Grosvenor Sport ambassador Jamie O’Hara is on hand to break down three must-watch matchups in Round 3 of the FA Cup this weekend, including Tottenham’s trip to Tamworth – who sit 16th in the National League.
Aston Villa vs West Ham – Friday 20:00
I’m convinced Aston Villa have what it takes to win a trophy. They’ve got the manager, hungry players and a club of their stature should be winning trophies. They don’t struggle with scoring goals; Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins are more than enough firepower upfront to put a few past their opponents. They’ve got a really good squad and tick a lot of boxes when you think about what it takes to win a trophy.
Being honest, I think Lopetegui was a terrible appointment – he was a step backwards for West Ham! David Moyes won a trophy, knew the squad and knew how to get results. I can understand that the style under Moyes was a bit pragmatic but you’d know that they’d give teams a good run and they wouldn’t get beaten heavily very often. I think Graham Potter is a perfect fit; he has a formula which he showed at Brighton. He’s proven he can be successful in the Premier League, so he just needs to be given time.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham (6/1)
Tamworth vs Tottenham – Sunday 12:30
I think Ange Postecoglu is going to change the team a lot. With respect, it’s Tamworth. I know it’s a game away from home but they could put the under 18s out and I would expect them to put in a decent performance. It’s a good opportunity to put the kids out and start players who don’t normally get any minutes in the Premier League.
Tamworth are going to have a go and treat it as the biggest game of their season; they’ll want to try and rough Tottenham up, especially at home. Tottenham will need to be careful, but let’s not get away from the fact that their reserves should beat Tamworth. It’s going to be a real battle if Tottenham fail to put a few goals past them.
Prediction: Tamworth 1-4 Tottenham (12/1)
Arsenal vs Manchester United – Sunday 15:00
Mikel Arteta will definitely be under pressure to do well in this tournament; he has to win something soon or at least put Arsenal in a position where they’re one game away from lifting a trophy. If I’m honest, I can’t see anything other than an Arsenal win here against a shaky and uncertain Manchester United side. They have good depth in their squad, are well-drilled and have the quality to punish their opposition come Sunday.
Man United were good against Liverpool last weekend, but I don’t know if you are going to get that performance week in, week out from them yet. They are still really inconsistent, lack discipline and I don’t know if they have turned a corner yet, but that Liverpool performance was at least a start.
I’m not sure Ruben Amorim has the players that he needs to play the system that he wants to play and until then, United don’t have what it takes to compete at that top level.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United (13/2)
O’Hara’s Hotspots: Arsenal vs Manchester United Bet Builder
- Arsenal to win
- Over 9.5 corners
- Kai Havertz anytime scorer