FA Cup: Who Will Win This Year’s Competition?

The FA Cup is England’s oldest and most prestigious club competition and we are now down to the semi-finals stage.

Four teams — Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Southampton — will now compete for the opportunity to lift the trophy in May’s showpiece at Wembley Stadium.

The semi-final draw is now done and we’ve looked at the two fixtures – as well as previewing a possible final.

Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Jose Mourinho’s men have been poor in recent weeks. The Red Devils were knocked out of the Champions League after an embarrassing home defeat against Sevilla and it hasn’t got much better since. United limped into the FA Cup semi-finals and it is hard to put too much faith in Mourinho’s side at this moment in time.

Tottenham’s recent record against United is excellent, especially in London. Home comforts should give Spurs the edge in this fixture; although the absence of Harry Kane is a huge blow ahead of the clash. Heung-Min Son and Dele Alli have helped to fill the goal scoring void, but Kane is on another level.
Mauricio Pochettino will be quietly confident here – Spurs have the quality to win this year’s competition. United are struggling and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Tottenham go for the jugular. Extra time is a realistic possibility but most neutrals will be backing Spurs to emerge victorious on ‘home’ soil.

Prediction: Tottenham to go through

Chelsea vs Southampton

At the time of writing, William Hill are offering 13/8 for Chelsea to go on and win the FA Cup this season. The Blues rode their luck at times against Leicester City but Pedro’s extra-time winner was enough, much to the delight of the travelling fans. Who knows, victory in this competition could save Antonio Conte’s job.

For Mark Hughes, Premier League survival is the priority but going all out for the FA Cup also makes sense. We’re now at the semi-finals stage and Southampton have a real chance of winning silverware. Chelsea aren’t the dominant force that they were two years ago and this has all the makings of a very good cup tie.

Backing against Chelsea would be foolish. Saints are fighting for survival whilst Chelsea are near the top of the table. Conte will want to finish in the top four but a trophy will be high up on the priority list as well. The Blues have an excellent record in this competition and another FA Cup triumph may beckon.

Prediction: Chelsea to go through

FA Cup Final

An all-London affair between Chelsea and Tottenham would certainly go down well with the neutrals. Any contest involving Mourinho’s United would probably be a dull affair and the selection may be the most exciting on paper.
Kane may be back for the final and his impact could give Spurs the edge in their pursuit of glory. Tottenham have been accused of ‘bottling it’ on the big stage in recent years but this is their time to silence the critics. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Spurs lift the famous FA Cup trophy on May 19th.