FA Cup betting preview: Prediction, preview and best bets for fourth round clashes, including Tranmere v Man Utd

By Paul Higham

17:04 · SUN January 26, 2020

Paul Higham picks out the best bets from Sunday's FA Cup action where Man City, Man Utd and Liverpool are all in action.

Recommended bets

1pt 12+ total corners in Man City v Fulham at 2/1

1pt Man Utd -1 on the handicap at evens

For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record

Manchester City v Fulham

1pm BBC One

Should be nothing to see here in terms of FA Cup upsets as the cup kings of the last few years tackle what should be another comfortable contest at the Etihad. Fulham have a rotten record against City, losing their last eight contests and it's hard to see it improving here.

It's seven straight FA Cup wins for Pep Guardiola's side after lifting the treble last season, and with the league title gone this is another piece of silverware that could help soften that blow.

Whatever side he puts out Guardiola knows it will be quality and should be far superior to whatever line-up Scott Parker goes for, and although it's a free hit for the Cottagers, promotion back to the Premier League is most certainly their main priority.

Aymeric Laporte may play to get game time and Phil Foden is usually allowed to strut his stuff in the cup competitions and his goal involvement will make him popular in the scoring markets for the game.

There's precious little value in any of the markets but one that might gives us a run for your money is with corners, as Man City average just over 11 in Premier League games this season so one more against Fulham should be within their grasp at a healthy price.

Fulham, for the record, average 12 corners per game, so the hopes are high with this one.

Best bet: 12+ total corners in Man City v Fulham at 2/1

Key stats

Manchester City and Fulham haven’t faced in the FA Cup since January 1914, a gap of 106 years.
Man City have won their last seven FA Cup matches, scoring 30 goals and conceding just four since a 1-0 defeat to Wigan in February 2018.
Fulham, who eliminated Aston Villa in the third round, haven’t knocked out two top-flight sides in the same FA Cup season since 2002-03, when they beat Birmingham and Charlton.
In domestic cup competitions against lower-league opposition, Man City’s Phil Foden has been directly involved in nine goals in eight appearances (6 goals, 3 assists).

Tranmere v Manchester United

3pm BT Sport 1

They couldn't, could they? As FA Cup stories go this would be stretching towards the fiction end of the scale with Tranmere only securing this tie after extra time on Thursday night. If ever there was a time to play Man Utd though this seems like it.

On a well-worn pitch, shall we say, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be a brave man to make wholesale changes so it should be a strong line-up he takes to the Wirral to try and prove a point and get a much-needed victory.

The pitch may not be enough of an equaliser though for a team struggling near the bottom of League One to trouble Manchester United, no matter how bad they've been in recent games.

Solskjaer's side have still been making chances, they missed a couple of sitters against Burnley that could have totally changed that game and they only need to take a couple of those early on to settle this tie.

Expect a feverish start from the hosts, but that extra time played only on Thursday will start to hit them in the second half and United should end up running away with it.

It does, however, just show you how bad they've been that the biggest handicap I'm willing to take on them is just the one goal!

Best bet: Man Utd -1 on the handicap at Evens

Shrewsbury v Liverpool

Liverpool just don't do losing, no matter what team Jurgen Klopp puts out although at 5/1 for the huge upset Shrewsbury are a shorter price than some Premier League teams have been to beat Liverpool this season.

At around 4/1 to lift the trophy the Reds mightn't be a bad outright bet right now given the way they're going, and they're getting a bit healthier with Fabinho and Joel Matip returning from injury. Sadio mane is out but he may not have played here anyway.

Adrian should start in goal if fit, while youngsters Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott will again get a run-out you'd imagine after their efforts against Everton, along with the likes of Neco Williams, Pedro Chirivella and Yasser Larouci who all impressed.

Sam Ricketts has promised to give Liverpool a rough ride and it will be another good test even though it's unlikely to get them much success.

Even looking at a second string Liverpool there's still more than enough quality to put the Shrews to the sword so a win and a few goals looks like the way forward. Also accounting for a goal from the energetic hosts.

Best bet: Liverpool to win and over 3.5 goals at 21/10

Key stats

Shrewsbury Town and Liverpool have only faced once previously, an FA Cup fourth round tie back in February 1996 – the Reds won 4-0 at Gay Meadow on their way to reaching the final that season.
Shrewsbury have been eliminated from the FA Cup by Premier League opponents in three of their last four seasons, losing to Man Utd in 2015-16, West Ham in 2017-18 and Wolves in 2018-19.
In the Premier League era, Liverpool have progressed from 15 of their 17 FA Cup ties against sides from outside the top two-tiers of English football, going out against Bolton Wanderers in 1992-93 and Oldham Athletic in 2012-13.
Liverpool are looking to reach the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2014-15, when they reached the semi-final.
Shrewsbury Town have lost just one of their last 17 home FA Cup matches (W10 D6), a 0-3 defeat against Manchester United in February 2016.

Odds correct at 1310 GMT on 24/01/20

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