Better late than never is our bunch of barely interesting stats for the FA Cup 4th Round .
Yes, two of the games have finished, but we did start this two days ago, and would have at least predicted the 0-0 between Northampton and Derby.
For the rest of the games this weekend, we have some Barely Interesting Stats for the FA Cup 4th Round, a decent replacement for the Premier League in our eyes.
QPR v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Three of the last six games between these sides have ended 2-1 to the away side. It is also the equal top score between these sides historically – shared with 1-0 home win and 1-1.
QPR have the third worst goals conceded per games of the teams remaining, and the third worst Who Scored Rating. Sheffield Wednesday have conceded 20 fewer goals than QPR.
QPR did recently beat former Championship leaders Leeds Utd. Although, that will be a growing list if cynics are to be believed about Leeds’ second half slide.
Result – QPR 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2
NORTHAMPTON v DERBY
Northampton and Derby haven’t played each other since 1966-67 in the old second division. Derby won both games.
In fact, Northampton have never beaten Derby in 10 matches.
Northampton re the lowest ranked team left. But Derby are the 82nd ranked team in regards to points per game away this season in the Football League.
Result – Northampton 0 Derby 0
BRENTFORD v LEICESTER
Played three times in the FA Cup in 1946/47 – two 0-0 draws were followed by Leicester eventually winning the tie with a 4-1 win.
Leicester and Brentford have only been in the same division for one season since 1953/54, the 1992/93 Second Division. They did meet in 1984 in the League Cup. Although, Brentford’s current form in the Championship makes a reunion a real chance next season.
Leicester have not lost any of the past six games against Brentford. But Brentford have won their last six games at home this season. The Foxes were knocked out of the FA Cup but lower ranked side last season.
Prediction – Brentford 2 Leicester 1
MILLWALL v SHEFFIELD UTD
Only Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal have won FA Cup games in the past 5 seasons than Millwall.
Millwall have lost just twice at home this season, and have won their last three. Sheffield United haven’t won any of their last three away.
Despite a reputation for being a tough club on and off the field, Sheffield United have the worse score for Discipline according to Who Scored.
Millwall and Sheffield United have the fourth and fifth lowest possession % in the four divisions. Just 0.2% apart with 43.9 and 44.1.
Prediction – Millwall 1 Sheffield Utd 0
WEST HAM v WEST BROMWICH
These two teams have the equal worst last six form among the teams left in the FA Cup 4th round.
West Brom are the Championship’s leading goal scorers and are only behind the Premier League’s top three for goals this season. West Ham are 74th in the English Football League.
West Brom are currently on an eight game unbeaten run away from home. Only Liverpool’s current unbeaten run for the season is longer.
West Ham have only lost two games at home in the FA Cup in the past five seasons – one against both Manchester clubs. West Brom are unbeaten in their last three away games in the FA Cup. The last two were against Premier League sides.
Prediction – West Ham 0 West Brom 2
BURNLEY v NORWICH
The home side hasn’t lost a Cup (League/FA) game in four between these sides – three wins and one draw. It has been 10 games since the away side has got a win in the league either.
Norwich have the fourth worst record in the Football League this season for goals conceded per game. Burnley are nine goals better off.
This is one of three all Premier League clashes but the only one that doesn’t involve a club from the south coast.
Prediction – Burnley 1 Norwich 3
COVENTRY v BIRMINGHAM
The obvious and most interesting point of the FA Cup 4th round is the fact that Coventry are playing Birmingham as the home side at Birmingham’s ground. Thanks to yet another awful owner, Coventry City are currently playing at Birmingham City’s ground.
Prior to the ground sharing, Coventry had won six of 18 matches at St Andrews, all by one goal. 1-0 four times, and 2-1 once.
Coventry have the seventh best shots on target % of the teams that remain in the FA Cup. They have also conceded 20 fewer goals than Birmingham.
Birmingham haven’t won a game at home in seven games.
Prediction – Coventry 0 Birmingham 2
SOUTHAMPTON v SPURS
Second all Premier League clashes, Spurs have already lost at St Mary’s this season. The record between these sides in the FA Cup is three wins a piece and three draws. The last FA Cup game between these sides at Southampton ended in a 4-0 win to the home side in 2003. The game before that at Southampton ended 6-2 to Spurs in 1995.
Southampton’s last six form has yielded 13 points, five more than Spurs’ recent run. Only Liverpool’s 18 points is better among the teams in the FA Cup 4th Round.
Spurs are 51st for Shot per Game in the Football League this season.
A win for Jose Mourinho would give him an identical record in the FA Cup to the League Cup – 34 Matches – 25 Wins – 3 Draws – 6 Losses.
Prediction – Southampton 0 Spurs 2
READING v CARDIFF
Reading hasn’t lost any of their last six games against Cardiff.
Two of these have less than 50% possession %, with Reading’s 47.3 and Cardiff’s 43.7.
Both of these teams have lost just one of their last six games in the League. Reading have three wins and two draws. Cardiff’s recent form is 1 Win 1 Loss and 4 Draws, but their goal difference is -4.
Prediction – Reading 0 Cardiff 0
PORTSMOUTH v BARNSLEY
No team let in the FA Cup 4th Round have conceded more goals than Barnsley. Portsmouth have conceded just 29, which is a full 25 less than Barnsley. Barnsley have conceded more goals per game at home than away.
Portsmouth are currently eighth in the Football League this season for Shots on Target. Only one of nine teams who have 5 shots or more target. Barnsley are 41st and only one shot on target behind.
Barnsley are only behind Norwich for Points per Game and the Who Scored rating for the teams in the FA Cup 4th Round. Portsmouth are 10th of the top 92 teams for Who Scored Rating.
There’s a nice pattern between these sides in their past seasons. Last season in League One it was two draws. The time before that was 11/12 where the home side won 1-0 on both occasions. The previous season it was 2-0 to both home sides.
Barnsley have won the only FA Cup game between these sides – in 1907.
Prediction – Portsmouth 3 Barnsley 1
NEWCASTLE v OXFORD
Oxford won the last FA Cup clash between these two sides 3-0 in 2017. It is their only match in the FA Cup.
Newcastle have a surprisingly poor record against Oxford, they have won just two of the last nine matches going back to 1990. In fact Oxford have won four and drawn once in the last five home matches against Newcastle.
Oxford have the fifth highest shots per game ratio of the team left in the FA Cup 4th Round. Newcastle are last, with five shots fewer per game on average. Newcastle are also last for Shots on Target.
Oxford have also scored 19 more goals than Newcastle, albeit in the third tier.
Prediction – Newcastle 1 Oxford 1
HULL v CHELSEA
Chelsea have won the past seven games between these sides, and Hull haven’t beaten Chelsea since 1988.
Hull haven’t beaten Chelsea in ten attempts in the FA Cup. The last four clashes in Cup aren’t good reading either – Chelsea have won the past four FA Cup/League Cup games by 4-0, 4-0, 6-1, 2-0 going back to 1991.
Only Man City have had more shots this season than Chelsea. Chelsea are also second for possession %, and have the fourth highest goals score away from home.
Prediction – Hull 1 Chelsea 3
MAN CITY v FULHAM
Man City have beaten Fulham by a combined total of 15-0 in the last five games in Manchester. They haven’t met in the FA Cup since 1914 when Man City won 2-0.
Man City top every shot and goals scored stat in the Football League this season. Fulham are second for the teams left in the FA Cup 4th round to Man City in possession % with 59.5%.
Fulham have a healthy return of five wins and five draws away from home this season, last year in the Premier League they amassed just five points away from home.
Prediction – Man City 4 Fulham 0
TRANMERE v MAN UTD
Tranmere only qualified for this match on Thursday after knocking off Watford from the Premier League, and we think it will be two from two with a certain Man Utd manager sent packing afterwards.
This will be just the second meeting between the sides. The last meeting was the 1977 League Cup where Man Utd won 5-0.
There are 60 places between these sides in the Football League system, and Man Utd do have a terrible record this season against teams lower than them.
Tranmere have the 16th worst passing completion rate this season, which given the state of their pitch seems like not a bad return.
Prediction – Tranmere 1 Man Utd 0
SHREWSBURY v LIVERPOOL
These teams have only met once before, in the FA Cup in 1996. Liverpool won 4-0 away from home.
Liverpool have scored more than double the amount of goals as Shrewsbury in fewer games.
There are 59 places in the league between these sides, just one place fewer than the previous Man Utd – Tranmere match.
Shrewsbury haven’t won any of their last five games in the league, not the form to take in against 100% Liverpool.
Liverpool may have the best defensive record away from home in the four divisions, but Shrewsbury are a respectable 13th. Pity they are at home where their defensive record for average goals conceded per game is 29th.
Prediction – Shrewsbury 0 Liverpool 5
BOURNEMOUTH v ARSENAL
A real meh game to end the FA Cup with. Where is the potential giant killing interest?
Due to laziness and apathy in no particular order, we can’t be bothered coming up with anything interesting for this game.
Prediction – Bournemouth 0 Arsenal 1
