The draw for the FA Cup quarter-final has taken place, with some current top six sides meeting each other in the next round!
The FA Cup took place this week, with just eight teams left in the competition. There are still a lot of big sides left in, with the quarter-finals taking place on the 20th and 21st of March.
The draw is as follows (outright odds provided by Paddy Power):
Chelsea (10/3) vs Sheffield United (40/1)
Tuchel’s side will be the favourite for this fixture and rightly so. Chelsea have already beaten Sheffield United twice this season, winning 4-1 and 2-1. Due to them drawing Sheffield United, Chelsea have seent their odds drop from 5/1 to 10/3. They have a lot of new players in the squad and the FA Cup is the ideal time to give them more game time.
Everton (14/1) vs Man City (13/10)
Man City have been in great form recently so will be the favourites for this fixture. Everton shouldn’t be overlooked though. Ancelotti has built a good side there and is putting a lot of confidence back into the fans and the club. The two sides are yet to meet in the league yet but will do before this FA Cup tie. Like Chelsea, City have a very big squad with a lot of good players. Pep can field a totally different side to the one in the league and it will still be very good. This is a big advantage to him and that’s why we see City going through. That being said, Everton’s price would drop considerably should they progress so they could be worth an outside punt.
Leicester (11/1) vs Man United (9/2)
This will be a very close tie in which United will be the slight favourites. The two sides have met just once this season, with the game ending in a 2-2 draw. The league will be too big of an ask for both of these sides but they would love an FA Cup win. United have the better squad on paper but we know now not to right off Leicester. This is a very close one to call and could even go down to whether both sides have fully fit squads.
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Bournemouth (40/1) vs Southampton (14/1)
The final draw is the New Forest Derby between Southampton and Bournemouth. The Saints will be expected to win this one, given that they are in the league above The Cherries. Southampton though have been troubled with injuries of late and will hope to have most back fit in time for this game. As its a derby it should be an interesting tie but one we think the Premier League side will progress through.
