Sports Blog 09/03/15: Match Preview – Manchester United v Arsenal, FA Cup quarter-final

Arsenal have not won at Old Trafford since 2006 and Spreadex clients are banking on this trend continuing as Manchester United host the Gunners in the FA Cup quarter-finals tonight.

Since that 1-0 league win eight-and-a-half years ago, Arsenal have generally had little change out of the Red Devils and Spreadex punters have been largely getting with the hosts, buying on a spread betting Goal Supremacy price of Man United/Arsenal 0.05 – 0.25.



The fixed odds betting has been a little more mixed with the most popular bets indicating a feeling that there will be goals in tonight’s game, with plenty of people backing over 2.5 goals at 4/5 and Marouane Fellaini attracting some interest as an Anytime Scorer at 10/3.

This feeling is also replicated in the spreads with some big money buys of Total Goals at 2.85 and plenty of buyers of Total Goal Minutes at 144 and Shirt Numbers at 41 (Fellaini wears 31).

If there are goals tonight, it will go against the grain of the three quarter-final ties played so far with Bradford v Reading and Liverpool v Blackburn both ending goalless and Aston Villa v West Brom ending 2-0 to the Villains.

And Spreadex traders appear to be taking on punters in the goalscoring stakes by going best price on Radamel Falcao at 6/1, Olivier Giroud 13/2, Danny Welbeck 8/1 and Juan Mata 9/1 for First Goalscorer on the fixed odds.

It will be indeed interesting to see how Welbeck fares on his first appearance against his former club and Arsene Wenger may well be tempted to play the England man from the start rather than bringing him on from the bench as has been the case in recent weeks.

Both sides come into tonight’s game on the back of some decent form. United, despite a general feeling that Louis van Gaal has yet to find the right formula, have only lost two in 22 while Arsenal have won 10 of their last 12.

But something will have to give, if not tonight, then after a replay and whoever does come through this tie is sure to end up as the outright favourite to lift the famous old cup come May.

Current favourites to lift the cup are Liverpool at 21/10 despite their 0-0 draw with Blackburn yesterday, followed by Man United at 5/2 and Arsenal at 11/4.

With both Man United and Arsenal out of the title race and the Gunners facing an uphill battle to overturn a 3-1 Champions League first leg deficit to Monaco, the FA Cup offers the only realistic chance of silverware for both sides this term.

That could be why punters have also been betting on a relatively-high looking Bookings spread of 56 – 60 indicating our traders think there will be about six yellow cards during the game.

Spreadex are also offering individual Player Card Minutes (spread based on minute a player is shown a yellow card with red cards counting double and the max make-up per player 270).

If betting patterns are anything to go by, then tonight looks like being an entertaining clash for the neutral. Coverage is live on BBC1 from 7.45pm.