After being pushed all the way against Wrexham, Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea side have been handed another lucky draw against lower league opposition.
| 2025/26 FA Cup Winner Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| Arsenal | 9/4 |
| Man City | 3/1 |
| Liverpool | 7/2 |
| Chelsea | 9/2 |
| Leeds United | 14/1 |
| West Ham United | 16/1 |
| Southampton | 40/1 |
| Port Vale | 100/1 |
All odds are courtesy of bet365, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.
Chelsea represent excellent value in the quarter-finals
The Blues needed to find deep mental and physical strength to beat Championship outfit Wrexham on Saturday. That match went into extra time, though Phil Parkinson’s side ended the contest with 10 men. This gave Chelsea the advantage in a game that produced six goals.
New Chelsea boss, Liam Rosenior, is keen to secure a trophy during his first year at Stamford Bridge. Since the Premier League is out of reach and the Champions League remains a difficult task, the FA Cup represents his top chance for silverware.
The Blues face PSG in their Champions League last 16 tie, where the defending champions are the clear favourites to advance to the quarter-finals.
Finishing in the fifth and final Champions League qualification spot is the least Chelsea desire in the league. If they can stay ahead of Liverpool and catch a fading Aston Villa, they will continue to take the FA Cup seriously.
Rosenior will be pleased with a home fixture in the quarter-finals. He will be even more relieved that his side have been drawn against Port Vale from League One.
The Staffordshire team are the lowest-ranked club left in the tournament. It is therefore surprising that the Blues are still priced as fourth favourites to win the cup.
With a probability of slightly over 18%, they are well worth backing. A routine victory over Port Vale would leave them just one win away from the final.
Arsenal are still worth backing after draw with preoccupied Saints
A much-changed Arsenal squad navigated a tough fifth-round match at League One side Mansfield Town. The Stags went behind before half-time but leveled soon after, causing some anxiety for the travelling fans.
However, Mikel Arteta introduced his senior stars from the bench, and Eberechi Eze netted a brilliant winning goal with 25 minutes remaining. They managed to win, despite playing on a poor pitch while giving several academy players more first-team minutes.
It is unclear if players like Dowman and Salmon will get more opportunities as the competition reaches its final stages. Arteta thinks highly of Dowman, who can provide a much-needed rest to the likes of Saka and Eze.
There’s no doubt that Arsenal’s priority is to win the Premier League. The Gunners hold a seven-point lead over Manchester City, though they have played one match more than Pep Guardiola’s side.
Arsenal will look to maintain or even build on that lead between now and their quarter-final with Southampton. If they do, Arteta will surely have the opportunity to name a strong XI for the tie.
Southampton are equally preoccupied in the Championship. The Saints struggled in the first half of the season but have climbed into the playoff race since the New Year. They currently sit only four points away from the fourth and final playoff position.
They will aim to narrow that gap before their trip to the Emirates. If they do, Tonda Eckert may find it hard to pick a full-strength team because of the risk of injuries hurting their promotion ambitions.
West Ham handed realistic chance to reach Wembley
Relegation-threatened West Ham United made several changes for their fifth-round home match against Brentford on Monday. Despite this, Nuno Espirito Santo’s Hammers showed great resilience against Keith Andrews’ in-form Brentford side.
United led twice during normal time, but Bees forward Igor Thiago equalised on both occasions. The match entered extra time and eventually went to penalties, which the Hammers won 5-3 at the London Stadium.
With Premier League safety as their main goal, the distraction of an FA Cup quarter-final might not be perfect. However, West Ham are only two victories from the final and a chance at qualifying for Europe.
They have also been given a home draw in the last eight. Their relegation rivals, Leeds United, will visit East London in a match that could leave a lasting mark in the league for the loser. A cup defeat for either club could hurt confidence at a vital moment in the league season.
West Ham’s preparation for the cup game won’t be ideal. They play Manchester City at home before travelling to Aston Villa, who have been very tough to beat at home this year.
With matches against Wolves and Crystal Palace following the Leeds game, West Ham might rotate their squad again on 4 April. However, as the Brentford game proved, the Hammers have more fight in their squad than many expected.
Leeds will almost certainly rotate as well to keep West Ham behind them in the lower half of the Premier League. With home advantage, the Hammers are worth backing as an outsider. This is especially true, as the market suggests they have only a 5.88% chance of winning the trophy.