The FA Cup has been quite the competition so far this year. Teams such as Lincoln and Sutton have won the hearts of the neutrals and done themselves proud. Meanwhile, in what is not really a surprise, many of the top teams in England have made it to the quarter-final including Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City who are all looking to add to their extensive trophy collections.
Middlesbrough vs Manchester City
The first game of the quarter finals sees struggling Middlesbrough take on high-flying Manchester City. Boro have struggled for wins this season amassing just four in the league all season. They may struggle to contend with City’s attacking threat. Despite their impressive defensive record in the league, Boro have not been as solid in the Cup. They conceded two in the last round against League One opponents Oxford.
However last time out Boro managed to hold City to a 1-1 draw so do not be surprised if there is a cup upset, especially if City defend like they did against Monaco.
Prediction 2-1 Middlesbrough
Arsenal vs Lincoln City
Arsenal have won the FA cup twice in the past three years and will be hoping to make it three out of four this year. The Gunners are out of the Champions League after receiving a second 1-5 battering from German giants Bayern Munich. Couple this with Arsenal’s fading title hopes and the FA cup now seems to be Wenger’s only shot at silverware in what could be his last season in charge at Arsenal. Therefore the French man should be looking to field a strong squad to secure their place in the semi-finals.
Lincoln are flying high in the FA Cup, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in the club’s history. After already seeing off Premier league side Burnley in a hard fought passionate display, they will be going into this game full of confidence and full of belief after already achieving what at the start of the competition nobody at the club thought possible in their wildest dreams.
Despite the 89 places between the two sides, Arsenal will not be in for an easy game. However Lincoln have yet to play against a team with such quality players such as Sanchez and Ozil. Thus this may signal the end of Lincoln’s fairy tale story.
Prediction 2-0 Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur vs Millwall
With Tottenham 10 points behind league leaders Chelsea who are showing no signs of slipping up, Spurs will be going into this game heavily focused on winning the cup. Hoping to bring a trophy back to White Hart Lane for the first time since their 2008 League Cup success.
League One side Millwall have already claimed the pride of last year’s Premier League Champions Leicester beating them 1-0 in the last round and will be hoping to repeat the feat against Spurs.
Although Millwall would love to produce another cup upset, Spurs have already proven against Fulham that they do not take lower league opposition lightly. Therefore, they should have no problems in seeing off Millwall.
Prediction 4-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea vs Manchester United
The final game of the quarter finals sees two of the Premier league’s elite battle it out for a place in the semi-final.
Chelsea are flying high this season under Antonio Conte, sitting 10 points clear at the top of the table. Since taking over, the Italian has reinvigorated Chelsea after their disappointing performance last season.
The Italian has changed the formation and brought belief back into the players, most notably bringing Belgium star Eden Hazard back to his best. Chelsea, therefore, will see no reason why they cannot go on to win the FA Cup this year and will be looking for a repeat of last time they played United early this season, thrashing them 4-0.
Manchester United will be looking for a repeat of their success in the League Cup after beating Southampton 3-2. However, the fact they have already secured silverware may change their approach to this game. It’s safe to say United’s title hopes are now over. They are currently sat in 6th place in the league, two points adrift of 4th place. As the Champions league will be a key goal for Mourinho’s men, they may rest a few players in order to be fresh for the league to make sure they secure the points they need to get CL football next season.
Prediction 2-1 Chelsea
