Renowned football pundit and former Chelsea forward Chris Sutton has unveiled his expert forecasts for the FA Cup fourth round, highlighting several high-stakes matchups across the four-day schedule. With fixtures running from Friday through Monday, the “Round of 32” features a mix of massive mismatches and intriguing all-Premier League clashes. Sutton expects the giants of the game to assert their dominance, though he anticipates plenty of drama, including three potential penalty shootouts.
Manchester City faces one of the weekend’s most lopsided ties as they host League Two side Salford City, while Liverpool and Arsenal prepare for tricky home encounters. Elsewhere, Aston Villa and Newcastle United meet in a marquee top-flight showdown at Villa Park, and Chelsea aims to continue their cup momentum away at Hull City. Sutton’s detailed analysis for BBC Sport suggests that while the favorites will largely prevail, several lower-league sides will push their professional counterparts to the limit.
“Hull City 1-4 Chelsea; Wrexham Town 1-1 Ipswich Town (Ipswich win on penalties); Burton 1-2 West Ham; Burnley 3-2 Mansfield; Manchester City 8-0 Salford City; Norwich City 2-0 West Brom; Port Vale 0-2 Bristol City; Southampton 2-1 Leicester City; Aston Villa 2-1 Newcastle; Liverpool 1-1 Brighton (Liverpool to win on penalties); Birmingham City 1-0 Leeds United; Grimsby 1-1 Wolves (Grimsby to win on penalties); Oxford City 0-2 Sunderland; Stoke City 0-2 Fulham; Arsenal 3-0 Wigan,” Sutton predicted for the weekend’s action.
The pundit notably backs Birmingham City and Grimsby Town to provide the weekend’s biggest upsets, forecasting surprise exits for Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Meanwhile, his projection of an 8-0 rout for Manchester City underscores the significant gulf in class facing Salford City at the Etihad. Arsenal supporters will find comfort in his confident 3-0 scoreline prediction against Wigan Athletic, as the Gunners look to secure their path toward a potential domestic double.
As the tournament progresses, these results will determine the lineup for the fifth-round draw, scheduled for early next week. With the FA Cup remaining one of the most unpredictable competitions in world football, Sutton’s bold calls on penalty results for Liverpool, Ipswich, and Grimsby add an extra layer of anticipation for fans. All eyes now turn to the respective grounds across England as the quest for the historic trophy intensifies.
