Written by Cornermanden. The author’s opinions and predictions are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Unibet. Odds and details may change between the time of writing and when placing a bet – always check before betting. 

There are some important replays in the FA Cup to be played this midweek, but also a couple of very, very enticing games in the Premier League. Here is my preview for the Midweek FA Cup & Premier League games I’ve decided to take a look at.

PREMIER LEAGUE

Dangerous On The Counter

Manchester City – Tottenham Hotspur

City come directly from the big game against Manchester United on Saturday, and will look to bounce back immediately. It’s hard to see how Guardiola’s men will catch Arsenal, now that the London team have a solid gap between themselves and City – but we should never write The Citizens off. Antonio Conte’s boys will need to improve a few parts of their game for them to have a solid chance of finishing in the top 4, but at the same time something which should be a real possibility if they improve quickly. I think it’s safe to say that they have the players to pick up enough points to push for a Champions League spot. 

Spurs are not very good against teams who drop deep and defend their own box with 9-10 men behind the ball. However, they are very, very good at the opposite: finding ways to punish oppositions with they’re pace and power on the counter. City clearly struggled in this fixture last season, when Spurs won 3-2, and I expect a similar type of game this time around. 1.38 on City is a short price, obviously, but the way Spurs have looked lately (fatigued and disinterested), I think things point the way of the Manchester team here. They should be wary of Spurs’ threat on the counter.

Fort Selhurst

Crystal Palace – Manchester United

Palace had spells of danger and threat against Chelsea on Sunday, but fell short in the end and lost the game 1-0. Patrick Vieira has now actually lost more games than he’s won as Palace boss, a stat that I don’t feel reflects on his team nicely. In my opinion they are a rigid, tight team with some exciting attackers who can produce spectacular moments of quality. Selhurst Park has usually been a fort of sorts, and I don’t expect the Mancunians to travel there and get it all their own way. Joachim Andersen was forced to leave the game against Chelsea prematurely, and is a doubt for this match. 1.86 is the current (Sunday evening) price for United to win this game.

In my view there’s more than an argument to be made for Palace here, although Ten Hag’s men have looked like a brand new team lately. Can they keep it going and actually compete for a top spot come the end of the season? At 12.00, it’s obviously not very likely, but not impossible either. My pick for this game is that we will see less than 2.5 goals at 1.92. James Tomkins in the place of Andersen should mean less attacking penetration for the home team.

FA CUP REPLAYS

Scratching of Head Time For Liverpool

Wolverhampton Wanderers – Liverpool

I wouldn’t feel very optimistic if I was a Liverpool fan this season. For the second time in 2-3 years, The Redmen’s season is “over” before we’ve reached the halfway point. We can return to the covid-19 season where they fell short and never were anywhere close to competing for the championship. The same is true now, although they are worse off in terms of finishing in the top 3 than they were a few years ago. They have usually not prioritised the FA Cup, but might have to take it a bit more seriously this time around.

Liverpool can, in theory and with maximum luck, seal a Champions League spot in the PL, win the FA Cup and maybe even the Champions League. That would be a huge success for The Reds. But to win this domestic tournament, Wolves will have to be beaten, a team who can be buoyed after a good period with several encouraging results and performances. Liverpool at 1.85 says a lot about where they are as a team at the moment.

Elland Road Under The Lights

Leeds United – Cardiff City

I watched the opposite leg between these two teams in Wales, a game in which Leeds were miles off Cardiff in the first half but bounced back to score two important goals in the last 45 minutes. Cardiff City are not doing very well in the Championship at the moment, so it really is a game that Leeds should win under normal circumstances. They are currently priced at 1.35 to win this game, a very short – but understandable – price for a Premier League team up against a struggling side from the division below.

I would back the Yorkshire club to get the job done here, but odds are all about probability, and I don’t really believe that we get any value on the Leeds side when we all know how weak and precarious they’ve looked recently. In that case it might be tempting to go against them, but I think I might wait until Unibet offers us corner odds – Cardiff are a good defensive team and are definitely capable of making it a frustrating night for Leeds.

Conclusion

A difficult preview for Midweek FA Cup & Premier League, but I’ve found a few bets that I think have some value:

• Crystal Palace-Manchester United. Under 2.5 goals @ 1.92.