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Arsenal and Liverpool will set aside their Premier League title rivalry for a face-off in the FA Cup third round this weekend.

The FA Cup is among the world's oldest competitions, and Arsenal are record winners with 14 titles. Can Mikel Arteta's men secure their 15th victory this year, or will Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool thwart that dream?

We will analyse this game and other big games across Europe this weekend, providing professional betting tips in the process.


**Arsenal vs Liverpool**

The standout tie of the FA Cup third round pits 14-time winners Arsenal against current Premier League leaders and eight-time winners Liverpool.

The two teams met in an action-packed 1-1 draw at Anfield just before Christmas, and if this game is anything similar, we are in for an exciting ride.

Both sides have responded differently to the pressure of a Premier League title race, as the Gunners have lost ground with consecutive defeats, while Liverpool have thrived under pressure by going unbeaten throughout December.

That being said, Mikel Arteta will be happy to see FA Cup action return to the Emirates, as they’ve proven incredibly hard to beat in this competition, especially at home, losing just 3 of their last 49 home FA Cup matches (W36, D10). 
They have also won the last 3 FA Cup ties against Liverpool, and will be confident of making it 4 in front of the home crowd.

Liverpool are in fine form and must be considered a formidable threat to Arsenal’s impressive home record. Their aim will be to knock down one of the favourites for the competition, but must do so without their star man, Mohamed Salah. 
The club’s leading scorer (18 goals in 22 games) and talisman will be heading off to join up with the Egypt squad ahead of AFCON.

It is not all doom and gloom for the Reds though, as they have shown incredible resilience on the road recently, winning 3 of their last 4 away games, and with the likes of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, Klopp will believe his men can put up a strong fight at the Emirates.

**Verdict:** Jurgen Klopp has a habit of rotating his squad for cup games and with Salah unavailable, a large part of the attacking plan flies out the window. Arsenal will be favourites here, and our bet of the day is for the Gunners to win a high scoring affair.

Diogo Jota has scored in Liverpool’s last 3 visits to the Emirates and we are backing him to score again.


● Bet on Arsenal to win and both teams to score 

● Bet on Diogo Jota to score anytime 

**Manchester City vs Huddersfield**

Fresh off a trophy-Laden 2023, Manchester City turn their attention to defending their FA Cup title against Championship side Huddersfield Town. 

Pep Guardiola has never lost against Huddersfield (5W, 1D) and there is absolutely no reason to see that record changing at the Etihad this weekend.

One thing City must do though, is improve defensively. Last season’s treble winners have kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 games, and if they harbour plans of defending their FA Cup trophy, defensive solidity must be prioritised. 

Nevertheless, they are imperious at home and are currently on a 33-game unbeaten run at the Etihad, a run we fully expect to be extended against a struggling second tier side. 

“Struggling” is probably the best way to describe Huddersfield at the moment. They now sit just 3 points above the Championship relegation zone after Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to Leicester City and have conceded 44 goals across their 26 league games this season, the third worst defence in England’s second tier. On top of that, the Terriers have conceded 3+ goals in a single match on 8 occassions this season, making the “over 2.5 goals” excellent value.

**Verdict:** City will win this at a canter. They are superior in every department and will be boisterous in front of home support. 
Julian Alvarez is thriving in the absence of Erling Haaland, and has scored 4 goals in his last 3 appearances.

Want the best odds? Back a huge win for Man City and for Alvarez to find the net.

● Bet on Manchester City to win and over 3.5 goals 

● Bet on Julian Alvarez to score anytime 

**Chelsea vs Preston**

Chelsea begin their quest to win the FA Cup for the 9th time in excellent form, having won 4 of their last 5 games in all competitions. 
Mauricio Pochettino spoke after the Blues defeated Luton Town 3-2 in their last game of the calendar year, highlighting the importance of ending the year on a high.  However, his side almost stumbled despite taking a  3-0 lead and must cut out such complacency in the second half of the season. 

Chelsea will feel very confident of progress as they are unbeaten at home in the last six matches (W5, D1) and have suffered zero FA Cup losses at Stamford Bridge since February 2019 (W9).

Preston haven’t beaten Chelsea since 1981 when both sides were in England’s second tier, and after their 2-0 defeat to Sunderland on New Year’s Day, they have now won just 1 of their last 5 games.

**Verdict:** There is no chance of a giant-killing event here and our bet of the day is a comfortable Chelsea win.
Cole Palmer, who has scored in 3 of his last 5 games, would be a great pick to find the net if he is selected for this clash.
There have been at least 8 corners in each of Chelsea’s last 6 games making the corner market worth a punt.


● Bet on Chelsea to win and over 2.5 

● Bet on Cole Palmer to score anytime 

● Bet on over 8.5 corners

**Wigan vs Manchester United**

Last year’s beaten finalists, Manchester United will hope they can go one better this time around by winning the FA Cup for the first time since 2016. The Red Devils made an impressive run to the final last year, only to fall to defeat at the hands of the Manchester City juggernaut, but things have gone downhill since then. 

Erik ten Hag has gone from hero to villain and is now in desperate need of a victory as the Red Devils limp from one disaster to another. 
It looked like the former Ajax boss could be the man to restore the Old Trafford giants to former glories when he lifted the League Cup and secured a top-four finish in his first season at the helm, but with 14 defeats in 28 games this term, the alarm bells have started ringing loudly. 

The FA Cup presents the last chance of Silverware for Ten Hag’s men this season, following exits in the Champions League and League Cup.
 After losing 2-1 at Nottingham Forest last time out, another defeat to League One side Wigan Athletic could lead to the dismissal of the struggling boss.

As far as recent form, both teams are in terrible shape. Wigan are 17th in League One, with just 1 win from their last 6 games and in danger of suffering consecutive relegations if their form continues. 
United are 9th in the PL and must pick up quickly, to even stand any chance of making European football next season. 

Thankfully, Andre Onana will be available for selection as he does not leave for AFCON until the 14th, and Rasmus Hojlund (6 goals in 23 games) should be back from illness which could provide a boost in attack.


**Verdict:** Wigan have lost their last 5 games against the Red Devils, conceding 16 and scoring no goals. They may be facing a United team in poor form but we still expect Ten Hag’s men to progress.

We are not anticipating a high-scoring affair as the Red Devils are bottom 5 for scoring in the Premier League (22 scored).
Take advantage of BetKing’s high odds by backing Manchester United to win and Hojlund to find the net.

● Bet on Manchester United to win and over 1.5 goals 

● Bet on Rasmus Hojlund to score anytime

**Inter Milan vs Hellas Verona** 

Inter Milan begin 2024 top of Serie A, and two points clear of second-placed Juventus, despite dropping points in a 1-1 draw against Genoa last time out. They are unbeaten in their last 12 league games (W9, D3) and have not lost their opening game of a calendar year since 2014. 
Simone Inzaghi’s men should be quietly confident of bouncing back and maintaining top spot here.
Hellas Verona should be willing opponents for the Nerazzuri who have never lost this fixture at home(W22, D11), with each of the last six meetings at the San Siro ending in victories. They are also on a 4-game winning streak at home and have kept 4 clean sheets on the spin.

The visitors concluded the year on a subdued note, suffering a 1-0 defeat against Salernitana without managing a single shot on target. This reflects a broader issue in Verona's attacking performance, as they have scored only 15 league goals this season, with only Empoli having scored fewer by the end of the last round.

 As they enter the weekend, they find themselves above the relegation zone solely based on goal difference. Manager Marco Baroni must be dreading this trip to the San Siro.

**Verdict:** Inter should continue their imperious home form with a comfortable win to compound Verona’s woes.
BetKing, Nigeria’s best online sports betting site has the best odds for Inter Milan against Hellas Verona. Back the home team to win and Serie A top scorer Lautaro Martinez to add to his 15 league goals.

● Bet on Inter Milan to win and keep a clean sheet

● Bet on Lautaro Martinez to score anytime 

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This weekend, we have several FA Cup, La Liga and Serie A fixtures. Want to increase your chances of winning big? Then check out our bet prediction!

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