FA CUP FINAL BETTING TIPS AND PREDICTIONS 16TH MAY  

We have the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City; Louie Truman has his best bets and predictions along with FA Cup betting odds.

CHELSEA VS MANCHESTER CITY

THE RECENT FA CUP RECORD OF CHELSEA 

Chelsea last won the FA Cup in 2018, when they managed to overcome Man Utd 1-0. The winning goal came from an Eden Hazard penalty in the first half, securing Chelsea’s eighth FA Cup title.

Before the win against Man Utd in the 2018 final, Chelsea had endured a difficult period in the FA Cup. Despite being one of England’s most successful cup sides during the 2000s and early 2010s, Chelsea had lost their previous FA Cup final appearance in 2017. The club were also coming off a disappointing 2017/18 season overall, finishing outside the Premier League top four and facing uncertainty surrounding manager Antonio Conte.

CHELSEA’S CURRENT CAMPAIGN

Chelsea has endured a difficult season; the Blues are sitting in ninth with 13 wins, 10 draws and 13 losses. Under the management of Liam Rosenior, Chelsea had a good start to the season, but they struggled for consistency due to issues with their attacking structure and mistakes at the back. It also went wrong for Liam Rosenior at Chelsea because questions quickly emerged over his experience and tactical approach. Combined with Chelsea’s poor run of results, the pressure became too much for the club hierarchy to ignore, leading to Liam Rosenior being sacked.

Calum McFarlane is the club’s current interim manager. McFarlane has become interim manager for the second time, having already led the side following the departure of Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea come into this fixture on the back of a difficult spell; they’ve lost four of their last five in the league, and the Blues drew 1-1 away at Liverpool in their recent outing; Enzo Fernández was the goal scorer. During their last five in the league, McFarlane’s side have conceded 11 goals, which highlights their difficulties at the back.

Despite their poor form in the league, Chelsea managed to overcome Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final; Enzo Fernández found the back of the net in the 23rd minute. The Blues also put seven past Port Vale in the quarter-final.

CHELSEA VS MANCHESTER CITY H2H 

Manchester City have an excellent record against Chelsea; Pep Guardiola’s side haven’t lost to the Blues in their last 12 encounters. In their recent meeting, Manchester City put three past Chelsea with an impressive 3-0 away win; Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guéhi, and Jérémy Doku were the goal scorers.

MANCHESTER CITY AIM TO CONTINUE THEIR STRONG FA CUP RECORD 

Manchester City have a strong FA Cup record, particularly under Pep Guardiola. City have won the competition seven times and became the first side to reach four consecutive FA Cup finals. One of their greatest achievements came in 2018/19 when they completed a historic domestic treble, including a 6-0 FA Cup final win over Watford.

Despite the Sky Blues having strong overall form in the competition, they were defeated by Manchester United, and Crystal Palace in their last two appearances in the FA Cup final.

MANCHESTER CITY’S CURRENT CAMPAIGN

Man City are sitting in second, with 23 wins, 8 draws and 5 losses. The Sky Blues are two points behind league leaders Arsenal, and Pep Guardiola’s side comes into this fixture on the back of consecutive wins against Brentford and Crystal Palace. Both wins finished 3-0, keeping back-to-back clean sheets.

A strength this season has been their attacking depth and ability to control games through possession. Pep Guardiola has used quick midfield movement and high pressing to help City dominate matches and create chances consistently. Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku have been important in creating space and driving the attack, while Erling Haaland has continued to deliver goals consistently.

THE ROUTE TO THE FA CUP FINAL 

Manchester City’s route to the FA Cup final has included wins over Exeter (10-1), Salford (2-0), Newcastle United (3-1) and Liverpool (4-0), before edging past Southampton 2-1 in the semi-final at Wembley. Pep Guardiola’s side have scored consistently throughout the competition and once again showed their quality.

During the 2-1 win against Southampton, the Sky Blues found two late goals, with both Jérémy Doku and Nico González finding the back of the net.

BETTING TIPS 

There’s no slowing down for Erling Haaland this season, whose influence on games now stretches far beyond simply scoring goals. The City striker has contributed 34 times this season. Haaland has also scored in two of his last three, and he’s averaging just under four shots per 90.

Betting Tip: Erling Haaland to Score – 19/20 - BetMGM

Typically deployed at full-back, Marc Cucurella spent much of Chelsea’s last outing playing further up the left side of midfield and could retain that advanced role. His positioning has allowed him to become more involved in attacking phases, and he’s taking shots more often. Cucurella also managed an assist recently against Nottingham Forest; he also took a shot during the match.

Betting Tip: Marc Cucurella to Score or Assist – 13/2 - Betfred

Lastly, I’m going with Manchester City to win. The Sky Blues have an excellent record against Chelsea. The last time Chelsea managed to overcome Man City was on May 29th, 2021, in the Champions League. Chelsea have been poor recently, losing eight of their last 11.

Betting Tip: Man City Win – 4/6 - Star Sports