Football expert Ryan Elliott has two big-price tips for Saturday's FA Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Man City.
Correct Score Market
It’s time for the FA Cup semis, and first up is Arsenal vs Man City.
As we all know by now, Pep Guardiola loves a domestic trophy. City won the last FA Cup, they’ve won the last three league cups, and with nothing left to play for in the league, all focus is clearly on the FA Cup until European action resumes.
City were incredibly laboured in their last league game against Bournemouth, but I’d suggest that was primarily down to Guardiola resting his big guns. Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Rodri, Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte and Eric Garcia all started on the bench on Wednesday, so they’ll be fit and firing for Saturday’s much more important game.
However, Arsenal are also coming into this off the back of a victory against champions Liverpool. While the result was an outstanding one, and confidence will be high, the Gunners’ two goals came courtesy of a couple of Liverpool howlers, while there was still a serious sense of fragility about their own general play.
I’m probably doing them a disservice, as they still beat Liverpool and that shouldn’t be taken away from them, but if that’s going to be a used as a gauge of a side’s quality, then we mustn’t forget that City demolished them not so long ago themselves.
In terms of tipping, I’m going to have a little fun with this one, and back a couple of correct scorelines: 3-0 Man City or 3-1 Man City.
I do fear a little for Arsenal, primarily due to the freshness of City’s main men compared to theirs; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was rested, but when you look at who City have to come back, there is no comparison.
Furthermore, City have won 3-0 or 3-1 in five of their last six games against Arsenal, and I’ve not seen too much from either side to convince me that we won’t see this sort of scoreline again.
Backing City to beat Arsenal in this fashion to reach yet another cup final looks like a nice little longshot.
Follow @RyanEJourno
