32 teams are left in this year's FA Cup. Last round saw non-league Tamworth nearly beat a struggling Tottenham Hotspur as well as Wayne Rooney-less Plymouth Argyle punching above their weight, securing a 1-0 away win to Brentford. Let's see what the 4th round has to offer, with surely some upsets on the cards. I've highlighted 3 matches where I could see some cup upsets; hence why we love the FA Cup.
Preston North End vs Wycombe 08/02 15:00
Facing a similar opponent, Preston edged past League One Charlton in the 3rd round 2-1 to secure their place in the next stage. It was a very even affair, with a flurry of goals in 15 minutes proving to be the most decisive moment in the match. Facing an even better League One outfit in Wycombe this weekend, Preston will need to be much better if they want any chance of reaching the 5th round.
Following the narrow win, Preston embarked on an unbeaten run for the next 3 games, picking up wins against Watford and high-flying Middlesborough. Yet, there strong run came to an end with a 2-1 loss to a potent Blackburn Rovers outfit. This leaves Preston 15th in the Championship, 10 points off the relegation zone in a relatively comfortable position.
However, The North End will be aware of their opponents prominence in the division below. Wycombe enter this match in strong form across all competitions. They are unbeaten in their last 5 in all competitions, as well as boasting a superb record in League One. They sit 2nd, 4 points behind front runners Birmingham whilst holding the most goals scored in the league with 55.
During this spell, Wycombe have lost their manager Matt Bloomfield to Luton Town. Yet, caretaker boss Sam Grace has held the fort. New man Mike Dodds, who is entering his first manager job despite 3 stints as interim manager with Sunderland, will need to hit the ground running to show the fans they can remain optimistic in Wycombe's hopes of progressing in the FA Cup and promotion to the Championship.
In the previous round, Wycombe dispatched Championship strugglers Portsmouth 2-0 to secure their place, despite only having 30% of the ball. This will be a different test though with Preston known for their excellent home form at Deepdale. If Bloomfield was still in charge I think I would advocate for a AET result in Wycombe's favour, but with Preston's solidity at home, an Invincibles win will likely be on the cards.
Jack's Prediction Preston 1-0 Wycombe (AET)
Southampton vs Burnley 08/02 15:00
Premier League strugglers Southampton take on Premier League eager Burnley on Saturday. 2 sides that are having contrasting seasons will battle for a spot in the 5th round.
For The Saints, whilst it has been a season to forget for Southampton, sitting bottom of the Premier League on 9 points, facing setting a record for the worst team in Premier League history, a 2-1 win away to Ipswich has come at a crucial time. In a dogged performance, Southampton battled hard to secure a humongous 3 points, their first victory in the league since their 1-0 win over Everton at the start of November.
Although, Southampton have been strong in the cup competitions this season. In the FA Cup, they cruised past Swansea in a 3-0 win. In the EFL Cup, they made it to the Quarter-Finals only losing 2-1 to league leaders Liverpool. During the domestic competition they beat the likes of Cardiff, Everton and Stoke, showing that they do have a killer instinct when it comes to the domestic cup competitions this season. Due to their probable relegation status come the end of the season, the FA Cup will offer some rest-bite to an appalling campaign.
Whilst Burnley have been a solid side this season, conceding only 9 goals in the Championship and sitting 2nd with 61 points, Scott Parker's pragmatism is testing the patience of Claret fans. 10 out of their 13 draws have been 0-0s, a truly remarkable statistic. Since the turn of the year, Burnley have scored 7 goals in 7 games, with 5 of those coming away against the struggling Plymouth Argyle. In their 1-0 win midweek against Oxford United, Clarets fans were chanting "we've scored a goal" after successive 0-0 draws!
It does beg the question for Burnley fans whether they want to continue with a brand of football of defence first which ensure they remain resolute and unbeaten (Burnley have the fewest losses in the league this season (2)), or return to the exciting carnage of Vincent Kompany's football. For comparison, league leaders Leeds have scored 62 goals this season, 25 more than Burnley.
Burnley's previous FA Cup game saw them go to Extra Time to beat Reading 3-1 in a nervy game. The Clarets will certainly not want a repeat of this game, and will see a struggling Saints side ripe for the picking if they have their shooting boots on. For Juric's Saints, the FA Cup is Southampton's last opportunity this season to give the fans something to cheer up. So, expect a full strength side on Saturday in what I Imagine will be a low-scoring affair.
Jack's Prediction: Southampton 0-1 Burnley
Everton vs Bournemouth 08/02 15:00
16th takes on 7th in an all-Premier League tie in the FA Cup. The Toffees take on The Cherries in what should be a delicious affair.
Since his return, Everton have won 3/4 of their matches under David Moyes. The Scotsman has inspired a superb run of form which has helped push Everton away from the relegation zone. Their 4-0 battering against Leicester highlighted their drastic change from Dyche's dire defence first football to Moyes' pragmatic yet clinical counter-attacking football.
Under Leighton Baines in an interim position, Everton beat Peterborough United 2-0 to comfortably enter the 4th round of the competition. With a new ownership and more exciting football set to come, Everton fans can be optimistic about their team's chances of progressing to the next round.
However, The Toffees face a Bournemouth side in red hot form. Andoni Iraola's Cherries have been on a superb run of form in all competitions. Prior to losing to Liverpool 2-0 last weekend - a scoreline which flattered the visitors - Bournemouth were on a 12 match unbeaten run in all competitions. They've been scoring goals for fun whilst also showing defensive resilience. The Spaniard has got his side ticking along nicely as they compete for a European position in the league.
Bournemouth cruised past West Brom in the previous round 5-1 as key attackers, Semenyo, Outtara and Kluivert all got on the score sheet. Yet, this Bournemouth team is down to the bones. Their last league outing saw a bench predominantly made up of youth apart from Marcus Tavernier.
This does beg the question of how much Iraola will prioritise the FA Cup as they pursue the European positions. Given this is a good opportunity to perhaps rest some key players for the league, this could open up and opportunity for Everton to strike, particularly as the cup would appear to be more important than for their opponents.
Bournemouth have done the double over Everton this season in the league. Yet, I have a feeling that a buoyant Goodison Park will be able to spur The Toffees over the line and into the next round. Bournemouth's high-pressing style will leave space in behind for Everton to strike. So, if Moyes plays his cards right and can withstand the Bournemouth press, they could get a lot of joy on Saturday.
Jack's Prediction: Everton 2-1 Bournemouth