English FA CUP
2019-01-26 - Brighton vs West Brom
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English FA Cup Fourth Round
Saturday 26th January 2019 - Kick Off 3pm
Brighton
Teams at the bottom of the Premier League have shown signs of improving which may be a slight concern for Brighton even though they have earned 26 points so far this season. The priority for the club will always be Premier League safety over a prolonged domestic Cup run, but Chris Hughton did guide Brighton to the Quarter Final of this competition last season and I would expect a strong team to be named even with the big game at Fulham to come during the week.
An impressive 1-3 win at Bournemouth in the FA Cup Third Round has given Brighton the chance to host a Fourth Round tie against a lower League opponent. With Liverpool out of the Cup and at least one more of the top six joining them by the end of this Round Brighton fans may feel there is an opportunity to have a really special run in the FA Cup even if the League form is the priority.
Brighton have lost to both Liverpool and Manchester United narrowly since beating Bournemouth in the FA Cup earlier this month and they do follow this game with three winnable fixtures. Chris Hughton may be looking for some momentum to take into this games, especially as Brighton have only won 1 of their last 4 games at the Amex Stadium.
Expect to see some changes with a Premier League game at Craven Cottage to come, but I would still imagine some key performers will be included.
West Brom
Like their opponent, the League is the priority for West Brom this season as Darren Moore looks to restore the club to the Premier League at the first attempt following relegation. The Baggies do have a little more time to prepare for the next fixture against Middlesbrough as they don't have a midweek game scheduled like Brighton do, but winning at the Amex Stadium will be a challenge for them.
There are only 4 points between West Brom in 3rd place and Leeds United at the top of the Championship in what is likely to be a very close battle for automatic promotion through the remainder of this season. In recent years West Brom have had some real success in the FA Cup having reached the Fifth Round in three of the last four seasons including last year despite being on the road to relegation.
West Brom have lost 1 of their last 13 games in all competitions and they head into this fixture having won 2 of their last 3 which includes the FA Cup Third Round victory over Wigan Athletic. They have won 5 of their last 6 away games and West Brom were able to secure a 0-2 win at Bolton Wanderers on Monday night to get back to winning ways having previously been beaten 2-1 at Blackburn Rovers.
The League is the priority for Darren Moore so I do think he will change things up a little bit. However he will also recognise the positive feelings a good Cup run can give a team and there is more time to prepare for the next League game than may have been anticipated.
Head to Head
Both West Brom and Brighton beat the other at home in the Premier League last season.
Brighton have won their last 3 home games against West Brom, but they had not met since the 1992/93 season before The Seagulls won 3-1 at the Amex Stadium last season.
Prediction
The FA Cup can be a very difficult competition to work out especially in January when teams still feel Wembley is far enough away that they can rotate their squads to freshen things up.
I think both Brighton and West Brom may be thinking about League matters and making sure their squads are not being overly stretched ahead of a busy time of the season when you want to begin making a positive run to the finish line.
Home advantage should give Brighton an edge and they did reach the Quarter Final of the FA Cup under Chris Hughton last season. However that was the best run Brighton have had in the FA Cup since the 2011/12 season when they were beaten in the Fifth Round at Anfield.
Unlike their hosts, West Brom have had some real success in the FA Cup in recent times without quite making it to Wembley Stadium for the Semi Final. They will be looking for a fourth appearance in the Fifth Round in the last five seasons, but Darren Moore knows a strong Cup run won't keep him in his job if The Baggies miss out on promotion to the Premier League.
It may be a tight game, but I think Brighton may edge out their visitors with perhaps more motivation in the home team than I am giving them credit for. The game at Fulham on Tuesday is a huge one for Brighton and that is perhaps skewing my feelings somewhat, but I will back the home team on the Asian Handicap to win this one knowing a draw will return half of the stake.
The Pick :
Brighton 2-1 West Brom
