The magic of the FA Cup returns this weekend, with this quarter-final stage bringing with it some attractive fixtures and even tastier potential outcomes when the penultimate round of the tournament rolls around.
Manchester United visit Wolves, while Swansea host Pep Guardiola’s men, meaning we could see anything from classic FA Cup upsets to the possibility of an all-Manchester semi-final.
Elsewhere, there is a London derby in Watford v Crystal Palace for the weekend’s opening fixture, while the final match will see one of either Millwall or Brighton fight it out under the Wembley arch for a spot in the last four.
Our football betting expert previews the key contests and gives you the best bets to look out for with Grosvenorsport.com.
Wolves v Manchester United
Wolverhampton Wanderers have found themselves just two ties away from an FA Cup final and the 9/4 on offer for them to progress when hosting Manchester United suggests they might just have a chance.
However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men had previously won for the 14th time in 17 games when they etched into the history books a gallant 3-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in France, which enabled them to progress onto the next stage of the Champions League.
Another boost came when Nemanja Matic and Anthony Martial returned from injury at the Emirates and Solskjaer will be counting on recalling more of his walking wounded, meaning there is further hope for United here in the FA Cup.
They are undoubtedly on a high and, while the prospect of delivering a giant killing will have Wolves raring to go on the day, I’ll be taking the 15/2 for a 2-1 away victory with Grosvenorsport.com.
Swansea v Manchester City
A potentially exciting game awaits here, not least because the Liberty Stadium has been used for rugby union matches recently, which is more likely to play into the host’s hands.
City made light work in the end of another Welsh opposition earlier in the campaign in Newport, whose also-rugby-trodden surface helped them nab a consolation. The plight of the underdogs has always been an underlying feature of the FA Cup, and the Swans are available at 15/2 here, should you fancy it.
Having said that, City’s confidence is soaring, with them replacing Liverpool at the head of the Premier League, not to mention their 7-0 demolition of Schalke in the Champions League as they strive for an unprecedented quadruple.
A price of 9/5 for the away team to win and both sides to score is appealing, with the Swans likely to be boosted by the return of top scorer Oli McBurnie. Coming back from illness, he has scored 18 goals this term with a particularly impressive 10 from 10 since the beginning of the calendar year.
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