Odds to Bet On | FA Cup preview
It’s little over a week until the FA Cup semi-final, with Manchester City facing Sheffield United on Saturday, April 22 and Brighton & Hove Albion locking horns with Manchester United on Sunday, April 23.
Winners will book their place in the final on Saturday, June 3 and Odds To Bet On has compiled Bet 365’s odds on each team’s chances of making it to Wembley.
Man City (4/7 to win FA Cup)
Man City booked their place in the semis after beating Chelsea in the third round, Arsenal in the fourth round, Bristol City in the fifth round and Burnley in the quarter-finals without conceding a single goal, so it’s little wonder why they’re favourites to win the competition.
Pep Guardiola’s men are second in the Premier League and have one foot in the Champions League semi-finals, so they’re having a great end to the season. Since winning the FA Cup in 2019, City has reached the semis in four consecutive campaigns, so they will fancy their chances of beating Championship side Sheffield United to make the final.
Man Utd (7/2 to win FA Cup)
Man Utd have had an easier run to the semis with home victories over Everton, Reading, West Ham and Fulham, but their biggest test of the competition will be against Brighton.
Ahead of their FA Cup clash, the Red Devils have failed to win five of their last eight away games and lost to Brighton in their only league meeting earlier this season, so Erik Ten Hag’s men aren’t in the final yet.
United are still favourites to progress as they’re three places and 10 points better off in the Premier League, but it should be close on neutral ground.
Brighton (4/1 to win FA Cup)
Brighton had an easy run to the semi-finals with wins over Middlesbrough, Stoke City and Grimsby Town, but their fourth-round victory over Liverpool was impressive. This is only the second time in 40 years that Albion has made the semi-finals, however, so it’s no surprise they’re underdogs.
And while Brighton has beaten Man Utd in the league this season, they haven’t bested the Red Devils in six FA Cup meetings (2 draws, 4 defeats). United are used to playing on the big stage and can handle the pressure better than Albion, so that might be a factor in the outcome.
Sheffield United (33/1 to win FA Cup)
Sheffield United making the semi-final as a Championship club is impressive, but they only faced one Premier League club in earlier rounds. The Blades beat Millwall, Wrexham, Tottenham and Blackburn, so Man City is their biggest test.
United have reached the quarter-finals twice in the last four seasons, so they have previous deep cup runs. But they don’t have a good head-to-head record against Man City with four consecutive defeats without scoring.
It is worth noting that their last win over the Sky Blues came in the FA Cup (2008), so perhaps that can be a good omen. Second in the Champions plays second in the Premier League though, so the gulf in class might settle this clash.
