FA Cup: League Leaders Meet at the Etihad

Manchester City vs Fulham

The Premier League leaders take on the Championship pace setters on Saturday, when Manchester City host Fulham in the FA Cup fourth round.

Both teams are well clear in their respective leagues, Manchester City are nine points ahead at the top of the Premier League while Marco Silva has guided Fulham five points clear at the Championship summit. The FA Cup 2022 betting odds are right behind the Sky Blues to win the trophy at odds of 3.75. The next in line are the two teams chasing City at the top of the league, Chelsea and Liverpool at 6.50 and 7.00. And what of Fulham? Well here at SBOTOP you can get big price of 151.00 to win the Cup, or 10.12 just to win this match.

Manchester City come into the game on the back of a rare draw in the Premier League, away to Southampton, while Fulham drew 1-1 at home to Blackpool; but there is a big gulf between the top of each league and we expect Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to come through. 

Talking Points

No striker no problem for City  

While the transfer Deadline Day got the pulses racing elsewhere in the Premier League, Guardiola was calm, making a single signing to bring 22 year old Argentine striker Julian Alvarez to the club in a £14m move from River Plate, though he will stay at his current club on loan until the end of the season. City have been looking for a striker since the sale of Sergio Aguero but they have fared pretty well so far without one!

Gabriel Jesus has been away on World Cup duty with Brazil and he may sit this one out, but no matter, Raheem Sterling has returned to form in recent weeks, scoring twice against Leicester City, and he is surrounded by team-mates with goal-scoring records to send shivers down any defenders’ spine. Riyad Mahrez is in the form of his life and with Kevin de Bruyne at his imperious best there is plenty for Fulham to worry about, striker or no striker.

Big hitter Mitrovic eyes a Premier return

The Cottagers are flying high at the top of the Championship and look set to make a swift return to the Premier League. And striker Aleksandar Mitrovic will be desperate to have another crack in the top flight. He showed promise in his three previous seasons there, scoring 25 goals in total, but in the second tier he is a cut above. Mitrovic is currently the Championship top scorer with 28 goals from 26 games and he is spearheading a goal happy team.    

Fulham beat Bristol City in extra time to make it through to the fourth round as Harry Wilson scored with a long range effort, but in the following three games they plundered 19 goals, beating Reading 7-0 and both Bristol City and Birmingham 6-2. Wilson is the club’s joint second top scorer with eight goals, alongside DR Congo international Neeskens Kebano, while Liverpool target Fabio Carvalho is on seven.

Skippered by midfielder Tom Cairney and with American centre back the Tim Ream organising the defence this is a team with plenty of Premier League experience.      

History

While Manchester City has dominated English football for almost a decade, their opponents have a more modest history, but they still have plenty to be proud about.  

Fulham are London’s oldest professional club still playing, founded in 1879 and flying the flag for West London before Chelsea had been conceived. They have been second tier champions twice and FA Cup runners up in 1975 when they lost to East Londoners West Ham in the final. And the Cottagers have had a foray into Europe, finishing as Europa League runners up in 2010.

Manchester City and Fulham have met 33 times this century, in all competitions, and the Sky Blues have had much the better of the results, winning 19, drawing ten and losing just four of the encounters. The Cottagers have failed to win in any of the last 11 meetings, or on their last ten visits to the Etihad Stadium. Last season, on the way to relegation Fulham were handed two defeats by the champions elect, losing 3-0 at home and 2-0 in Manchester.  

The teams have identical records over the last six games, winning five and then drawing their most recent game.  

Betting Tip

	Manchester City vs Fulham	Manchester City First Half Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 1.91
	February 5, 23:00 (GMT+8)

Fulham have won their last three away games, but there’s a big difference between Bristol City, Reading and Stoke and… Manchester City. An away win is a step to far and even a draw at odds of 6.57 would be one of the shockFA Cup 2022 resultsof the weekend.

The Cottagers are scoring for fun but the Sky Blues have conceded just 14 goals all season and Mitrovic will do what many top flight strikers have failed to do if he scores. For a correct score-line, 3-0 at 6.56 or 4-0 at 8.92 may not be far away, and I’m predicting the Premier League leaders to be in charge by the break.

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.