Over the weekend, the 3rd round of the FA Cup got underway. One of the mainstays of the English football calendar, the FA Cup third round is when the big boys get involved.
However, the 3rd round didn’t provide us with any of the upsets, romance and giant killings associated with the competition. The big Premier League teams all overcame lower league opposition to advance to the fourth round. We may have to wait until then to see a part time baker score an unlikely winner against a top flight team.
However, it gives us a chance to look at the favourites and gauge their chances of FA Cup glory.
Read: Manchester City and Liverpool Title Race Could be the Best in Years
Tottenham Hotspur overcame a potential banana skin in some style. They won 7 – 0 away at Tranmere with goals from Kane, Aurier, Son and a Llorente hat trick. Spurs are third favorites to win the cup at 13/2. However, Pochettino has a history of disregarding domestic cup competitions. With a stretched squad, he could well prioritise the league and European campaigns.
Resurgent Manchester United beat Reading 2 – 0 at home thanks to goals from Mata and Lukaku. Since firing Mourinho, UTD have made light work of the lesser teams and could fancy a cup run to make up for their poor start to the league. They are joint third favourites with Spurs at 13/2.
Arsenal won 3 – 0 away at Blackpool with a team of youngsters. Two goals from Joe Willock and one from Alex Iwobi were enough to secure a routine win. Arsenal have won the FA Cup more times than anyone else and as such are always in the conversation. The Gunners are the sixth favourites at 9/1.
Chelsea beat Nottingham Forest 2 – 0 at home thanks to an Alvaro Morata brace. Like Arsenal and Manchester United, the FA Cup is a realistic source of silverware for a team who won’t win the league or the Champions League. Sarri’s men are the second favourites at 6/1.
Manchester City beat Rotherham 7 – 0 at home with a mixture of youth and experience. Guardiola’s fearsome team are obviously favourites, at 7/2. However, they are in a real title race this year. City’s cup success will depend on how things are going in the league, and how much importance they can afford to place on the cup.
Liverpool play Wolves in an all Premier League tie on Monday night. The Reds are 5th favourites at 7/1 and like City, will have to see where they are in the league before prioritising the cup.
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