FA Cup QF predictions: Man City to battle past bogey boys, flat Arsenal to progress, Man Utd bus hard to shift for Chelsea

Posted by

It’s FA Cup quarter-final weekend and it could be a record-breaking one too.

With no replays from this stage onwards, all ties will be settled in one go, possibly in extra time.

And if any matches do indeed last beyond 90 minutes, each team will be permitted to make an extra sub.

So, for the first time in FA Cup history, we could have seven, or even eight, subs used in one match!

Now that madness has sunk in, check out our score predictions, along with the latest tips from BBC Sport‘s Mark Lawrenson and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson.

Middlesbrough v Man City
Lawro: 0-2
Merson: 0-2
CaughtOffside: 1-2*

Man City have been known to struggle against Boro and have only won two of their last six games against the Teessiders.

Boro will be bang up for this, while City might have one eye on their Champions League game with Monaco in midweek.

City will want to avoid extra time, but we think this one could go that far, with the away side’s superior squad power eventually telling over 120 minutes.

Who knows? Perhaps City’s fourth sub will score the winner!

Arsenal v Lincoln City
Lawro: 3-0
Merson: 4-0
CaughtOffside: 3-1

Expect the Emirates to be a little flat, due to the midweek embarrassment against Bayern Munich.

Complacent Gunners fans will also see this as a guaranteed victory, so that is likely to add to a poor home atmosphere.

Lincoln may gain confidence from Arsenal’s lack of assertiveness and the non-League side could even take a shock lead, but superior quality will eventually tell.

Tottenham v Millwall
Lawro: 2-0
Merson: 3-1
CaughtOffside: 5-0

Tottenham’s exit from the Europa League means Mauricio Pochettino can throw all of his resources at the FA Cup.

With Harry Kane in hot form – eight goals in his last three domestic games – League One Millwall should get blown away.

Chelsea v Man Utd
Lawro: 2-0
Merson: 2-0
CaughtOffside: 1-1

This will be tight.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will park the bus against his former club.

But, with the pace of Marcus Rashford and/or Anthony Martial up front, the Red Devils have what it takes to nick a goal on the break.

I think this will go all the way to penalties.