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There are loads of domestic midweek football matches for football fans & punters to get stuck into with great action taking place in the Premier League, Championship, F.A. Cup, League 1 & League 2 and here are our views on the matches that caught our eye & the value betting options we feel are worth consideration:

Hull City vs Chelsea – (Tuesday 7.45pm)

Two team with different ambitions & targets meet here in a classic top versus bottom with Hull City desperately fighting relegation & Chelsea chasing the league title so everything is on the line in this one.

The three points on offer mean as much to Hull City as they do to Chelsea so that should mean both teams will be totally up for this one & that should help to make it an entertaining, open game.

Both Hull City & Chelsea have to win this match & they share the motivation to win this match but that is where the similarities end

Hull City come into this match 2nd bottom of the Premier League without a win in the league since their home win against Everton in November & with confidence draining away fast.

Hull City had a fantastic opportunity to get 3 vital league points against relegation rivals Wolves on saturday but they could not hold on to a lead despite being in front twice & drawing that game was a big blow to the Hull City squad.

Hull City’s poor run of form sees them come here without a win in their last 10 games & clearly this home match against league leaders Chelsea is another formidable task.

Phil Brown knows the importance of Hull City remaining positive & particularly in their home matches which will be the key but on current form & with such a terribly fragile defence it is hard to see how Hull City can achieve a positive result here.

Chelsea come to Hull City with the clear motivation of achieving another win which will give them 3 valuable points & once again take them 4 points clear in the title race.

The excellent performance of Manchester United to win at Arsenal has sent a message to Chelsea & they know they have to keep winning so we are expecting a completely professional, determined & positive approach from Chelsea here.

Chelsea were nowhere near their best in beating Burnley 2-1 at the weekend but their form before that was excellent & they remain a team with great quality & strength in all areas which will be boosted significantly by the return of their African based players from the African Nations Cup.

Didier Drogba will be totally determined to pick up where he left off for chelsea & his inclusion in a team which has been full of goals with Anelka & Lampard leading the way is another sign of the massive gulf in class between these two sides here.

We are expecting this to be a decent game of football because Hull City have to attempt to be positive at home & Chelsea always play positive, attacking football but in terms of the result we cannot see past Chelsea who look a rock solid bet to repeat the comfortable win they achieved here last season.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Chelsea to win

Correct Score options: Chelsea to win 3-0/3-1

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

Scorecast options: Lampard/Drogba/Anelka score 1st & Chelsea win 3-0/3-1

Double Result: Chelsea H/T & F/T

Fulham vs Portsmouth – (Wednesday 8.00pm)

A massively important clash here as both Fulham & Portsmouth chase a win to kick start their seasons again so a tight, competitive contest looks on the cards here.

In terms of current form them both Fulham & Portsmouth come here with almost indentically poor form which only serves to make it much tougher to assess confidently.

Fulham have not won in the Premier League since beating Man United 3-0 in December and have lost their last 5 Premier league matches with team confidence & belief draining away fast.

Roy Hodgson is desperate for Fulham to get back to winning ways & the positives for Fulham are that they are usually very strong at home & very hard to break down which does increase their chances of getting positive results.

Fulham are not the most prolific side & don’t score the goals they should but we expect them to be positive here & they do have enough attacking talent to cause Portsmouth problems & get the goals they need here.

Portsmouth’s season goes from bad to worse day by day & week by week with incredible financial problems off the field & desperate problems of lack of confidence, self belief & quality on the field.

Portsmouth are 5 points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League & in all honesty they look like a team who apear to already know their fate & that relegation is now virtually a certainty so it is hard to envisage how they can get anything from this match.

We are not expecting this to be a classic by any means & positive, attacking football may well be at a premium with the poor form of both sides complicating matters but Fulham are usually very strong at home & we think home advantage is the all importanct factor here making Fulham a solid bet to win this battle.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Fulham to win

Correct Score options: Fulham to win 2-0/2-1

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

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

Double Result: Fulham H/T & F/T

Leeds United vs Tottenham – (F.A. Cup, Wednesday 7.45pm)

These two great clubs fought out an excellent cup tie in the first meeting at White Hart Lane & this looks set to be another entertaining match for us to enjoy.

The first clash had absolutely everything in it with great drama, quality football, high energy & a great atmosphere and we are expecting the same to be created here in what looks a classic cup tie in the making.

The atmosphere inside Elland Road will be fantastic for this game as the Leeds fans crave the return to the big time & this is a massive opportunity for them to put Leeds back in the spotlight & repeat what they did to Manchester United in round 3.

Promotion to the Championship is number one priority for Leeds United but that won’t matter on the night & we are expecting Leeds to go all out for this one with their high energy, committed style of football & they know they can have a real go at Tottenham here.

Leeds United are unbeaten at Elland Road so far in League 1 & that excellent record will give the Leeds players the confidence & belief to go for this & as they have already showed they have what it takes to get another positive result if things go their way.

Harry Redknapp was not a happy man as the last minute penalty that Tottenham conceded led to this replay & certainly Harry Redknapp will be looking to his players to make sure they get the job done properly in this match.

Tottenham are a side packed full with top quality players & we are expectin Harry Redknapp to field a a very strong side here & if they play to their best then they know they have more than enough quality to get the win.

The one concern for Tottenham on the night will be making sure they have the right mental approach because they will have to be focused & concentrated for the whole match as Leeds will test them for the full 90 minutes.

This has got the real potential to be a classic F.A. Cup with two big clubs going at it with the back drop of a fantastic atmosphere with Leeds & Tottenham set to put on a really competitive show & we are taking Tottenham to just have the extra class & edge it on the night.

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/Jenas

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

Double Result: Tottenham H/T & F/T

Preston vs Barnsley – (Championship, Tuesday 7.45pm)

Fascinating Lancashire vs Yorkshire battle in prospect here as Preston & Barnsley look set to produce a competitive but entertaining match.

Darren Ferguson & Mark Robins are two young, progressive & indeed ambitious managers looking to make their mark at a higher level having proved themselves in the lower leagues & they have both certainly started in the right way.

Darren Ferguson proved himself as a manager by guiding Peterborough to successive promotions & now he is looking to be as successful as possible at Preston & to be fair he has started well.

His first match in charge was a 4-2 away defeat but the last 3 performances have been very positive with a solid performance in giving Chelsea a good game in the F.A. Cup & then more importantly in getting two excellent wins in the league against Peterborough & Ipswich.

In both of those games, Preston showed great team spirit, solidity & belief to get the job done & that will certainly give Darren Ferguson the belief he can take Preston higher & we are expecting another very positive performance from Preston in this match.

Mark Robins has done an excellent job since taking over at Barnsley earlier this season with definite progress being made & the whole atmosphere at the club has been lifted in a very positive way.

Barnsley like to play competitive, positive football & certainly they will relish this test against Preston and go there believing they can get a positive result.

The one negative for Barnsley is their most recent form with only 1 win in their last 5 games & so it will be important for them to start the game well if they are to achieve a good result.

This looks set to be a competitive battle with the Lancashire vs Yorkshire element adding to the intensity of it so it should be close but Preston have had back to back wins & with home advantage they do look a solid bet to make it 3 wins on the bounce here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Preston to win

Correct Score options: Preston to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Mellor/Parkin/Welbeck

Double Result: Preston Half Time & Full Time

Colchester vs Carlisle – (League 1, Tuesday 7.45pm)

4th place Colchester welcome mid table Carlisle to what looks certain to be an incredibly competitive & indeed fascinating match.

Colchester are enjoying an excellent season & the basis of that has been their tremendous home form with 31 points achieved from a possible 39 points so far & clearly that is a record that commands massive respect here.

Aidy Boothroyd has done a fantastic job since taking over as manager & he has developed a team who play positive, attacking football but equally who can compete physically & give everything they have got in every game.

Colchester do have to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat against Leeds at the weekend but as we said home form is their strength & the 2-0 win over MK Dons will be the performance that will give the confidence to go for another vital win here.

Carlisle sit mid table in League 1 with a record of 8 wins, 9 draws & 9 defeats & it doesn’t take a genius to work out that incosistency in results is their big problem.

On their day Carlisle are an excellent side who play positive, attacking football & they proved they can be positive & win away by beating Exeter City 3-2 away last week.

That fantastic win at Exeter City should give the Carlisle players the confidence to be positive here & the fact they have achieved 6 away draws in the league do prove they have a fair chance of getting a positive result here.

We are expecting a really competitive match here & there probably won’t be much in between the sides on the night but it is impossible to ignore the strength of Colchester’s home form & they do look a solid bet to get home win number 11 here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Colchester to win

Correct Score options: Colchester to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Lisbie/Platt/Wordsworth

Double Result: Colchester Half Time & Full Time

Walsall vs Charlton – (League 1, Tuesday 7.45pm)

Fascinating contest in prospect here with both Walsall & Charlton looking for much needed wins to get their season going again & this should prove to be a really decent, competitive match.

Walsall are struggling in mid table of League 1 and need the 3 points to help their push up the table while Charlton need to get back on the winning trail to help their title push so this is a massively important game for both sides.

Walsall & Charlton are two well organised sides who like to play controlled, passing football & both teams are similar tactically so we are not expecting there to be much between these sides on the night.

Walsall are always fairly solid at home & Charlton have an excellent away record so this is going to be very competitive & on balance a scoring draw looks a value bet well worth taking here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Byfield/Bailey/Shelvey

Double Result: Draw H/T & F/T

Accrington vs Barnet – (League 2, Tuesday 7.45pm)

We like the look of this match as both Accrington & Barnet look to play positive football & this match has plenty to offer.

Accrington have a really defined home record with 6 wins & 5 defeats from their 11 home league matches but in general they are very strong at home & do like to have a real go at teams.

League 1 side Gillingham came up against an in form Accrington side in round 3 of the F.A. Cup & then Premier League side Fulham experienced the same so the fact Accrington performed so well against higher ranked opposition proves how dangerous they are at home.

The big positive for Accrington is they come into this match fresh from their excellent win away at Shrewsbury & that should give them another massive confidence boost to go & be positive in this match.

Barnet had a decent start to the season & were going quite well but all that has gone wrong in recent months and indeed Barnet have slid down the table to sit only a few points above the relegation zone.

Away form has been Barnet’s big downfall all season with only 7 points from a possible 33 & that is a massive concern coming into this fixture against an in form side.

This should be a decent match as both Accrington & Barnet like to play good football but in terms of the outcome we cannot look past Accrington who look a really confident, positive side at present & they can get another win here.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Accrington to win

Correct Score options: Accrington ton win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Symes/Grant/Miles

Double Result: Accrington H/T & F/T

Two Premiership teams were beaten by clubs from lower leagues in the 3rd round last year…..Stoke who lost 0-2 at Hartlepool whilst the shock of the round was when Forest beat Manchester City away via a 0-3 scoreline.

Five Premier clubs failed to make it through to the fourth round via three other all-Premiership encounters. The full list of 3rd round results involving Premier sides:

Sheffield Wednesday 1 Fulham 2

Tottenham 3 Wigan 1

Hartlepool 2 Stoke 0

Portsmouth 0 Bristol City 0 (Portsmouth won the replay 2-0)

West Ham 3 Barnsley 0

Hull 0 Newcastle 0 (Hull won the replay 1-0)

Chelsea 1 Southend 1 (Chelsea won the replay 4-1)

Manchester City 0 Nottingham Forest 3

WBA 1 Peterborough 1 (WBA won the replay 2-0)

Middlesbrough 2 Barrow 1

Arsenal 3 Plymouth 1

Macclesfield 0 Everton 1

Sunderland 2 Bolton 1

Preston 0 Liverpool 2

Gillingham 1 Aston Villa 2

Southampton 0 Manchester United 3

Blythe Spartans 0 Blackburn 1

Top ten all time Cup winners:

11–Manchester United

10–Arsenal

8–Tottenham

7–Liverpool

7–Aston Villa

6–Blackburn

6–Newcastle

5–Chelsea

5–Everton

5–WBA

Most appearances in the final:

18–Manchester United

17–Arsenal

13–Newcastle

13–Liverpool

13–Everton

10–Aston Villa

10–WBA

9–Chelsea

9–Tottenham

Look out for more stats later in the week!

We are down to the final 16 teams in the Carling Cup which is always the stage when the competition really starts to get interesting as the big teams start to clash & teams start to think about possibly reaching the final.

The make-up of the last 16 is 13 Premier League teams plus Barnsley, Peterborough & Scunthorpe from The Championship so while the Premier league teams dominate the competition, the presence of those three Championship teams does add something extra to the competition.

The 4th round matches look very interesting indeed with 5 all Premier League clashes & overall the 8 4th round ties look likely to provide a good deal of entertainment & betting opportunities to get stuck into.

Here are our thoughts on each of the 4th round ties & the bets we feel are worth consideration:

Barnsley vs Manchester United – 7.45pm Tuesday

This is a proper cup tie in every sense of the word with a ‘David & Goliath’ situation that all great cup ties have & this clash of Championship strugglers Barnsley taking on Premier League Champions & Carling Cup holders Manchester United looks a fascinating game in prospect.

Mark Robins had one clear target when taking over as manager of Barnsley & that is to make sure they stay in the Championship but this competition gave him a great to start to his Barnsley career as they deservedly beat Burnley in the last round here & that should give them the confidence to go for the win again.

Barnsley will be aware that Manchester United are likely to change virtually their whole side for this match & that too should level up this game so with home advantage Barnsley have a much better chance the odds suggest.

By winning this competition last year, Manchester United proved their strength in depth & admittedly a fully confident Manchester United side would normally be expected to win this tie but they struggled to beat Wolves 1-0 at home in the last round & this competition might just be too much for a squad that is not as strong this time around.

We expect this to be an open game because both sides like to play attacking football & we feel that the home crowd can inspire former Manchester United cup hero Mark Robins’s Barnsley side to a famous cup win over the holders & Barnsley do look well worth a bet at a great value price.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Barnsley to win

Correct Score options: Barnsley to win 2-0/2-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score first: Hume/Hammill/Gray

Double Result: Barnsley Half Time & Full Time

Portsmouth vs Stoke City – Tuesday 7.45pm

Now the first thing to say about this tie is that this competition is without doubt the lowest direct priority for both sides as survival in the Premier League is all that matters to both Portsmouth & Stoke City.

However, Paul Hart & Tony Pulis are two managers who firmly believe in every game being a seperate event & a chance to build team confidence so we are still expecting both managers to get their teams to have a go in this game & it could well make this a better game than if this were a Premier League tie with no real pressure for either side.

Portsmouth have had 2 very good wins in this competition, and while they have only come against Hereford & Carlisle, the two wins have given the squad confidence & chance to score goals which is something every team needs.

Portsmouth lie bottom of the Premier League & they need to keep building team confidence & only positive results will do that so this is an important game in that respect.

Stoke City have had a very good start to the Premier League season so far & their excellent win at Tottenham probably ranks as their best result in the Premier League to date so they will come into this game absolutely full of confidence.

Stoke City do look a fair bit stronger & definitely have more quality this season so Tony Pulis will have confidence even if he makes the changes we expect him to make.

This is a tough game to call because we feel it really can go either way as Portsmouth will feel confident at home while Stoke City know they are hard to break down & both managers are certain to make changes which adds further difficulty to solving the issue of who is going to win.

Portsmouth will want to keep building on their positive results but we are just going to give the edge to Stoke City in this one as they appear to have a stronger squad & look to have more goal threat to come into the side & Stoke City do look a value bet to book their place in the Quarter Finals.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Stoke City to win

Correct Score: Stoke City to win 2-0/2-1

Player to score first each way/Player to score anytime: Kitson/Tuncay/Etherington

Double Result: Draw Half Time & Stoke City Full Time

Sunderland vs Aston Villa – Tuesday 7.45pm

We do like the prospects of this match because it brings together two sides who have been in good form & going well in the Premier League but more importantly two managers who will take this competition seriously & field their strongest sides.

Steve Bruce has already made it clear that he wants to achieve success at Sunderland & he has committed Sunderland to playing their strongest possible side in all games & the fact that this is a home tie Sunderland will definitely want to win this.

Sunderland have been very strong at home with 5 wins from 6 & their only defeat came against a very good Chelsea side so we do expect Sunderland to go for the win here with the likes of Darren Bent, Kenwyn Jones, Steed Malbranque, Andy Reid & Kieron Richardson all quality attacking players that will present a big threat to Aston Villa.

Martin O’Neil likes Aston Villa to be competitive in all matches & while he has fielded ‘weakened’ sides in europe, we do expect him to play a strong side here because this competition is a fantastic opportunity for Aston Villa to win something.

Aston Villa are in decent form at present & they are proving hard to beat so we expect them to go to Sunderland confident & determined to go for the win with the pace of Agbonlohar & Ashley Young likely to be the key for them.

This should be a cracking match & should be a great atmosphere to go with it so it’s very much a flip of the coin situation as it is so tight to call but we feel home advantage will be the key on the night & Sunderland are a fair bet to win this tie & go through to the next round.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Sunderland to win

Correct Score options: Sunderland to win 2-0/2-1

First goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Bent/Malbranque/Reid

Double Result: Sunderland Half Time & Full Time

Blackburn Rovers vs Peterborough United – Tuesday 8.00pm

This looks another great cup tie in prospect with Premier League strugglers Blackburn Rovers welcoming Championship strugglers Peterborough United & it should be a decent game.

As with many teams playing in this competition, The Carling Cup is simply not a priority & that is most definitely the case with these two sides as survival in their respective leagues is all that counts this season.

That said, both managers are very proud men who believe in winning football matches & we are sure that Sam Allardyce & Darren Ferguson will demand their players go for the win.

The positive side to this game not being ultimately important to either side is that both teams can afford to be more expansive & positive without risk of failure & that should make for a good game.

Goals could be the order of the day in this match because there have 21 goals scored in Blackburn’s last 4 matches & 12 in Peterborough’s last 4 matches so clearly both sides can score but also have defensive issues to deal with.

Sam Allardyce has always placed great importance on winning home matches & he will certainly want to do that here but we feel the odds on price for a Blackburn win is too short because anything is possible in this match & that makes Peterborough a great value bet to get a famous cup victory.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Betting: Peterborough to win

Correct Score options: Peterborough to win 3-1/3-2

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Boyd/Mackail-Smith/Maclean

Double Result: Peterborough Half Time & Full Time

Tottenham vs Everton – Tuesday 8.00pm

Two excellent sides & two fantastic managers line up against each other in what looks a great tie on paper & will be fascinating to watch it unfold.

The theme of this competition & in many ways the key to deciding who is going to win the games is of course which managers are going to take the competition seriously but with this match being between sides managed by Harry Redknapp & David Moyes that should not really come into play.

Both Harry Redknapp & David Moyes enjoy winning football matches & both take great pride in making sure their teams give their best so their commitment to this match should be guaranteed.

Another important factor to this game is that both clubs are looking to bounce back after recent defeats so that should make for a very competitive game.

Both squads are being stretched at present so there are likely to be a few changes to both sides & particularly with Everton who are really suffering with injuries & the changes in teams only serves to make this a tougher game to call.

A major factor in this game is how Everton will respond to their tough fixture schedule given they have had tough away fixtues at Benfica & Bolton in the previous 6 days and this 3rd game in that period might just be too much but we still expect Everton to give their best.

This should be a decent game & quite possibly more open that a league tie would be & on that basis we really do like the look of a Tottenham home win & they look a solid bet to make the quarter finals again.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright match Betting: Tottenham to win

Correct Score Options: Tottenham to win 2-1/3-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Crouch/Keane/Jenas

Double Result: Tottenham Half Time & Full Time

Barnsley vs Burnley:

Fascinating game in prospect here with Championship strugglers Barnsley taking on a Burnley side who are doing very well in the Premier League & the Yorkshire vs Lancashire elements certainly adds something extra to the tie for the followers of each side.

Last season Burnley made many highlights in this competition by playing the under-dog role & beating stronger, more fancied sides so it will be very interesting to see how they cope being the strong favourites for this tie.

Owen Coyle’s clear target for this season is survival in the Premier League but given his professionalism & desire to win football matches, we expect Burnley to field a very strong side & go into this game with the determination to win it.

Barnsley are struggling to find any form at all this season & they currently sit 3rd bottom of the Championship with only 1 win in 8 & team confidence is bound to be low at present which makes it tough taking on a side as strong as Burnley.

Mark Robins has taken over as manager of Barnsley & I am sure he will be looking for Barnsley to put on a good performance in this game but for us Burnley are clearly a better, stronger side & they represent a good value bet to get the away win here & progress to the next round.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright match betting: Burnley to win

Correct score options: Burnley to win 2-1/3-1

First goalscorer options: Patterson/Blake/Nugent

Double Result: Burnley Half Time & Full Time