The big boys finally get involved with the FA Cup this weekend, providing ample opportunity for shocks and scalps in the process!

The tastiest tie comes on Friday night, where a struggling West Ham host Man City at 7.55pm on BBC One. After a winning run in December things seemed to be looking up for West Ham, only for the club to slump to back-to-back defeats against Leicester Man United at the turn of the New Year.



Man City, on the other hand, may find themselves in 4th place but are 7 points off league leaders Chelsea, with Guardiola cutting an increasingly unhappy figure at the Etihad. City put 3 past Hammers when they met in their 3rd game of the season, and will expect to breeze past the hosts at the troubled Olympic Stadium, with Spreadex offering a Man City/West Ham (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.9-1.1 alongside a Total Goals spread of 3.1-3.3.

Saturday then sees Manchester United and Arsenal try and avoid acute embarrassment as they face ostensibly inferior opposition. United are up first, taking on Reading at 12.30pm on BT Sport 2. After their well-documented issues at the start of the season Mourinho’s men have been on an impressive run since mid-December, winning their last 6 games on the trot.



Reading, meanwhile, sit in 3rd place in the Championship, though with 6 points between them and 2nd place Newcastle. Despite the Royals promotion-chasing form anything but a big win for Mourinho will be seen as a disappointment, with Spreadex offering a Man United/Reading Goal Supremacy spread of 1.85-2.05 alongside a Total Goals spread of 3.1-3.3.

Cut to Saturday afternoon and Arsenal travel to Preston North End, at 5.30pm on BT Sport 2. The Gunners managed a heroic feat mid-week, pulling back from 3-0 down to end up with a point; that achievement is greatly undermined, however, by the fact that it was against Bournemouth, with Arsenal seemingly shifting their usual November troubles into the holiday season.



As for Preston, they are languishing in mid-table ignominy, failing to win back-to-back matches since October. The Lilywhites likely won’t pose too many problems for the visitors, even with some of their key players rested, with Spreadex offering an Arsenal/Preston (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 1.2-1.4 alongside a Total Goals spread of 3.05-3.25.

A bumper Sunday starts with relegation-endangered Cardiff hosting Fulham at 11.30pm on BBC One Wales. While there has been a slight improvement in form since Neil Warnock took over in October, Cardiff still find themselves hovering just above the drop zone, though they did start the New Year with a narrow win over Aston Villa.



Not that Fulham are having a particularly notable season in any way, shape or form. The Cottagers have 36 points in 10th place, and will need a healthy dose of luck if they want to sneak into one of the lower play-off spots. At least they have the advantage on Sunday, with Spreadex offering a Fulham/Cardiff (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0-0.2 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.7-2.9.

Liverpool then continue their congested New Year schedule against League Two’s Plymouth, at 1.30pm on BT Sport 2. Monday saw the Reds only manage a draw against Sunderland, a result they will rue even more given that Chelsea, who are now 5 points above Jurgen Klopp’s side, went on to lose against Spurs two days later. Considering that Liverpool EFL Cup semi-final against Southampton and a league fixture against Manchester United in the next week Klopp may put out a dramatically changed side come Sunday in order to preserve his first picks for the upcoming challenges.



In their own way Plymouth are having a similarly great season to Liverpool; they sit in 2nd place in League Two with a game in hand, and will feel confident about securing a place in League One for next year. Add onto that a trip to Anfield and it’s a good time to be a Pilgirm. Yet a cut of the gate may be all the visitors get from the tie, with Spreadex offering a Liverpool/Plymouth Goal Supremacy spread of 2.15-2.35 alongside a Total Goals spread of 3.3-3.5.

Finally a flaccid Aston Villa get a taste of what once was when they travel to Tottenham at 4pm on BBC One. Unlike Newcastle, who appear to be locked on to return to the top flight next season, Villa haven’t dominated the Championship in the way their pedigree suggests they should have. However, there has been a notable turnaround under Steve Bruce, and they still have a slim chance of reaching the play-offs.



Spurs, meawhile, will head into Sunday riding high after preventing Chelsea breaking the Premier League record for consecutive wins by downing the Blues 2-0 at White Hart Lane. That result saw Tottenham leapfrog into 3rd place, overtaking Man City and Arsenal in the process. Their winning ways should continue on Sunday, with Spreadex offering a Tottenham/Aston Villa Goal Supremacy spread of 1.55-1.75 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.85-3.05.