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The dream of a Wembley Cup Final draws ever closer this weekend as the F.A. Cup 5th round ties take place & there are certainly plenty of fascinating games to get stuck into.
Every one of the eight 5th round ties has a fascinating story or twist to it & after having a good look at those matches, here are views on each game & the value betting options we feel are worth consideration:

Chelsea vs Cardiff City – (Saturday 12.00pm)

This should be a fantastic cup tie with the prospects of Chelsea & Cardiff going into battle on the pitch & an atmosphere to match.

Chelsea are strong favourites for this match & deservedly so when you compare the relative strengths of each squad & Chelsea’s formidable home record commands massive respect but we still expect Cardiff City to go there & have a real go.

Carlo Ancelotti will make changes to the Chelsea squad with John Terry missing & Ashley Cole out injured so with Chelsea’s clear targets to win the Premier League & Champions League it will be fascinating to see exactly what team Chelsea play.

The big bonus for Chelsea is that they don’t have a midweek fixture next week so we still expect Ancelotti to field a very strong side with the likes of Drogba, Anelka & Lampard likely to want to play.

Cardiff City’s main aim for this season is promotion to the Premier League but Dave Jones is a very proud man who will want to make sure Cardiff City give it their best shot & on their best form they have a chance to cause to Chelsea real problems.

Cardiff City are a decent side on their best form with Jay Bothroyd, Michael Chopra, Peter Whittingham & Chris Burke all capable of causing problems for Chelsea & Cardiff’s best chance of success in this match will be to take the game to Chelsea & put pressure on their defence.

This looks a proper cup tie & we are expecting it to be competitive & physically intense with Cardiff City likely to have a real go but Chelsea are so strong at home & have so much quality in their squad that they are impossible to oppose & look a solid bet to win this.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Chelsea to win

Correct Score Options: Chelsea to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Drogba/Anelka/Lampard

Scorecast options: Drogba/Anelka/Lampard score 1st & Chelsea win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Chelsea H/T & F/T

Derby County vs Birmingham City – (Saturday 3.00pm)

Another Premier League versus Championship battle here with a rejuvenated Derby County welcoming Birmingham City to Pride Park for what looks set to be a good, competitive battle.

A few weeks ago, Derby manager Nigel Clough would have probably said the last thing Derby wanted was to play Birmingham City as Derby were struggling badly for form & confidence but all that has changed in recent weeks.

Three excellent performances to beat high flying Nottingham Forest & Newcastle United at home and to draw away at Sheffield United have given the Derby County squad a massive lift in belief & confidence which they are now bound to take into this game.

Derby County always do get fantastic support & the fact their form has returned should mean there will be a fantastic atmosphere inside Pride Park & we expect Derby County to have a real go at this.

The added spice to this match is the fact Derby County captain Robbie Savage is taking on his former team & he is bound to be fully charged up for this clash which is certain to get physical.

Alex McCleish brings his Birmingham City side to Derby County having suffered a blip in form after what was a sensational unbeaten run so it will be very interesting to see how Birmingham City react here.

Birmingham City were surprisingly poor in their 2-0 away defeat at West Ham United & Alex McCleish will want to make sure that Birmingham City bounce back from that & take this game very seriously indeed.

The key for Birmingham City will be get control of the game by keeping it defensively solid which is their real strength & then look to the likes of Jerome, Bowyer & McFadden to create the quality & goals.

The cup tie element certainly makes this tough to call & we have massive respect for Derby at home having beaten Newcastle United & Nottinhgam Forest recently but Birmingham City are a better, stronger team & they look worth a bet to edge this on the day.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Birmingham City to win

Correct Score Options: Birmingham City to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Jerome/McFadden/Benitez

Scorecast options: Jerome/McFadden/Benitez score 1st & Birmingham City win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Birmingham City H/T & F/T

Reading vs West Brom – (Saturday 3.00pm)

All Championship clash here with Reading welcoming West Brom to what should be a cracking, competitive game of football.

The F.A. Cup is not a priority for either Reading of West Brom with Reading fighting to improve & move away from the relegation zone & West Brom intent on getting promoted to the Premier League but we expect all thoughts of the league to be put to one side here.

Reading have already made their mark on the F.A. Cup this season with famous wins over Liverpool & Burnley and the prospect of another home tie will give them the belief they can progress further.

Indeed the F.A. Cup form seems to have pushed Reading to improve their allround performances & results and they now look a decent, confident side with a determination to win so we are expecting a decent, attacking performance from Reading here.

West Brom come into this match on an excellent run of form which has helped to take them back to the top of the Championship so we expect them to arrive here confident & ready to go for the win.

West Brom manager Roberto Di Matteo has a special affinity with the F.A. Cup having scored in the Final itself & we do expect West Brom to be totally up for this one & they will believe they can go to Reading and win.

This should be a really entertaining match as both Reading & West Brom like to play positive, attacking football & neither manager will want a replay so we expect both teams to go for it which should give West Brom the chance to make their extra quality pay & they look well worth a bet to win this tie.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: West Brom to win

Correct Score Options: West Brom to win 2-1/3-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Brunt/Dorrans/Bednar

Scorecast options: Brunt/Dorrans/Bednar score 1st & West Brom win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: West Brom H/T & F/T

Southampton vs Portsmouth – (Saturday 12.30pm)

The people of Southampton & Portsmouth have been waiting for this ever since the 5th round draw took place & this really should be a cracking match.

The football world has got Real Madrid vs Barcelona, Man City vs Man United, Inter vs AC Milan & even Celtic vs Rangers, but to those connected to Southampton & Portsmouth this is the big match for them.

Southampton & Portsmouth have both suffered in recent years with massive off the field financial problems & obviously Portsmouth’s very own existence hangs by a thread but that will be forgotten for 90 minutes as these two do battle.

If you look the basic facts of relative league positions first then Southampton in League 1 taking on Portsmouth from the Premier League looks like a one sided battle but current status doesn’t count for anything here & it really is a level playing field with everything to play for.

Alan Pardew has done a tremendous job since taking over as Southampton manager guiding his team to overcome a points deficit to push Southampton up the table & in general looking like a very good side at that level.

Southampton have already proven their cup pedigree this season as they are already proudly through to the Johnson’s Paint Trophy Final & this home tie against local rivals Portsmouth is another fantastic opportunitiy so we expect Southampton to have a real go.

Southampton play very good, attacking football and with the likes of Lambert, Lallana, Waigo + many other attacked minded players in their side they definitely have the ability to cause Portsmouth problems & score goals.

Avram Grant, the Portsmouth players & indeed everybody connected to Portsmouth don’t even know if Portsmouth will be around for the next round if they make it through which is obviously a massive problem but Portsmouth have shown real fight in recent weeks & we expect more of the same here.

Portsmouth look absolutely certain to get relegated from the Premier League & really their season cannot get any worse than it already has with the clubs existence at stake but nevertheless defeat against Southampton is something the players will want to do their best to avoid & they will be up for this one.

The atmosphere for this one is going to be fantastic & hopefully both teams will see the match as a welcome distraction from the league & really have a go and the chances are they will so there could well be a few goals flying about & we like the look of Southampton being inspired by their home crowd to deliver a famous win here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Southampton to win

Correct Score Options: Southampton to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Lallana/Lambert/Waigo

Scorecast options: Lallana/Lambert/Waigo score 1st & Southampton win 2-1/3-1

Double Result: Southampton H/T & F/T

Manchester City vs Stoke City – (Saturday 5.30pm)

A clash of footballing styles makes this all Premier league contest a fascinating one to call & should have plenty to offer.

Roberto Mancini’s welcome to the Premier League was a home game against Stoke City & so he will already know what to expect from Tony Pulis’s side here.

Manchester City won that game comfortably & admittedly Stoke City were nowhere near their best that day but their style of play would have not been lost on him & he will know this is not going to be easy for Man City.

Roberto Mancini is under pressure to deliver success at Manchester City & while progress in the Premier League & Champions League is the ultimate long range target, success of any kind is necessary & this seasons F.A. Cup represents a fantastic opportunity for Man City to achieve that.

The key for Manchester City coming into this match is that their home form is tremendously strong & that will give them the belief & confidence to continue that here.

Tevez, Adebayor, Bellamy, Ireland, Barry, Wright-Phillips, Petrov etc give Man City more than enough attacking quality to go for the win here but the one area Manchester City have to keep their focus & concentration on his organisation in defence & particularly at set pieces because that will certainly be Stoke City’s biggest threat.

Tony Pulis has one clear aim for Stoke City this season & that is to remain a Premier League side but he is an incredibly proud & determined manager who will the see the chance to have a good cup run as a bonus.

Tactically there are no secrets about the way Stoke City play and quite simply what they do, they do it very well & effectively.

Strong physical presence, hard work, determination, direct football mixed with good football & a real threat from set-pieces are Stoke City’s key strengths & that is what we expect to see from them here.

Tony Pulis knows that Stoke City have not got the players to outplay Man City in terms of flowing, passing football but equally he knows Stoke City’s prowess from set-pieces is a massive threat to Man City’s fragile defence and offers them their best chance of scoring.

The major negative for Stoke City is that their away form is very poor with an inability to score enough goals away from home their major weakness & that could well be a problem in this match.

This should be a very interesting game & Stoke City will set out to make it tough for Manchester City & it is certainly going to be competitive but Manchester City are very strong at home & they do look a good bet to make their extra quality pay here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Manchester City to win

Correct Score Options: Manchester City to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Tevez/Adebayor/Barry

Scorecast options: Tevez/Adebayor/Barry score 1st & Man City win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Man City H/T & F/T

Bolton vs Tottenham – (Sunday 1.30pm)

Another all Premier League tie between Bolton & Tottenham who both have more important targets to achieve but this should still be a cracking match.

Owen Coyle is desperate to keep Bolton in the Premier League & that is clearly his number one target for Bolton but he is a strongly believer in taking every game seriously & that is what we expect from Bolton here.

Owen Coyle made his name at Burnley by making them a very successful side in cup competitions & we are expecting Owen Coyle to set Bolton up to be really positive & go for the win here.

The negatives for Bolton is that their home form has been poor & they have also struggled to score goals consistently and that clearly makes it much tougher to win matches.

The positive for Bolton is that they do have a good home record against Tottenham & that should boost their confidence.

Harry Redknapp knows that 4th place in the Premier League is Tottenham’s ultimate target for this season but their only chance of success lies in the F.A. Cup & we do expect Tottenham to have a real go here.

Harry Redknapp was incredibly frustrated & disappointed after Tottenham’s incredibly poor display in losing 1-0 at Wolves in midweek & so the Tottenham players will be under great pressure to put that right with a good performance because Harry Redknapp will not tolerate that again.

Tottenham were so disappointing & flat against Wolves it was hard to believe & the key to this match will how the Tottenham players respond here.

We are expecting the Tottenham players to respond in the right way here & with the likes of Defoe, Crouch, Modric, Krancjar & now Gudjohnsen they have the attacking quality to get the goals they need to win this.

This is a tough match to call with it likely to be very competitive & any result is possible but we are going to give Tottenham a chance to show their true quality and they look a value bet to just edge this on the day.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Tottenham to win

Correct Score Options: Tottenham to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Defoe/Crouch/Krancjar

Scorecast options: Defoe/Crouch/Krancjar score 1st & Tottenham win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Tottenham H/T & F/T

Fulham vs Notts County – (Sunday 3.00pm)

This is what the F.A. Cup is all about with League 2 side Notts County travelling to Premier League Fulham in what should be a fascinating contest.

Roy Hodgson will see this as a fantastic opportunity for Fulham to progress to an F.A. Cup final while Notts County come here boosted by beating Premier League side Wigan in the last round so the game should offer plenty.

Fulham are an absolutely rock solid side at home with their proven formula of solid, organised defending, balanced, passing football which makes it incredibly hard for teams to break them down & we do expect more of the same from Fulham here.

Roy Hodgson will have great respect for Notts County & the threat they carry but he knows his side are very strong at home & he will have great belief that his side will prove too strong for Notts County here.

Fulham did go through a bad patch of form but that has gone now after 3 good results in which they have won 2 & drawn 1 without conceding a goal so the confidence levels within the Fulham squad will be high.

Notts County produced the performance of the last round to outplay Premier League side Wigan twice at home in the 2-2 draw & in their 2-0 away victory which was totally deserved.

That deserved win over Wigan should give Notts County the confidence to go Fulham & have a go but clearly breaking a strong Fulham side down will be much tougher than an inconsistent, weak looking Wigan side.

The cup tie element definitely levels the playing fields somewhat & Notts County will go to Fulham positive but in terms of a result we cannot oppose Fulham here who look a rock solid bet to win this & earn their place in the quarter finals.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Fulham to win

Correct Score Options: Fulham to win 2-0/3-0

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Murphy/Zamora/Duff

Scorecast options: Murphy/Zamora/Duff score 1st & Fulham win 2-0/3-0

Double Result: Fulham H/T & F/T

Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa – (Sunday 3.45pm)

Neil Warnock at Crystal Palace & Martin O’Neill are two of the most experienced & indeed interesting characters in football so this should be a really fascinating Championship vs Premier League cup tie.

As with all the F.A. Cup ties taking place this weekend, both Crystal Palace & Aston Villa have much more important end of season targets to aim for that success in the F.A. Cup but Neil Warnock & Martin O’Neill are very proud managers who will both put all that to one side & certainly look to win this on the day.

Crystal Palace are involved in a tough struggle off the pitch having been forced into adminstration & the future of the club is at risk but to the great credit of the players, it does not seem to have affected their play in a negative way & if anything it seems to have improved the spirit of the Crystal Palace squad.

Neil Warnock is a vastly experienced manager & is particularly good at motivating teams when situations are against them & clearly his motivational skills are being tested to the full at present but he is a real fighter & that is replicated within his players.

Crystal Palace have been playing really well lately & most notably when comfortably beating Premier League Wolves in the last round so that should give them the confidence to go into this game & have a real go at Aston Villa.

Martin O’Neill’s chief target for this season is to finish 4th in the Premier League but having already taken Aston Villa to the League Cup Final & with a proven record of success in cups, he will certainly be looking for Aston Villa to have a real go at winning the F.A. Cup as well.

Martin O’Neill will have great respect for the threat Crystal Palace pose at home but equally he knows this match represents a fantastic chance for Aston Villa to progress & we are expecting a really positive performance from Aston Villa here.

The key element to this game is that Crystal Palace will want to have a real go at this game for their home fans & to show they can compete so that should suit Aston Villa’s style of counter attacking play and that could ultimately decide the match.

The F.A. Cup is made for ties like this & it should be a really good, competitive contest with Crystal Palace sure to have a go but Aston Villa have a clear advantage in terms of quality in all departments & their superior attacking quality & pace makes them look a rock solid bet to win this & progress to the quarter finals.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Aston Villa to win

Correct Score Options: Aston Villa to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Agbonlohar/Downing/Milner

Scorecast options: Agbonlohar/Downing/Milner score 1st & Aston Villa win 2-0/2-1

Double Result: Aston Villa H/T & F/T