The headline act of the FA Cup weekend comes on Monday night as Chelsea take on Manchester United. Tom Carnduff looks at the betting.
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Chelsea v Manchester United (Stamford Bridge, 1930 GMT, BBC One)
They've saved the best until last for the FA Cup fifth round weekend, with Chelsea taking on Manchester United on free-to-air television.
It's the first of two major Cup games for the Blues in the space of six days. The tie with United coming before the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer suffered his first defeat as boss of the Old Trafford club when they were beaten 2-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in Champions League action last time out.
Chelsea's form hasn't been much better, although their results at Stamford Bridge are the opposite of those on the road, Maurizio Sarri's men seem to thrive in front of their own supporters.
While the pressure continues to mount on Sarri, the fact that this game is at the Bridge puts them into favouritism. Chelsea are currently enjoying a five-game winning run at home, with the defeat to Leicester the only time they have been beaten in 21 home games this season.
Take nothing away from United though, they've won their last six away games in all competitions, which includes victories over Arsenal and Tottenham.
It is set to be an open, entertaining and attacking game with the forwards that both teams possess. Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial may be out injured for the visitors, but Solksjaer still has a number of options to choice from.
While shots may be the potential market to look at, the value is in tackles with this game set to bring a high count in that department.
This is also a good time to mention the in-play guide that we have put together for this one, giving you some betting suggestions and statistics for when the game is in progress.
Betting guide
Score prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Manchester United (Sky Bet odds: 12/1)
All signs point to a high-scoring encounter here. We've already discussed the records on the home and away side of things and both will be full of confidence that they can progress to the quarter-final stage. It was 2-2 when the two sides met at Stamford Bridge back in October, while Chelsea have scored at least two goals in each of their five home games during this winning run. United have hit three goals in each of their last two away wins.
A good market to look at is the combined player tackles with Sky Bet. The four players listed above all lead the way in tackles made for their respective sides.
Azpilicueta sits seventh for tackles completed in the Premier League this season with 70, that's the highest for any player in a top-six team. Kante continues to be a presence in midfield and is known for the defensive side of his game.
They both combined for nine successful tackles in their recent heavy away defeat to Manchester City. There were five in the home victory over Huddersfield and the same amount was also posted in their 2-1 win against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Midfield duo Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic lead the way with 83 Premier League tackles between them. Sarri will demand his side play attacking football, which places the importance on Herrera and Matic to be key defensive elements of the United team.
The duo combined for eight tackles in that defeat to PSG in midweek, while the figure was the same in the away win at Arsenal in the last round. A price of 11/1 looks incredibly tempting for 16 or more successful tackles between the four players.
RequestABet: Eden Hazard 2+ shots on target and Cesar Azpilicueta 4+ tackles at 8/1
As discussed above, Azpilicueta is a leader when it comes to tackles and the same should apply in a game like this. The stand-out attacking element of this Chelsea side is Eden Hazard and he'll carry a significant threat.
The forward leads the way for shots taken in this Chelsea side by a considerable distance. His 67 total shots in the Premier League is 22 more than Willian in second.
Combining these two strengths for the Blues gives a price of 8/1. It's a tempting price for outcomes that have a strong track record so far this season.
Opta facts
- This will be the 14th FA Cup tie between Chelsea and Manchester United – the Blues have triumphed in each of the last four, including the final last season.
- Manchester United have lost three of their five FA Cup matches against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, winning 5-3 in 1997-98 and 2-0 in 1998-99.
- Chelsea could become the first team to eliminate Manchester United in five consecutive FA Cup meetings.
- In all competitions, Manchester United have won just two of their last 22 away games against Chelsea (D7 L13), failing to win any of their last nine.
- Manchester United have eliminated the FA Cup holders 10 times, more than any other side in the competition’s history. They last did so in 2011-12 against Manchester City.
- Chelsea are looking to reach the FA Cup quarter-final for the fourth consecutive season, reaching the final in each of the last two.
- Manchester United are looking to reach the FA Cup quarter-final for the fifth consecutive season. The last did so in as many between 1961-62 and 1965-66.
- The last side to eliminate both Arsenal and Chelsea in the same FA Cup campaign were Manchester United in 1998-99, while the last side to do in away games were Millwall in 1994-95.
- Olivier Giroud has had a hand in 23 goals in 28 appearances in the FA Cup (15 goals, 8 assists), averaging a goal or assist every 73 minutes in the competition.
- Manchester United’s Alexis Sanchez has been involved in 19 goals in 20 FA Cup games (10 goals, 9 assists) – more than any other player since his first appearance in the competition.
Odds correct as of 1940 GMT on 17/02/19
