Graham Ruthven | Something for the weekend: FA Cupsets with goals galore in Germany

Player to score – Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa v West Ham)

The first of two all-Premier League ties in the FA Cup third round this weekend will see Aston Villa host West Ham just two days after the dismissal of Julen Lopetegui. Unai Emery’s team have struggled for consistent form recently, winning just two of their last five matches in all competitions. 

Morgan Rogers scored in his last outing and is a good bet to find the back of the net again against the Hammers having served a one-match suspension in the win over Leicester City last weekend. Rogers has six goals to his name in the Premier League this season and could notch in the FA Cup on Friday night.

 

Over 2.5 total goals – Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen

The Bundesliga returns this weekend with Borussia Dortmund hosting Bayer Leverkusen in a heavyweight clash on Friday night. The winter break came at a bad time for Leverkusen who looked back to their best before Christmas. Meanwhile, Dortmund have the attacking quality to beat anyone on their day.

Leverkusen have scored two or more goals in 16 of their last 19 league matches and are on a winning run of eight straight games in all competitions. Dortmund have scored in all but one of their 15 Bundesliga fixtures this season and that game came all the way back in August. This could be an exciting encounter.

 

Match to be a draw – Bologna v Roma

Claudio Ranieri is slowly turning around Roma’s season with the Giallorossi currently on a run of just one defeat from their last seven games in all competitions. Bologna were on an unbeaten run of their own until last week’s home defeat to Verona, but Vincenzo Italiano’s team are still improving after a slow start.

Roma’s away record is among the worst in Serie A this season while Bologna have drawn seven of their 17 league games. There might not be much between the two teams at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Sunday, pointing to the possibility of the shares being shared. This one could end in a draw.

 

Both teams to score – Southampton v Swansea

There has been no new manager bounce since Ivan Juric’s arrival at Southampton with the south coast outfit on course for the worst-ever Premier League season by any team in history. The Saints beat Swansea City in both games in the Championship last season and will be favourites to make the fourth round this weekend.

However, Swansea will pose a threat at St Mary’s Stadium with Florian Bianchini expected to lead the line for the away side. Liam Cullen has scored eight goals in the Championship this season and will be a threat from the wide areas. Southampton could be ripe for an upset as their struggles continue.

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Graham’s Fourfold

Our red-hot tipster is back with his best bets from across Europe’s top leagues, including a FA Cup special!

Think Graham’s picks have legs? Could they race into the winners’ enclosure? Why not throw all four runners into a acca? £10 potentially returns £290 if they come in!

Chomping at the bit?

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ARSENAL vs MANCHESTER UNITED

The marquee match of the FA Cup third round this weekend will see Arsenal host Manchester United. The Gunners will be without Bukayo Saka through injury while Ethan Nwaneri is also sidelined. This will have an impact on Arsenal’s forward line which has looked underpowered in recent matches. 

Manchester United are also struggling to create chances this season and so Sunday’s match at the Emirates Stadium could be a low-scoring affair. Amad Diallo is expected to start after signing a new contract during the week while much of Arsenal’s game plan will be focused on posing a threat from set pieces.

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