ALEX CROOK PREVIEW: FA Cup Quarter-Finals

Star Sports ambassador ALEX CROOK dissects this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final clashes, and puts up another ALEX ACCA…

---

🔵 MANCHESTER CITY v LIVERPOOL 🔴
Saturday, 12.45pm

⭐️ STARSPORTS.BET MATCH MARKETS ⭐️ 

Pep Guardiola proved there is life in the old trophy-winning dog by getting the better of apprentice Mikel Arteta and Arsenal in the EFL Cup final.

That Wembley triumph means City could end the season with a domestic treble and they have the chance to send out another statement when they host Liverpool in the biggest of the four FA Cup quarter finals.

Over the last five years this had become an intense rivalry and clashes between the pair have started to gain a bit of spice, although that has been diluted since Jurgen Klopp quit as Liverpool boss.

The visitors’ team selection will be crucial as Liverpool have the first leg of their big Champions League quarter final showdown in Paris with PSG coming up in mid-week.

Will Mo Salah step out at the Etihad for the last time after announcing his departure from Anfield during the international break?

Either way, I make City big favourites to build on their cup final win and progress, especially as they have won NINETEEN of their last 21 FA Cup ties.

They have also won a record-breaking 17 successive home games in the competition and thrashed Liverpool 3-0 on their last visit back in November.

These games tend to produce goals so I am backing City to win and over 3.5 goals at 3.4/1 with starsports.bet.

---

🔵  CHELSEA v PORT VALE ⚪
Saturday, 5.45pm

⭐️ STARSPORTS.BET MATCH MARKETS ⭐️ 

Chelsea could not have asked for an easier route to the semis after being drawn against the team bottom of League One.

Vale caused a shock in the last round by KO’ing Sunderland on their cabbage-patch pitch, but that should be where their dream run ends.

After four straight defeats in all competitions, Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior simply has to win this one and win it well.

Enzo Fernandez has been in the news this week for flirting with Real Madrid so I am going to include the Argentine in my build-a-bet.

Chelsea to win the first half, over 3.5 goals and Fernandez to score returns 9/1 with starsports.bet.

---

👼 SOUTHAMPTON v ARSENAL 🔴
Saturday, 8pm

⭐️ STARSPORTS.BET MATCH MARKETS ⭐️ 

I will be at St Mary’s on Saturday night and am fascinated to see how Arsenal bounce back from their Wembley woe.

Even before they lost to City in the final, I saw this as a potential banana skin for the Gunners on the back of an international break and ahead of a Champions League quarter final first leg with Sporting in Lisbon.

Arsenal had so many players pull out of international duty, including England pair Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, it is hard to predict what sort of team Arteta will send out.

He has rotated heavily in previous round and Arsenal actually fell behind at Saints’ south coast rivals Portsmouth and had to work hard to edge past lowly Mansfield.

The home team are on a brilliant run of form in the Championship and claimed a Premier League scalp at Fulham in the fifth round so confidence should be high that the 1976 winners can cause an upset.

In silky Brazilian winger Leo Scienza they have a player who can hurt a second-string Arsenal defence.

Arsenal have gone through in 14 of the last 16 FA Cup quarter final ties and the last time they went out at this stage was to Watford in 2015 while Southampton haven’t beaten a team from the league above in the last eight since 1963.

I just think the hosts are too big a price at 9/1 with starsports.bet to win in 90 minutes, given their form and the fact Arsenal’s priorities are elsewhere.

---

⚒️ WEST HAM v LEEDS ⚪
Sunday, 4.30pm

⭐️ STARSPORTS.BET MATCH MARKETS ⭐️ 

The final game of the weekend is a dress rehearsal for a potential final day relegation decider as West Ham host Leeds at the London Stadium.

Leeds seem to be slowly but surely plotting their way to Premier League survival by averaging a point a game but are still far from safe.

West Ham, meanwhile, have been showing the kind of fighting spirit that will make their fans believe they can escape the drop, although they are still odds-on favourites to go down with our traders.

Even though staying up has to be the main aim in the final weeks of the season, the chance to get to a Wembley semi-final is not to be sneezed at especially as the Hammer shave not win the cup since 1980 And Leeds since 1972.

The fact they have a clear week before their next league fixtures surely means both managers name their strongest possible side.

I have mentioned Leeds’ love of a draw, especially away from home where they have taken a point from eight of their last ten games, well West Ham have drawn six of their last eight.

That makes the tie to end in a stalemate after 90 minutes at 12/5 with starsports.bet pretty appealing to me.

---

RECOMMENDED SELECTIONS
1️⃣ BEST BET: Manchester City win and over 3.5 goals 1pt at 14/5 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
2️⃣ NEXT BEST: West Ham v Leeds draw 1pt at 12/5 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
🎲 LONG SHOT: Southampton to win 0.5pts at 9/1 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
📊 BUILD-A-BET: Chelsea to win the first half, over 3.5 goals, Enzo Fernandez to score 0.5pts at 9/1 with starsports.bet
🚀 ALEX ACCA: Norwich, Bradford, Lincoln, Bromley 1pt at 14/1 from 12/1 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

---

(APR 2026): PROFIT/LOSS: 0.00 points

---

STAR PROMOTIONS