Three of the top teams in the English Premier League will be in action at Wembley Stadium in London this weekend, as they look to get one step closer to winning the FA Cup.
Perhaps no team is happier to play in front of the Wembley crowd than Tottenham Hotspur, who have played all of their home matches at the stadium this season. That situation was caused by the demolition and rebuilding of their historic stadium, White Hart Lane, which will be replaced by a new 61,000 arena which should be ready for the next EPL campaign.
Home-Field Advantage for Spurs?
While the situation was less than idea for Spurs throughout the season, it gives the team an advantage that could help them win their ninth FA Cup title and their first since 1991. The team initially struggled at their temporary home, but ultimately went 17-4-4 in all competitions there.
“Wembley is definitely not a disadvantage,” Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen told reporters. “We feel very comfortable at Wembley, we’ve shown that over the last couple of months.”
Tottenham won’t have an easy time of it in their semifinal on Saturday, as they’ll be taking on Manchester United, a 12-time FA Cup winner who last won the tournament in 2016.
United is coming off of a 1-0 loss to West Brom on Sunday, a defeat that clinched the EPL championship for Manchester City. With the FA Cup being the only major title that United is still in the running for this season, manager Jose Mourinho plans to send a message by removing some of his players who underperformed in the West Brom match.
“The way you play is the only way I can select players,” Mourinho told reporters earlier this week. “Or do you want me to go for the price they cost, or their salary, or their beautiful face? The only way is to go with performance.”
Oddsmakers are predicting an evenly matched affair on Saturday, with Tottenham’s home field advantage giving them a slight edge. William Hill has Tottenham as the 5/4 favorite, with Manchester United (11/5) right in the mix as well. A draw (23/10) is also a distinct possibility, though there will be no replays in the semifinal round: if the match is drawn after extra time, it will go to penalties to determine a winner.
Chelsea Favored to Take the Cup
The other semifinal sees Chelsea taking on Southampton in a rematch of an EPL clash that took place on Saturday. In that game, Southampton seemed poised for an upset after taking a 2-0 lead 60 minutes in, only to see Chelsea storm back with three goals in under 10 minutes to escape with a 3-2 victory.
On paper, this seems like a mismatch: Chelsea stands in fifth in the EPL, while Southampton is fighting a relegation battle in 18th place. But the underdogs may come in with something to prove after their collapse last weekend, and Chelsea are likely to be without left back Marcos Alonso, who is likely facing a suspension following the FA’s review of a challenge against Shane Long in Saturday’s match.
Regardless, Chelsea (1/2) remain heavy favorites over Southampton (11/2) at Wembley this Sunday. Chelsea is also considered the favorite to win the FA Cup at the moment: the Blues are at 13/8 to take home the trophy, just ahead of Tottenham (15/8) and Manchester United (9/4), with Southampton (14/1) considered a dark horse.
