It’s a new year and in English football, that means one thing: it’s time for the third round of the FA Cup to get underway. The oldest club competition in the world is ready to welcome the big boys as we continue on the long road to Wembley. Today, we’ll be taking a look at what should be an exciting clash between Norwich City and Bristol Rovers.
Middlesbrough Form GuideDespite recent inconsistency, Middlesbrough are still seen as a team that could make a push for the playoffs in the second half of the campaign. In addition to that, they’re also in the semi-finals of the League Cup - proving their credentials in knockout football. They have a talented squad, and the fact that this game is at the Riverside will be hugely beneficial for them.
After rattling off three straight wins over Swansea, Port Vale and West Brom, Middlesbrough fell to a 1-0 defeat courtesy of Rotherham. They got back on the winning trail with a triumph over Huddersfield, only to fall short at home to Coventry 3-1.
Aston Villa Form GuideAston Villa are a club transformed under Unai Emery. They really do feel like a complete unit for the first time in a long time, and their reward is the return of European football to Villa Park. Given what they’ve been able to do in the summer transfer window, many are wondering just how far up the table they can go. Right now, it feels like the sky is the limit for the Midlanders.
Following a 1-0 win over Arsenal, Villa were held to a 1-1 draw by Zrinjski. They proceeded to beat Brentford before a surprising 1-1 draw at home to Sheffield United, and from there, they’ve had two 3-2 results - a dramatic loss to Manchester United and a dramatic win over Burnley.
Match PredictionVilla are the clear favourites to win and progress here, and while we do think they’ll be able to get the job done, we aren’t so sure that it’s going to be an easy ride. In fact, we think Boro will put up a really good fight, which is why we’re going to predict under 2.5 goals scored.
