Sport

Dave Tindall Previews an FA Cup Pick 4

The FA Cup is back this weekend and we have a Pick 4 kicking off with the early Saturday match-up between Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea. Dave Tindall offers his thoughts on the matches in the pool and has a Syndicate available for you to join!

 

Sheffield Wednesday v Swansea

The Swans smashed eight past Notts County in the last round but let’s remember that it came in a replay after they’d been held by the League Two side in the first encounter.

That said, Swansea’s results since Carlos Carvalhal took over have been more akin to a side chasing a Champions League spot than one trying to escape relegation and it’s now five wins and two draws from the last seven matches.

The added twist on Saturday is that Carvalhal is coming up against his former club, who decided he’d become rather stale and wasn’t taking the Owls anywhere. New boss Jos Luhukay has made Wednesday hard to beat, with draws the dominant result in his short reign (five stalemates in nine).

A 1-1 draw looks a good starting point (that’s been the score in Swansea’s last two away games) and, as I see this as an Under 2.5 goals game, I’ll take narrow wins either side too, but lean more towards the visitors.

Prediction: 1-0, 1-1, 0-1, 0-2, 1-2

 

Brighton v Coventry

Brighton have been fairly easy to predict at home. They’ve taken a few hidings off the big teams (1-5 v Liverpool and 0-4 v Chelsea) but done well against less-celebrated opposition: 1-0 v Watford, 2-2 v Bournemouth, 2-1 v Palace and 3-1 v West Ham.

Coventry would have to make history to send Brighton packing as no fourth-tier side has ever knocked out two top-flight teams in the same year (Coventry beat Stoke in the last round).

That was at home but on the road they’re hardly a side to fear, having lost their last five of their last six League Two Road trips.

There doesn’t seem any need to cover any shock results in this one so I’ll play various home wins, mostly with clean sheets as Coventry are one of the lowest scorers on the road.

Prediction: 2-0, 3-0, 3-1, Other Home Win

 

 

Huddersfield v Man Utd

A potentially tricky third leg on first glance. Huddersfield looked to be in freefall until racking up the goals in extra-time to win their replay at Birmingham and then scoring an eye-popping 4 in a home win over in-form Bournemouth last time. Adding to that is their shock 2-1 home win over Man Utd earlier in the season.

United are coming in off a Pick 4-busting 1-0 loss at Newcastle but how many times down the years have we seen Jose Mourinho get it done in a Cup competition when everything didn’t look rosy?

The Manchester men also have a Champions League tie to think about next week so I’m thinking an efficient win and shutting up shop once a lead is established – as is usually the case when Mourinho wants a result.

United beat Huddersfield 2-0 at Old Trafford earlier this month so something near to a repeat makes sense despite the switch in venue.

Prediction: 1-1, 0-1, 0-2, 1-2

 

Rochdale v Tottenham

Away at Juventus on Tuesday, away at Rochdale five days later. Spurs played some brilliant stuff to come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in Turin and they also turned it around to produce that same scoreline against Liverpool.

They’ve actually drawn their last four away games and the slight concern is that one of those came via a 1-1 at League Two Newport County in the previous round before they won the replay 2-0 at Wembley.

With Harry Kane likely to be given the afternoon off and the pitch at Rochdale a borderline disgrace, this could be a little harder for Spurs that it might seem given that the hosts are bottom of League One.

Eight of Rochdale’s last nine games at Spotland have been Under 2.5 goals (due to the pitch?) and only the top two teams have conceded fewer home goals so Spurs may have to dig this one out.

Prediction: 0-1, 0-2

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