If you compare the latest FA Cup betting odds for this clash on Sunday 8 January, Manchester City are heavy favourites to overcome Chelsea. They have been backed for the quadruple since the season began and are still alive in all four competitions, with Arsenal currently leading the way in the Premier League although it’s the Cityzens who are slight favourites.
It will be interesting to see what team is fielded by Guardiola for this encounter in light of the fact that the fixture schedule is going to be a busy one. The Spaniard is surely going to rotate several players although that doesn’t necessarily decimate the quality of the team. Perhaps we’ll see World Cup winner Julian Alvarez take to the field here.
Chelsea have a similar squad full of quality players despite the fact that the injured Reece James is a big miss. We might see Edouard Mendy return to action after losing his first-team place to Kepa, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also likely to start in attack and Graham Potter will be assessing his options now that the January transfer window is open.
All roads point to a Manchester City win and both teams scoring. There are more attractive odds available about that outcome compared to simply backing the home side. After all, both managers know that the tie has to be settled quickly and that could mean an attacking game of football.