Sutton’s FA Cup Forecast: Exclusive with Kaiser Chiefs’ Simon Rix
The fifth round of the FA Cup is just around the corner, and football expert Chris Sutton has made his predictions for all eight games. But this time, he is not alone. Sutton is joined by Kaiser Chiefs bassist and Leeds fan, Simon Rix, adding an interesting twist to the forecasts.
Leeds United, currently in brilliant form in the Championship, are set to face Chelsea on Wednesday. This will be the first time the two clubs meet in the FA Cup since their legendary encounter in the 1970 final. Leeds are hoping to continue their winning streak, but Rix admits that this game is just a distraction from their upcoming league matches against Huddersfield, Stoke, and Sheffield Wednesday.
Leeds have been starved of FA Cup success in recent years, so reaching the quarter-finals would be a significant achievement. Rix explains that in previous seasons, the FA Cup offered them a chance to use different players and gain confidence, but it didn’t work out. This time, however, Leeds are feeling confident and are on a brilliant run.
However, Rix also expresses concern over injuries. He recalls a previous incident where a key player got injured during an FA Cup match, leading to negative consequences for the team. Despite his worries, Rix has faith in Leeds manager Daniel Farke to find solutions if any injuries occur.
Moving on to other games, Sutton predicts Coventry City to defeat Maidstone United, Bournemouth to beat Leicester City, Newcastle to triumph over Blackburn, and Manchester City to edge past Luton. He also expects Chelsea to win against Leeds, Manchester United to overcome Nottingham Forest, Brighton to lose to Wolves, and Liverpool to come out on top against Southampton.
Sutton’s predictions are based on current form and expectations from each team. Meanwhile, Rix adds his own input, considering the rivalry between Leeds and Bournemouth and the distraction the FA Cup might pose for Leicester’s promotion bid.
It will be interesting to see how accurate Sutton’s predictions turn out to be. In the previous round, he correctly picked the winner in 12 out of 16 ties, with a success rate of 75%. However, he was outperformed by his guest, Justin from The Vaccines, who managed an impressive 88% accuracy.
As the fifth round approaches, fans eagerly await the outcome of these exciting FA Cup matches. Will Sutton’s predictions hold true, or will there be surprises in store? Only time will tell.