to see lots of goals and plenty of action.

Saturday starts with Ashley Cole’s return to English football as Derby take on Accrington Stanley. Manchester City host Burnley whilst in the evening games Everton travel to face Millwall and we have a London derby as Wimbledon take on West Ham.

Sunday begins with an even bigger London derby with Crystal Palace hosting injury-hit spurs, before holders Chelsea play Sheffield Wednesday and then the round wraps up on Monday night with Barnet taking on Brentford.

We’ve had a look at the fixtures and had two of the Squawka team come up with predictions:

Arsenal vs. Manchester United

 

Muhammad Butt: The tie of the round is the first one out of the gate, and it should be a thrilling match on Friday night. The Gunners are all about attack, but United can now counter-attack with the best of them. Expect goals. 2-3 United.

Sam Long: United passed the first acid test of Ole Gunnar Solskaer’s reign by beating Spurs and I’m expecting them to do the north London double. Arsenal’s defence won’t stop Marcus Rashford in his current form. 1-2 United.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Marcus Rashford has 7 goals in his last 10 games for Manchester United and will be looking to bag end his five game scoreless run against the Gunners under the Friday night lights!

Bristol City vs. Bolton

MB: The unsung showdown on Friday night is, on paper, a walk in the park for Bristol. They’ve won five in a row and are unbeaten in their last 11 matches. But football isn’t played on paper, it’s played on grass. 1-2 Bolton.

SL: Spare a thought for these two clubs on Friday night – as nobody is going to be paying any attention to events at Ashton Gate. The hosts are firmly in the hunt for a play-off spot and, even if Lee Johnson fields a weakened team, they should have enough for a beleaguered Bolton. 2-0 Bristol.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Jay Dasilva is on loan from Chelsea and has seven caps for England’s Under-21s. Keep an eye on him to see whether you think he’s got any chance of making it at the highest level.

Accrington Stanley vs. Derby

MB: Powered by two great loan signings from Premier League powerhouses (Mason Mount and Harry Wilson) as well as a variety of other tactics which everyone now knows thanks to Marcelo Bielsa, Derby are a very, very good side. Meanwhile Accrington Stanley, who are they? Exactly. 0-2 Derby.

SL: Frank Lampard’s side are proving to be pretty handy in cup competitions and – on paper – should make light work of ‘little’ Accrington. But the Crown Ground is a difficult place to go and the League One side will not be embarrassed. 1-2 Derby.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Harry Wilson has, incredibly, scored 7 goals in his last 10 games. The attacking midfielder should continue that hot-streak against lower league Accrington.

Swansea vs. Gillingham

MB: The Gills have won just two of their last five matches, meanwhile the Swans are unbeaten in their last five. Their greater hardiness plus the goalscoring prowess of Oli McBurnie should see them through. 2-1 Swansea.

SL: Swansea have clawed their way back into the play-off picture in recent weeks so a raft of changes could be on the cards. The Gills edged an unfamiliar Cardiff side in the last round and they’ll be up for ruffling a few more feathers. 1-1 draw.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Tom Eaves has hit 14 goals in League One this season and – given that he’s 6’5 – is capable of giving any defender a hard time.

Shrewsbury vs. Wolves

MB: Wolves have been in some up and down form, alternating wins and losses for the last five games, so according to that pattern a loss is coming up. That said, Shrewsbury are in the bottom half of League One, so it’s unlikely they’ll have the quality needed to actually hurt Nuno Espirito Santo’s men. 0-3 win.

SL: Wolves will be full of confidence after coming out on the right side of a seven-goal thriller against Leicester and should be seen as dark horses to go all the way. The Premier League outfit should comfortably dispatch a side just one point above the League One relegation places. 1-3 Wolves.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Diogo Jota is the hot hand (or foot) after his hat-trick against Leicester and will be looking to further expand on his goalscoring feats in Shropshire.

Brighton vs. West Brom

MB: Brighton have lost back to back games but they were against Liverpool and Manchester United, moreover they managed to fight superbly in both contests. They should find West Brom relatively easy work. 2-0 Brighton.

SL: A top Championship team facing a middle-of-the-pile Premier League side always has the makings of a great game. The priorities of both managers will – rightly – lie elsewhere and a replay will definitely be met with groans. 1-1 draw.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Dwight Gayle is constantly accused of lacking the quality needed to play in the Premier League. He’ll be looking to prove the doubters wrong against Lewis Dunk and co.

Doncaster vs. Oldham

MB: Doncaster’s good form has stumbled since their win over Preston in the last round. They lost to Wycombe and drew with Burton, but the last time they went winless in two they responded by winning three on the trot. Expect a repeat. 2-1 Doncaster.

SL: Oldham are slap bang in the middle of League Two; safe from relegation but unlikely to make the play-offs. Pete Wild’s men knocked out Fulham in the last round and will benefit from Doncaster having one eye on the League One play-offs. 1-2 Oldham.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Jose Baxter was a jewel in Everton’s crown as a teenager but off-field problems have seen him drop down the divisions.

Middlesbrough vs. Newport County

MB: Newport County are the upset kings. They turned Leicester upside down in the last round and when facing another stodgy defensive side they should be able to shock them enough to take them to a replay back at their place. 1-1 draw.

SL: Tony Pulis’ men have not received many column inches this season as they’re ‘unfashionable’ when compared to several other sides in the Championship promotion picture. But they are still experts at grinding out wins and Newport’s fairytale will come to an end. 2-0 Boro.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Jordan Hugill is often mocked for his failed move to West Ham, but he’s getting back on track at Middlesbrough.

Manchester City vs. Burnley

MB: Manchester City have won 7 games in a row and smacked Burnley silly in their last match. This is going to be a bloodbath. 5-0 City.

SL: Pep Guardiola’s men thumped the Clarets 5-0 the last time they faced them at the Etihad Stadium and it is likely to be another long afternoon for the visitors. 4-1 City.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Raheem Sterling was fully rested in the League Cup and will have plenty of Leroy Sané crosses to feast off. Expect goals.

Portsmouth vs. QPR

MB: Pompey are one of just two sides outside the Premier League’s big six to win the FA Cup this century. After beating high-flying Norwich in the third round they will have every faith that they can take out QPR (who are no Norwich) and perhaps build some momentum to try and recapture the glory of 2008. 1-0 Portsmouth.

SL: The League One frontrunners dumped Norwich out in the last round and will relish another opportunity to test themselves against Championship opposition. Fratton Park will be rocking and QPR boss Steve McClaren is set to find out a lot about some of his players. 1-0 Portsmouth.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Portsmouth centre-back Matt Clarke is a wanted man. He has been strongly linked with a move to Stoke City and the 22-year-old represents a real prospect.

Newcastle vs. Watford

MB: Newcastle have won twice in a row, their best run of form since the very end of November. They will look to make it three against the Hornets. The Magpies have desperation on their side, and that can be a powerful motivator. 1-0 Newcastle.

SL: Watford are prime candidates to enjoy a good cup run this year, having pulled well clear of relegation trouble. Newcastle are at the other end of the scale and anything other than Premier League points should not be a priority, which is a sad state of affairs for Rafa Benitez’s men. 1-3 Watford.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Salomon Rondon is a powerful presence in attack and he could kick-start a cup run to lift the Newcastle fans.

Millwall vs. Everton

MB: Everton will get hammered by Millwall, but they will have an overwhelming quality advantage and will look to make that count against the Championship side. However both sides will cancel each other out – back to Goodison we go! 1-1 draw.

SL: Millwall love nothing more than raining on a parade and will be determined to take Premier League opposition out of their comfort zone. The ‘Tim Cahill Derby’ has all the makings of a classic. 2-1 Millwall.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Jordan Pickford has kept just one clean sheet since the start of December, and you’d expect he will have his work cut out for him to keep Millwall at pay.

AFC Wimbledon vs. West Ham

MB: Wimbledon have won just two of their last six and come into this game with injuries effecting them in key zones. West Ham are finally starting to coalesce into a proper football side under Manuel Pellegrini, so should get through here with little issue. 0-4 West Ham.

SL: AFC Wimbledon are in a mess. The phoenix club, which has been on the rise for so long, is struggling to deal with what it feels like to go backwards for the first time. With two centre-backs expected to play in central midfield, the Hammers could have a field day. 1-6 West Ham.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Javier Hernandez is a goalscorer and opposition as weakened as AFC Wimbledon should provide a huge opportunity for the Mexican international to get his first goal of 2019.

Crystal Palace vs. Spurs

MB: This should be a relentless tie, as Mauricio Pochettino desperately claws at everything, looking for something to energise his side after a rough spell of injuries and international absence has dulled their attack. Unfortunately for them Crystal Palace have proven themselves quite capable of upsetting “superior” opponents. 2-1 Palace.

SL: Spurs are running out of options up front due to an injury crisis, but Palace know exactly what that feels like. Roy Hodgson’s men can take heart from their solid performance at Anfield but I believe Spurs will find a way to get over the line at Selhurst Park. 0-2 Spurs.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Fernando Llorente is the man to focus on; the misfiring Spaniard will have a big responsibility to lift Spurs into the next round of the cup.

Chelsea vs. Sheffield Wednesday

MB: Chelsea have struggled to score goals lately, but Maurizio Sarri has finally gotten the striker that he’s been after and the ideal opponent for him to play in. A nice hour of Higuain should see the Blues cruise through. 2-0 Chelsea.

SL: Maurizio Sarri finally has the striker that he’s been pining for so has nowhere to hide if Chelsea don’t get back on the horse. Victory over the Owls should be a straightforward affair. 4-1 Chelsea.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Gonzalo Higuain is likely to make his Chelsea debut here, and he will be hoping to mark it with a goal against the Championship side, although they have kept three clean sheets in their last five games.

Barnet vs. Brentford

MB: Brentford are a slick, well-run outfit with lots of quality young talent in it. Barnet shocked everyone by beating the Blades to get here but they got thumped last week by Braintree. Brentford are a lot better than Braintree. 0-3 Brentford.

SL: A home tie against Brentford was probably not the dream draw that Barnet were hoping for. But at least their surprise victory over Sheffield United was enough to get Darren Currie the job on the full-time basis. 1-3 Brentford.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Neal Maupay has scored 17 goals this season, leading to speculation that he is in line for a move away from Griffin Park. The Bees have a history of unearthing gems but will be keen to retain the Frenchman’s services.

The post Squawka predicts the FA Cup fourth-round as Arsenal host Man Utd appeared first on Squawka News.



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