For both these squads, the FA Cup is a shot at redemption, and an opportunity to save face in front of their fans, at the end of the season. On top of that, a win against one of the top-six will be hugely attractive to put in their resume for 2018-19. Be absolutely sure that either will vehemently prioritize this game.Under no circumstance will they resort to risky tactics, and will play it safe, trying to exploit the other’s mistakes. Both teams have been dealt harsh reality checks and are under no illusion about how in form they are right now.
Moreover, the recent meetings between these teams have displayed a trend of returning minimal scores. Eleven of the last fifteen encounters between the teams had under 2.5 goals. And so did five of the last seven meetings at this venue. Even convincing is the fact that three of the last four h2h games at this stadium returned just one goal each.