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It may well be true that the F.A. Cup has lost some of it’s appeal given the financial edge which the Champions League now holds over football but the F.A. Cup Final itself is still the biggest day in football & one that grabs the attention of the whole nation & indeed millions across the world.

Football is unique for providing scenarios where teams with directly opposite situations can meet & have an equal chance to win prizes & a shot at glory and without doubt the F.A. Cup has been & always will be the best competition for doing just that.

This years Final of Chelsea vs Portsmouth is the perfect example of how two teams with completely different set-ups in terms of finance, scale, quality of players, strength of squad & overall profile can clash for 90 minutes to try to win a trophy & it really is a remarkable story.

Chelsea are owned & funded by a billionaire, they have just won the Premier League, scoring 100+ goals & possess a team & squad full of world class, international players who would get into most teams throughout world football.

Portsmouth are financially right on the brink of going completely bust, having incredible, outrageous debts that seem impossible to manage & come into this F.A. Cup Final having been relegated & with a squad with no real stars & only a smattering of quality.

So compare the two scenarios of both Chelsea & Portsmouth and it seems that the F.A. Cup Final will be a foregone conclusion & that Chelsea can already be declared winners as there looks no viable way for Portsmouth to overpower & beat Chelsea.

The bookies agree with that & quote Chelsea at 1/6 to win in 90 minutes while Portsmouth are 12/1 to do the same & when you consider the recent form of both sides then those odds look fair & in the case of Chelsea it’s one of those cases where long odds-on still represents value.

The two league games that Chelsea & Portsmouth clashed in this season saw Chelsea win both with an aggregate of 7 goals to 1 including the 5-0 victory for Chelsea at Portsmouth & to be fair it could have been a whole lot more than 5 goals that night so it does not look good for Portsmouth.

In fact, Chelsea have scored 30 goals in 8 matches since that night giving them 7 wins from 8 including very impressive wins over Man United & Liverpool, plus amazing goalscoring wins against Aston Villa when they won 7-1, Stoke City whom they beat 7-0 & Wigan whom they beat 8-0.

Chelsea have tremendous quality & strength right through the team with Cech once again in top form in goal, Terry, Alex, Ivanovic, Ashley Cole providing great quality in defence to give a great platform for the likes of Lampard, Malouda, Drogba, Anelka, Kalou, Ballack & Joe Cole to create & score the goals and to be honest, Chelsea look absolutely unbeatable right now.

The quality & confidence within the Chelsea squad is so high right now & with the opportunity to create history for the club & win their first League/F.A. Cup double, we really cannot see Chelsea failing to win this & win it well.

Portsmouth’s season has been an incredible & incredulous story with all desperate situation regarding the owners & of course their out of control financial problems that leave the club hanging by the thread.

Football wise, the season has been obviously greatly affected by the financial situation & Avram Grant’s side simply did not have the quality & quantity in terms of squad depth to have any chance of surviving and relegation looked certain right from the early weeks of the season.

All of that does make the fact Portsmouth have reached another F.A. Cup Final an incredible story with them having won it a couple of years ago, the fact they overcame Tottenham to win the Semi Final & the ironic twist of Avram Grant coming up against the team he used to manage.

Portsmouth do deserve great credit for the effort, commitment & determination they have shown to earn their place in the Final & of course anything is possible on the day but it really would be the biggest shock of all if Portsmouth pulled this win off.

The truth is that Portsmouth simply do not have the quality to match up against Chelsea & while they will be committed & put in great effort, Chelsea are so strong, have so much quality & in such great form that anything other than a comfortable Chelsea win would be a massive shock & Chelsea look absolute bankers to win & complete an historic League/F.A. Cup double.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Chelsea to win

Correct Score options: Chelsea to win 2-0/3-0

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

Scorecast options: Lampard/Drogba/Anelka score 1st & Chelsea win 2-0/3-0

Double Result: Chelsea H/T & F/T

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

Portsmouth have only scored more than one goal on one occasion though the visitors ended a potential hat trick for the home side when winning 3-0 at Goodison in August last season. Portsmouth went on to achieve the double over the Toffees for the first time so they should go into this year

In terms of their final league positions for the season then both Everton & Portsmouth will finish where are they are now in 8th & 20th respectively no matter the result here so only pride left to play for.
David Moyes is a totally determined & committed manager who wants demands that his players give everything in every single match so we fully expect Everton to take their strong finish to the season into this final match & give the Everton fans the win they deserve.

Everton have been excellent at home in recent months & basically impossible to beat and to be fair we don’t really expect anything other than a comfortable home win for Everton in this one.

Portsmouth have the F.A. Cup Final to focus on & with injuries a big issue for them they are unlikely to play their best players and so this looks a clear opportunity for Everton to finish the season with a flourish & makes them a rock solid bet to get another home win.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Everton to win

Correct Score options: Everton to win 2-0/3-0

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Saha/Cahill/Arteta

Scorecast options: Saha/Cahill/Arteta score 1st & Everton win 2-0/3-0

Double Result: Everton H/T & F/T

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

The only Premier fixture to date ended in stalemate back in January 2004. Portsmouth scored the only goal of the game (on nineteen minutes) in the reverse fixture earlier this season. All time league record: Portsmouth 25–Draws: 24–Wolves: 34

MARKET:

Portsmouth: No wins–Draws: 1–Wolves: No wins (goal difference: 0-0)

MARKET: Correct Score

1 x 0-0

MARKET: First team to score

Portsmouth: 0 —-Wolves: 0 ( 1 x 0-0 draw)

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

Even: 1—-Odd: 0

Portsmouth are relegated & waiting for the F.A. Cup Final in 2 weeks time while Wolves are safe so this game means absolutely nothing apart from professional pride & that might just help the players relax & produce a game worth watching.
Had this been the relegation battle that it could have been then we would have had this down as a drab, dull & lifeless match in which both teams would be desperate not to lose & end up cancelling each other out but now that could all be different & we expect the players of both sides to have a go.

Portsmouth deserve great credit for showing incredible fighting spirit to bounce back from 2-0 down away at Bolton to earn a 2-2 draw & Wolves once again showed their resilience by earning a 1-1 draw with Blackburn and both teams will be confident they can get something from what should be a really competitive match.

Portsmouth will want to give a show for their fans as it is likely to be their last Premier League home match for sometime while Wolves want to finish on a real high & give their travelling fans something to cheer a good, honest battle looks on the cards here.

The quality of football on show may well be fairly limited but neither Portsmouth or Wolves lack endeavour & commitment and they can both relax & play their game here so we are going to go for a scoring draw which looks a value play worth taking & one that both managers will be happy with.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match result: DRAW

Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Piquionne/Boateng/Doyle

Scorecast options: Piquionne/Boateng/Doyle score 1st & 1-1/2-2

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

All six victories achieved by both teams were gained by a single goal margin, whilst we still await the first drawn game. Just twelve goals have been scored in total with both teams failing to find the net on two occasions. Doubles: Bolton 1—-Portsmouth 1

MARKET:

Bolton: 4 wins–Draws: 0–Portsmouth: 2 wins (goal difference: 7/5)

MARKET: Correct Score

2 x 1-0 & 2 x 0-1

MARKET: First team to score

Bolton: 3—-Portsmouth: 3

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

Even: 0—-Odd: 6

This is not really a game to get too excited about because Bolton are virtually safe & Portsmouth were relegated long ago so nothing at stake apart from the pride of the players on the day.
Bolton pulled off a truly massive win last weekend by coming from behind to beat Stoke City away late on & that victory virtually guaranteed Bolton’s survival in the Premier League once more & that really does take the pressure off for the rest of the season.

Owen Coyle’s first objective was to make Bolton safe & the 2nd objective was to change the style of play to a more open, positive style of football and that can now become the focus for the remainder of the season starting with this match.

The Bolton players will come into this game against Portsmouth with tremendous confidence gained from that victory over Stoke City & we really do expect them to have a real go at Portsmouth & give the home fans a reason to cheer at last & indeed something to look forward to next season for.

Portsmouth deserve credit for the way they have handled themselves on the pitch but the focus of the players now lies on the F.A. Cup & it is hard to see them getting themselves motivated for this game at Bolton & also very hard to see them having enough to get a result on the day.

Nobody apart from the fans of Bolton & Portsmouth will be interested in this game and we don’t expect it to be a footballing classic but Bolton do look a good bet to win it with the likes of Kevin Davies & Matthew Taylor to lead the way for them.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: Bolton to win

Correct Score options: Bolton to win 2-0/3-0

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Davies/Taylor/Wilshire

Scorecast options: Davies/Taylor/Wilshire score 1st & Bolton win 2-0/3-0

Double Result: Bolton H/T & F/T

The match stats below are compiled with major football betting markets in mind. They are presented as facts without recommendation, allowing you to spot trends and decide whether they have relevance as betting opportunities. Click any ‘Bet Now’ button to see a bet slip from that bookmaker.

NARRATIVE:

Neither side has scored more than two goals via six games at Fratton Park. Villa have scored a maximum of one goal four times in six games to date. Portsmouth have scored two goals on three occasions. Doubles: Portsmouth 1—-Aston Villa 1

MARKET:

Portsmouth: 2 wins–Draws: 2–Aston Villa: 2 wins (goal difference: 8-7)

MARKET: Correct Score

None (six different score-lines)

MARKET: First team to score

Portsmouth: 2—-Aston Villa: 4

MARKET: Even or odd total of goals:

Even: 3—-Odd: 3

Portsmouth & Aston Villa both come here facing their 3rd match in a week including incredibly demanding & pressurised F.A. Cup Semi Finals so it will be fascinating to see who will come out on top in this one.
It was a case of vastly contrasting fortunes last weekend as Aston Villa were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Chelsea and knocked out while Portsmouth fought their way to a 0-0 draw against Tottenham & then won in extra time and earn their place in the F.A. Cup Final.

In terms of morale & confidence then the Portsmouth players will obviously be far happier & more positive as they have an F.A. Cup Final to look forward to but in terms of motivation to win here then that lies solely with Aston Villa as they chase 4th spot.

Portsmouth are already relegated & their final league matches mean nothing to them but that doesn’t mean they will take it easy & they showed by drawing at Wigan they have the character to get something from this match & are dangerous to dismiss.

The F.A. Cup Semi Final defeat was another big blow to Aston Villa in what has been a very frustrating period over the last couple of months for Aston Villa & Martin O’Neill’s team really do look likely they are struggling physically & mentally.

Admittedly Aston Villa fought to earn a 2-2 draw against Everton in midweek which shows their character but there is no doubting that their performance levels have dropped & confidence levels have also been hit which does create problems for them.

Martin O’Neill will want Aston Villa to show their fighting spirit & quality again here by going for the win & they still hold a theoretical chance of 4th place & have to keep winning to hold of Everton so we are expecting Villa to be up for this one.

This is not a straightforward match to call given what both Portsmouth & Aston Villa have gone through in the last week and anything is possible but Aston Villa have the greater motivation to win & they have more attacking quality so they look worthy of a bet to have the edge in this one.

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/Heskey/Young

Scorecast options: Agbonlohar/Heskey/Young score 1st & Aston Villa win 2-0/2-1

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

We have spent all season saying that Wigan are the most inconsistent & unpredictable side in the Premier League while Portsmouth are already relegated yet showed incredible character & belief to knock-out Tottenham in the Cup so anything really is possible in this match.
Wigan’s needs for the 3 points is obviously much greater than Portsmouth & the victory for West Ham United at the weekend has piled massive pressure on Wigan because they are now in 17th place & the sitting targets for Hull City & Burnley to aim at.

Roberto Martinez knows that this match is the best opportunity Wigan have to gain 3 more massively important points & this match is Wigan’s opportunity to virtually make sure they are safe as a win will take them 7 points clear of Burnley which is a massive gap with only 4 games to go.

Wigan do always play consistent, positive passing football but their major weakness is a failure to score enough goals with only 14 scored in their 16 home league games to date & that does make it hard for them to convert draws in to wins and this match could produce a similar scenario.

Portsmouth, through their own doing I must add, have been up against it all seeason, they are already relegated, facing financial meltdown off the pitch & yet incredibly Avram Grant & the Portsmouth players somehow found the inner self belief & desire to incredibly win through to another F.A. Cup Final so what can we expect from them in this match.

Obviously now, the only target the Portsmouth players have is to stay fit & achieve a place in the F.A. Cup final because the league matches no longer officially mean anything & many people will expect the Portsmouth players to take it easy in their remaining league games but we really don’t see it that way.

In terms of relative quality within the two squads, Portsmouth have nothing to fear from Wigan & that massive win over Tottenham should give the Portsmouth players a huge confidence boost & they will believe they can definitely get a positive result from this match.

Wigan’s home form has been inconsistent & nothing special with very few goals while Portsmouth’s away form has been terrible & again very few goals so this match is highly unlikely to be anything other than a dour, low quality battle that can go either way.

Wigan have to win & Portsmouth have no motivation to win so ordinarily that should mean Wigan have the edge & win the game but the Portsmouth story is a truly remarkable one & we feel there are enough doubts about both sides to suggest this will be tight & close and low scoring, even no scoring draw appeals as a value bet worth taking.

Betting Recommendations:

Outright Match Result: DRAW

Correct Score options: 0-0/1-1

First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Rodallega/Piquionne/Boateng

Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T