FA Cup 3rd Round.
Friday 8th January - Sunday 10th January
We preview this weekend’s biggest matches of the FA Cup 3rd round as teams from all over the English footballing pyramid go head-to-head!
Aston Villa vs Liverpool
Friday 8th January, 19:45, BT Sport 1.
Liverpool travel to Villa Park in a repeat fixture of their famous 7-2 thrashing earlier this season. Although a similar scoreline is unlikely, the Villains will be confident of beating them again in the cup. Liverpool also lost to Southampton on Monday, and a win here will go some way to bury the memories of both the aforementioned defeats. Jack Grealish caused Liverpool all sorts of problems in that match, and he’s in the form of his life right now, can he make the difference and shock Liverpool again in the cup?
Betting tip: Liverpool to win at current odds of 11/10.
Arsenal vs Newcastle
Saturday 9th January, 17.30, BBC One.
Another Premier League clash sees a repeat of the 1998 final as Arsenal take on Newcastle. The Gunners have improved recently with three wins on the bounce after a disastrous start to the season. Meanwhile, the Geordies had a tough Christmas period with zero wins but still find themselves in a somewhat comfortable league position. These days, they’re a team that can be tough to break down while attempting to hit opponents on the counter. If Newcastle get an early goal, then things could become very ugly for Arteta’s men considering he is under a lot of pressure as manager. He will find solace in the fact that his side play their best stuff in the FA Cup despite struggling in the league — evidenced by winning the entire competition last season.
Newcastle also have a dreadful record against Arsenal with the Londoners winning 14 out of the last 15 games between the pair.
Betting tip: Arsenal to win by one exact goal at odds of 12/5.
Marine vs Tottenham
Sunday 10th January, 17.00, BBC One.
In the biggest mismatch of the round and arguably in the history of the cup itself, 8th-tier side Marine host Tottenham Hotspur at Rossett Park in Merseyside. Marine beat Colchester plus Havant & Waterlooville during the previous rounds and their match against Tottenham is the biggest in their history. No team this low down in English football have ever beaten a top-flight side, and only four non-league sides have managed this feat. It will undoubtedly be the greatest shock in football history if the Mariners manage to pull it off.
Betting tip: Over 5.5 goals at 5/4.
Whatever you bet on, enjoy the game and don’t forget that our prices are subject to fluctuation. Please check our Sports Betting page for the latest odds.