Today’s English FA Cup Predictions as Tottenham will host Portsmouth and liverpool will welcome Wolves at Etihad stadium
Preston vs. Huddersfield (Saturday, 12.30pm)
Preston North End will face fellow Championship side Huddersfield Town in the
third round of the FA Cup this afternoon at Deepdale, with both teams looking to improve on inconsistent festive periods in the second tier.
These two historic clubs have three FA Cups between them but have both struggled to reach the latter stages of this famous competition in recent times.
Preston have started to struggle after a solid start to the Championship season, but an FA Cup win this weekend against a Huddersfield side that are poor travellers is very plausible.
The Terriers may opt to rotate their XI heavily as they look to focus on securing their second-tier survival, and if that is the case then they should fully expect to exit the FA Cup at this early stage.
Preston North End 2-0 Huddersfield Town
Tottenham vs. Portsmouth (Saturday, 12.30pm)
Tottenham Hotspur’s latest quest to end their 15-year trophy drought sees them tackle Portsmouth in FA Cup third-round.
The Lilywhites enter the contest on the back of a resounding 4-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League, while the visitors travel to North London managerless following the sacking of Danny Cowley.
The infamous new manager bounce is unlikely to make a difference for this Portsmouth side,
who may set up defensively to try to frustrate Tottenham, but such efforts should prove futile.
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Portsmouth
Gillingham vs. Leicester (Saturday, 12.30pm)
Leicester City kick off their bid for FA Cup glory with a trip to the Priestfield Stadium to face League Two strugglers Gillingham.
The Foxes enter the showdown on the back of a 1-0 Premier League defeat to Fulham, while the hosts’ struggles continued with a 1-0 loss to Stevenage on Monday.
Even with several first-team stars likely to be rested and myriad more in the medical bay, Leicester should still prove far too strong for an out-of-sorts Gills team here.
Rodgers’ side have hardly covered themselves in glory in league action either, but this should be a relatively simple route into the fourth round for the visitors.
Gillingham 0-2 Leicester City
Forest Green vs. Birmingham (Saturday, 12.30pm)
Two teams struggling in their respective leagues meet on Saturday afternoon as Forest Green Rovers and Birmingham City battle it out for a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Forest Green sit bottom of League One with a distance between themselves and safety,
whereas Birmingham have recently endured a run of three consecutive losses in the Championship.
Forest Green have been on a poor run of form and will not be confident of progressing into the fourth round with a win against Championship opposition on Saturday.
Birmingham are showing signs that they could be dragged into another second-tier relegation battle, but the amount of injuries within the squad means they cannot rotate too much at The New Lawn – something that may give them an advantage.
Forest Green Rovers 0-1 Birmingham City
Crystal Palace vs. Southampton (Saturday, 12.30pm)
Crystal Palace will welcome fellow Premier League side Southampton to Selhurst Park in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon, with a spot in the fourth round of the competition on offer for both sides.
The home side will enter the match off the back of a 4-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Tuesday,
while Southampton were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest on the same night.
It is always difficult to know what to expect when two Premier League sides meet in the early rounds of the FA Cup,
as both managers will make changes to their sides. Southampton are really difficult to back at the moment due to their struggles, though, so we have had to side with the home team on this occasion.
Crystal Palace 3-1 Southampton
Reading vs. Watford (Saturday, 12.30pm)
Reading and Watford take a break from Championship action to square off in the FA Cup third round on Saturday afternoon.
Although nine places separate the two teams in the second tier, the visitors hold just a four-point advantage over the Royals.
With both managers likely to tinker with their squads, this is an even more unpredictable fixture than it may have been with full-strength sides.
While Reading will still be confident of registering yet another home win this campaign, we feel that a greater freedom for Watford to express themselves may lead to a narrow away victory.
Reading 1-2 Watford
Middlesbrough vs. Brighton (Saturday, 3.00pm)
Middlesbrough host Brighton & Hove Albion in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon, with both sides enjoying good seasons in the Championship and the Premier League respectively.
Boro have ascended the second-tier table after the appointment of Michael Carrick as manager, whereas Brighton continue to develop as a side despite the departure of ex-boss Graham Potter and many key players in the summer.
Middlesbrough are flying in the Championship under Carrick and should fancy their chances against the Premier League visitors on Saturday, especially considering their run in the FA Cup last season.
Brighton will place a lot of importance on reaching the latter stages of this competition as they hunt their first major trophy, and they should have enough to earn a place in the fourth round this weekend.
Middlesbrough 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
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Chesterfield vs. West Brom (Saturday, 3.00pm)
Aiming to stretch their winning run across all competitions to four matches, West Bromwich Albion visit the Proact Stadium for Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie with National League side Chesterfield.
The hosts head into the clash on the back of a 4-1 thumping of Scunthorpe United, while the Baggies ran out 1-0 victors over Reading in their most recent Championship battle.
A Chesterfield side with a taste for goals and victories on their own patch should experience some joy against a ravaged West Brom backline, but the odd consolation goal may be the only aspect of the game worth looking back on.
While Corberan is unlikely to go gung-ho and risk any more injuries on Saturday, the in-form Baggies should still get the job done in relatively routine fashion.
Chesterfield 1-3 West Bromwich Albion
Boreham Wood vs. Accrington (Saturday, 3.00pm)
After upsetting the odds to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup last season, non-league outfit Boreham Wood are dreaming of emulating that performance once again in England’s most famous cup competition.
Standing in their way in the third round on Saturday are League One side Accrington Stanley, who have never progressed beyond the fourth round.
With Accrington heading into this cup match in poor form in League One, we expect to see a tight affair at Meadow Park.
With their confidence surely boosted by last season’s cup run – as well as their victory against Bristol Rovers in the previous round – it would be no surprise to see another upset ensue in favour of the hosts.
Boreham Wood 1-0 Accrington Stanley
Bournemouth vs. Burnley (Saturday, 3.00pm)
Bournemouth will hope to rediscover some form when they play host to Burnley in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
While the Cherries have recently lost three successive games in the Premier League, the Clarets are five points clear at the top of the Championship.
This has all the makings of being a tight match, regardless of the teams that are selected by the two managers. However, with Bournemouth low on confidence, we expect the visitors to edge this fixture by the odd goal in three, potentially via a late strike.
Bournemouth 2-3 Burnley
Fleetwood vs. QPR (Saturday, 3.00pm)
League One meets Championship on Saturday afternoon as Fleetwood Town and Queens Park Rangers face off in the third round of the FA Cup at Highbury Stadium.
Fleetwood have never progressed into the fourth round of this competition and will be desperate to do so this weekend,
Meanwhile Rangers will be hoping to record a victory in order to build some momentum under new manager Neil Critchley.
Fleetwood Town 1-3 Queens Park Rangers
Blackpool vs. Nott’m Forest (Saturday, 3.00pm)
Nottingham Forest will be bidding to build on their recent strong form when they face Blackpool in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
At a time when the visitors have moved outside of the Premier League relegation zone, the home side remain in the bottom three in the Championship.
Blackpool may welcome the chance to focus their attention away from league matters, hoping that it leads to a rare win. However,
Forest have strength in depth and players who want to impress, leading us to predict a relatively comfortable win for the visitors.
Blackpool 1-3 Nottingham Forest
Hull City vs. Fulham (Saturday, 3.00pm)
Marco Silva takes Fulham to his former club Hull City on Saturday for a fixture in the third round of the FA Cup.
Both teams enter this game in excellent form, the home side having recently moved away from the Championship relegation zone and the visitors challenging for a top-six spot in the Premier League.
While Silva will inevitably make alterations to his starting lineup, we cannot ignore the Mitrovic factor. With the Serbian in line to start, he will fancy his chances of netting at least a couple of goals, and that would likely prove decisive.
Hull City 0-2 Fulham
Millwall vs. Sheff Utd (Saturday, 3.00pm)
Two Championship sides will fight for a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday, as Sheffield United travel to London to take on Millwall at The Den.
The teams both enter the competition at this stage and in the midst of unbeaten runs in their respective pushes for promotion to the Premier League, with the visitors sat second in England’s second tier.
Millwall 1-2 Sheffield United
Shrewsbury vs. Sunderland (Saturday, 3.00pm)
League One side Shrewsbury Town will be aiming to cause an upset when they host Sunderland in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
The visitors, meanwhile, will be looking to emulate the famous Sunderland team from 1973, who won the FA Cup despite only competing in the second tier of English football.
Despite the visitors being likely to make plenty of changes for their cup tie, we expect Sunderland to have too much strength-in-depth for Shrewsbury, who have seen their form significantly dip in recent outings.
Shrewsbury Town 1-2 Sunderland
Ipswich vs. Rotherham (Saturday, 3.00pm)
Rotherham United will make the long trip to Portman Road on Saturday to take on Ipswich Town for a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The visitors enter at this stage in a tough run of form in the Championship, while their hosts sit third in League One and have already seen off two teams to reach this round.
Ipswich Town 2-0 Rotherham United
Brentford vs. West Ham (Saturday, 5.30pm)
Brentford and West Ham United take a break from Premier League action to square off in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
While the Bees are unbeaten in six games, West Ham are winless over the same period, leading to 11 points separating the teams in the top flight.
While Brentford are classed as the clear favourites for this fixture, the prospect of changes being made should lead to a tight contest.
With that in mind, we feel that the Hammers may edge this game, earning a result which could buy Moyes some time in the dugout.
Brentford 1-2 West Ham United
Coventry vs. Wrexham (Saturday, 5.30pm)
Coventry City will be hoping to avoid being on the wrong end of a major upset when they host Wrexham in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.
The visitors are currently second in the National League, which is three divisions lower than the Championship, where Coventry compete.
With both managers likely to hand some of their squad players rare game time, we expect to seen an entertaining affair at Coventry on Saturday evening.
However, the hosts should have too much quality for their opponents in the end, even if their place in the English footballing pyramid is arguably a false one.
Coventry City 3-1 Wrexham
Luton vs. Wigan (Saturday, 5.30pm)
Luton Town and Wigan Athletic will do battle at Kenilworth Road on Saturday with a place in the FA Cup fourth round up for grabs.
Kolo Toure is continuing his search for a first win as manager of the visitors, while their hosts’ new boss Rob Edwards has enjoyed a strong start in the hot seat.
Luton will come into the game with far more confidence and momentum than their opponents,
and even if the likes of Morris are rested from the start, we can still only envisage the Hatters progressing thanks to their superior quality.
Luton Town 3-2 Wigan Athletic
Grimsby Town vs. Burton Albion (Saturday, 5.30pm)
Grimsby Town and Burton Albion will be fighting for a place in the FA Cup fourth round when they meet at Blundell Park on Saturday.
Grimsby have not reached that stage since 2000, while Burton last progressed beyond the third round in 2011.
With Burton unlikely to take this match too seriously considering their relegation fears.
Grimsby Town 2-1 Burton Albion
Sheff Weds vs. Newcastle (Saturday, 6.00pm)
Premier League high-flyers Newcastle United will travel to South Yorkshire on Saturday to do battle with Sheffield Wednesday in an FA Cup third-round tie at Hillsborough.
The Magpies enter at this stage of the competition, while their third-tier hosts have already seen off Morecambe and Mansfield Town to earn their tie with top-flight opposition.
Even with the vast majority of their key players likely to be rested, Newcastle still boast plenty of quality and should have more than enough to triumph away at one of the third tier’s strongest outfits.
Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Newcastle United
Liverpool vs. Wolves (Saturday, 8.00pm)
Liverpool begin the defence of their FA Cup crown with the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers to Anfield for Saturday’s third-round match.
The Reds enter the clash on the back of a humbling 3-1 loss to Brentford in the Premier League, while Julen Lopetegui’s side were pegged back in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.
Both sets of fans will no doubt be excited to catch a glimpse of Gakpo and Cunha in action, but the latter cannot solve Wolves’ ongoing goalscoring woes all by himself.
