Favourites to win the FA Cup in 2023/24 | OneFootball

The FA Cup always provides interesting match-ups, whether it's big upsets or derby games that only get played via the magic of the cup, it's a competition that always provides entertainment. Despite that and the yearly underdogs of the cup, there's very rarely ever a very unexpected winner of the tournament. Since the turn of the millennium, there have only been three winners of the competition that aren't part of the modern day's 'Big 6'; consisting of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs are the only one of that group to have not won the FA Cup in the 2000s.

This means that the favourites for the cup tend to be the same every year. But, round by round, there's less assurance about who will get through. The table below shows the full list of teams that are in the fourth round of the FA Cup. GIVEMESPORT has looked at who they're playing, how the teams will match up against each other, who's the favourite to get through to the fifth round, and who the favourites to win the whole thing are.

1 Manchester City

Whenever a team that holds the FA Cup is still in the competition, and that team also holds the Premier League title and the Champions League, then they are going to be the favourites to win the competition. Man City made light work of Huddersfield Town in the last round and unveiled a very daunting prospect for the rest of the teams in England as Kevin De Bruyne made his return to action. But things will get much tougher in the next round as they visit the team that some would argue is their kryptonite, as per The Athletic: Tottenham Hotspur. City have only won one of their previous five meetings with Spurs, so the opportunity for a new winner could come earlier than people may expect.

2 Liverpool

The team who are top of the Premier League are rightly one of the big favourites to win the FA Cup. Their win in the last round over Arsenal had their title-winning metal on full display. It was a game that easily could have been out of sight within the first half, had the Gunners taken just a few of their abundance of chances.

But they didn't. Liverpool hung on and came away as 2-0 victors. Not only did they knock out one of the other favourites in that match, but they also further proved themselves to be as good as any team left in the competition. Norwich City are the team that has been tasked with upsetting the Reds at Anfield. It's safe to say that anything other than a Liverpool victory will be a massive upset.

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3 Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs have been transformed by Ange Postecoglu. They have gone from a drab, defensive, passionless team to one that exudes effervescence and confidence. They'll have their work cut out for them in the fourth round of the FA Cup, as they take on a treble-winning Manchester City side. But, this City team isn't as scary to Spurs as they are to most teams. Tottenham always give Man City a tough match and rarely come out on the losing end. They've only lost one of their last five meetings with the European champions. The issues for them come when you look at the current depth of their squad. With so many players injured and away on international duty, beating City will be as hard as ever. If Spurs can get deep in the competition, then they'll benefit by this being the only cup competition that they're left in, so it'll have their full attention.

4 Aston Villa

Unai Emery's side seem to be everyone's second favourite side at the moment, unless you're a fan of another Midlands-based team. They're the current giant-slayers of the 2023/24 campaign in the Premier League, with impressive wins over Manchester City and Arsenal, and that will give them great hope of winning the FA Cup. They take on Chelsea in the fourth round, who haven't been up to standard this season. But they, like Villa, have shown an ability to go up against the best teams in the country and do well, even with their frailties, especially at home. Emery even got his side to second in the league at one point, but recent dips in performance will make their status as favourites in this game a little less guaranteed than it was.

5 Newcastle United

The Magpies have been given a bit of respite from the FA Cup this season. The team has been ravaged by injuries, and they've been on a poor run of form both before and after their win against rivals Sunderland in the third round. That game could have been a big banana skin for Eddie Howe and his side, but they easily prevailed. Newcastle take on Fulham in the next round of the cup; the other team that has helped them break up their bad run of form. The Magpies beat them 3-0 last time out, which will give them some confidence heading into the fourth round. But, on top of all their other injury woes, with key midfielder Joelinton potentially out for the season, as per The Athletic, and big summer signing Sandro Tonali serving a ban for gambling, Newcastle won't be too confident of seeing the Wembley arch this season.

6 Brighton

The Seagulls are having their first taste of European football this season, but they will be hoping for success in the domestic cup too. Their squad is going to be stretched by all the games they will have to play, if they go deep in either, or both, of the competitions. That said, they have the quality and the system to cause anyone problems. Brighton reached the semi-final of the competition last season, where they lost on penalties to Manchester United at Wembley.

They take on fellow Premier League side Sheffield United in the next round of the cup. The two teams are at relatively opposite ends of the league table, but they have already met this season. The result was a 1-1 draw in November at the Amex Stadium, which might make Brighton fans less confident about their upcoming FA Cup tie. Mahmoud Dahoud got sent off, and the side's next three games all involved red cards too.

7 Chelsea

The inhabitants of Stamford Bridge are a brilliant case in point to show that spending lots of money does not guarantee success in this sport. They haven't just 'spent lots of money', though. Chelsea have chucked around cash like almost nobody else in sporting history; they've spent £1bn since May 2022, as per The Telegraph.

Their league position doesn't at all reflect their expenditure, but their form has picked up over the last month or so. Cole Palmer has been a revelation for this side - one that has been severely lacking in front of goal, other than him - and he should be a menace to Chelsea's FA Cup fourth-round opponents, Aston Villa. Although Villa's hot run has tailed off now, they're still a very dangerous team, especially at home, so it would be an impressive victory for Mauricio Pochettino's side if they pull it off.

8 Manchester United

Erik ten Hag had his chance to claim his second piece of silverware in the FA Cup last season, but, he couldn't double his tally in his first campaign at Old Trafford. Even though United only lost 2-1 to City, the manner of the loss wasn't a valiant one. Since then, it feels like things have gone from bad to worse for Manchester United. This is the only competition that they have a realistic chance of winning. They're out of the Champions League, out of the Carabao Cup, and sit more than ten points behind first-placed Liverpool, who have a game in hand on them. United aren't strong favourites to win the whole thing, but they will be favoured to at least beat League Two side Newport County in the next round.

9 Bournemouth

After a shaky start to the season, the Cherries are right back on track. As things stand, they are one of the most in-form teams in the Premier League, and they have an abundance of emerging talents in their squad. Dominik Solanke has scored 12 goals in 19 games for Bournemouth and is the joint-third top-scorer in the league. Summer signing Alex Scott has just returned from injury, and he's provided a goal and two assists in three games against Fulham, Spurs, and QPR. All of these purple patches point to a potentially deep FA Cup run.

The Cherries face Swansea City in the next round of the cup, and it's a game that they will fancy themselves to win. The club's win in the previous round, against QPR, was a narrow one and should wake them up to the threat that Championship clubs can pose. But recent wins over the likes of Man United will also give them that confidence to take on the big dogs in the later stages.

10 Wolves

Gary O'Neill has managed to get a tune out of this team, when people like Jamie Carragher predicted that they could go down at the start of the season, as per The Sun. There's certainly a lot of talent on the side. The likes of Matheus Cunha and Pablo Sarabia have played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe, while Wolves have also recruited well on their limited budget, bringing in players like Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Tommy Doyle near the end of the summer transfer window.

They are the Premier League side in this scenario, so the odds will be in their favour to go to West Brom and beat their Black Country rivals. Like their fourth-round opponents, O'Neill's side has been on form. Heading into their game against Brighton, in the league, they'd won their last four games. That does include the replayed game against Brentford that got them through to this round of the cup. That still doesn't take away from their good performances. One concern will be that they'll be without top scorer Hwang Hee-Chan, but Wolves should still believe that they have the quality to go to the Hawthorns and turn them over.

From a period between late November and early December, Fulham were one of the most destructive attacking sides in the nation. In four matches, against Wolves, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, and West Ham, the Cottagers scored 16 goals. As things stand as we head into the next round of the FA Cup, they have scored 28 Premier League goals in total, and well over half of them came in a four-match stretch. That run of form was brought to an end by the team that they will face in the fourth round: Newcastle United. Neither side has been very good since that game, but the fact that Fulham will be at home for the tie will make them much more confident about beating an out-of-form Newcastle.

The Toffees have used their mid-season 10-point deduction as a motivating factor, and one that has brought the entire club together, in what could have been a time of crisis. They overcame the deduction very quickly, rattling off a run of four wins in five matches after the punishment was officially announced by the Premier League, on 17th November 2023. Were it not for those 10 points lost, Everton would sit in a much more comfortable place in the league, and above their upcoming FA Cup opponents, Crystal Palace. They have shown a resoluteness and a fight that is traditionally associated with the club, but it hasn't been the case as much over recent years. These qualities can help a team go far in a cup competition, and the overturned suspension of Dominic Calvert-Lewin did, and will, help the side hugely.

13 Leicester City

The Foxes have been so good this season that we've put them above some Premier League sides because of the quality of their squad. Enzo Maresca came in as manager in the summer and has made this team do a complete 180. The fact that they had a squad that, on paper, shouldn't have been relegated and that they kept a lot of those players, has certainly helped the revitalisation, but they've become a real force under the Italian. Speaking of being revitalised, the Championship leaders take on Birmingham City in the next round of the FA Cup. The form of Leicester should give them hope that they can go deep into the competition, but a 'new manager bounce' and the essence of the competition could lend itself to an upset.

14 Nottingham Forest

The FA Cup might be able to provide Forest, and their fans, with a bit of respite after they were charged with breaching the Premier League's Profits and Sustainability Rules, as per Sky Sports. For that respite to happen, they'll first need to get past Bristol City. This tie could have been more daunting for Forest had West Ham got past the Robins in their third-round replay. Nuno Espírito Santo's side also needed a replay, and more, to get past Blackpool. The League One side went to extra-time with Forest in the replay, narrowly losing 3-2 after the extra 30 minutes. Even though they're facing another team in a lower division again, their last cup outing won't give them as much confidence as they should have going into the game. Logic suggests they should be the ones to progress, but City have already proven themselves capable of taking down top-level opposition.

15 Luton Town

The Hatters are the ultimate underdog story, which always fits well with a long FA Cup run. One thing that will give them more and more hope as they go deeper into the competition is the fact that they have shown themselves to be at least competitive in all the games that they have played against top opposition. So far this season they have drawn with Liverpool, and narrowly lost to Arsenal and Man City. They didn't emerge victorious from any of these matches, but, in a one-off game, they will have the confidence to compete with any of the remaining teams, especially at home. But, those results also shouldn't make them close to favourites to win the FA Cup. They won't be at Kenilworth Road in the next round, as they head to Goodison Park to take on fellow Premier League relegation battlers, Everton; a game in which Luton will like their chances.

16 Southampton

The Saints had the rockiest start to the season of all the teams that were relegated to the Championship, but they're right back on course now. They're right on the heels of the automatic promotion spots, but their fixture in the next round of the world's oldest domestic cup competition will still be a test. Watford will host Southampton at Vicarage Road, and they're another club who are on the hunt for a return to the Premier League. The Saints haven't lost a match since 23rd September 2023 - that's almost four months without a loss. This surgical efficiency in their performances bodes well for a cup competition, and they're going to be favoured to win almost any game they play at the moment.

17 Sheffield United

We have ranked Sheffield United below two teams in a lower division, which speaks to their poor performances throughout this season. The Blades will face Brighton in the next round of the FA Cup. It's not the most favourable draw, but they will have previous results to draw on for hope. Their first meeting of the season ended in a 1-1 draw, at the Amex Stadium. This time, the two sides will meet at Bramall Lane, which should give United fans much more confidence about their chances of progressing through the competition. The Blades are only just at double-digit points for this season in the league with ten. They're certainly one of the favourites to be relegated, but that doesn't mean that they are incapable of a cup upset. They breezed past fourth-tier side Gillingham with a 4-0 win in the previous round, so at least they're somewhat on form in the cup.

18 Leeds United

Yet another cream-of-the-crop team in the Championship, Leeds' main focus for this season will be to try and get back to the Premier League at the first opportunity, but a good FA Cup run is possible, and it would certainly go towards helping the mood around Elland Road. Leeds will face fellow Championship alumni Plymouth Argyle in the fourth round of the cup. The two sides are at opposite ends of the Championship table, so Leeds will fancy themselves to get past Plymouth. They certainly aren't one of the top teams left in the competition, but they should at least get to the next round.

19 Ipswich Town

Kieran McKenna's side have been really impressive since making the step up from League One to the Championship. They ended the 2022/23 campaign as one of the most high-flying attacking teams in the EFL, but nobody expected them to carry it over into the new campaign. Ipswich sit second in the Championship table, behind Leicester City, as they have done for most of the season. They will host the lowest-ranked side left in the competition: Maidstone United. Ipswich will almost definitely be the biggest favourites to get through to the fifth round of the competition. They are separated by almost 100 places in the English football pyramid, which is more than enough to make them favourites in the tie.

20 Coventry City

The Sky Blues are one of the most in-form teams in the second tier of English football. Near the start of the 2023/24 campaign, they looked like a shell of the side that reached the playoff final last season. They struggled to score goals, and there was a flat feeling about the team. That feeling has changed massively. Coventry beat league leaders Leicester City earlier in January, and they looked every bit as good as them, even though the Foxes had a man sent off in the first half. Mark Robins' side take on a league rival in Sheffield Wednesday in the next round of the FA Cup. The two sides are close to being at polar opposite ends of the league, with Wednesday struggling since their promotion from League One. City should be favoured to win, even though the match is away at Hillsborough.

21 West Bromwich Albion

Thanks to the FA Cup, the Black Country derby between West Brom and Wolves is returning. It's the first one of these games to occur, with fans in the stands, since February 2012. The two clubs did meet twice in the 2020/21 season, but those games were behind closed doors. This season, Albion have given themselves the best chance that they've had to get back to the Premier League since that campaign, with their form and general play since Carlos Corberan took over as manager in October 2022 being generally promising. Fans of the Baggies will be very pleased that this match is taking place at the Hawthorns, but they should also be wary. Sunderland drew Newcastle at home in the previous round, and the Championship side lost 3-0 to their Premier League rivals. Granted, Newcastle have a much better team than Wolves, but a home tie doesn't always guarantee success in derby matches.

22 Watford

The Hornets are another Championship team that are going to be in with a chance of making the playoffs that have made it to this stage of the FA Cup. They, and the other second-tier sides, only entered the competition in the previous round, but still, the point stands. Valerien Ismael's side are just a good team all round; it's a very well-balanced side. This strength in the team will be well-needed in their fourth-round tie against Southampton. The Saints haven't lost a game since the end of September, so will naturally be favoured to win, but that's not to say that Watford's chances are close to none. This exact fixture has already been played out once this season, with the two sides drawing 1-1 at Vicarage Road. Being able to limit the Saints' ferocious attack last time out should spur the Hornets on.

23 Bristol City

Since Bristol City opted for a change in manager in November, their form has picked up a bit, but not massively. Liam Manning has changed the way that the team plays; they are much slower in their build-up. But, despite no massive up-shift in form from getting a new boss, they are still in the hunt for a Championship play-off spot.

Manning's side managed to get through their third-round tie against West Ham. Forward Tommy Conway was the star of the show, scoring in both legs. The Robins will need to be on good form again as they've been drawn against another Premier League team: Nottingham Forest. The two teams have very contrasting styles, with Forest being more of a counter-attacking side. If they let City control the ball, it could work out badly for them, and it could cause yet another cup upset in the Robins' favour.

24 Norwich City

Facing Premier League opposition, when you're not in the same league, is always daunting. What amplifies that feeling more than anything is when you're playing the current best team in the country in the form of Liverpool; that's the task that faces Norwich. After a very promising start to the season, the Canaries have found their feet in the league. They're around mid-table, but they're also only a couple of points off of the playoff places, in fairness to them. David Wagner's team are not one of the Championship teams that are expected to go a bit deeper in this competition. They have some good players, like Gabriel Sara and Jonathan Rowe, but their chances of upsetting Liverpool and making it to the home of English football, even just for the semi-final, are slim.

25 Swansea City

The Welsh side certainly benefited a lot from their own 'new manager bounce' in the last round of the FA Cup. The club's 2-0 win over Morecambe in the previous round was a clinic in how Luke Williams' teams play. The Swans dominated the ball, only allowed their League Two opponents to have one shot in the whole match, and just generally dominated the game. It'll be interesting to see if Williams keeps the same controlling approach for their upcoming cup game against Premier League side Bournemouth. The Cherries' narrow victory over QPR in the last round will have Swansea smelling blood a bit. There's a vulnerability that can be got at, and the Swans have an outside chance of pulling off an upset.

26 Plymouth Argyle

Argyle's league form will be the most concerning thing for them heading into the next round of the FA Cup, considering they're playing a team that's fighting at the other end of the table. Their opposition - Leeds - are fighting for the automatic promotion places, whilst Plymouth are on the fringes of a relegation battle. Their promotion to the Championship meant that they joined the competition this season later than they have done in previous years when they were in League One. They don't have a decent cup run, so far, to give them hope in their game against the Whites. Plymouth have already lost once to Leeds this season, and it would require almost blind faith to back them to go to Elland Road and leave victorious.

27 Birmingham City

This FA Cup run is pretty much all that fans of the Blues have to hang on to for this season. They started so well under John Eustace, but the wheels completely came off under Wayne Rooney. He took them from a potential playoff hunt to a near-relegation battle, and now former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray is in charge. The Blues will take on league leaders Leicester City in the fourth round. The Foxes are a tough match for anyone in England and Wales, let alone a team that is comfortably in the bottom half of the Championship. Birmingham might have used all of their 'new manager bounce' to get through their third-round tie against Hull City; they're going to need to find some more of it from somewhere to get past Leicester.

28 Blackburn Rovers

For Rovers, it's two different tales when it comes to their attack and their defence. One is looking fragile and unable to perform consistently; the other is being spearheaded by a flair-filled winger who's playing unbelievably well - Sammie Szmodics. These tales aren't unknown ones either, as it was the same story that prevented the Lancashire-based side from beating Sunderland to last season's final Championship playoff spot. Luckily for Blackburn, they face a side who has a similar record when it comes to potency in front of goal, and a lack of solidity at the back. They take on Wrexham AFC. A Championship club facing a League Two side should always favour the former, especially when the higher-ranked side is at home, as they are in this case. But you never know with the FA Cup.

29 Sheffield Wednesday

Like their bitterly hated city rivals, Sheffield Wednesday are one of the teams that are most likely to be relegated from their respective league. That said, Danny Rohl has made positive changes to the Owls. They're no longer bottom of the Championship table, as they were for most of the start of the season, and their overall form has picked up immensely. In the six games before their 4-0 win over Cardiff City in the third round of the FA Cup, they had won three and lost three. Although they rode their luck a bit in the Cardiff game, beating a league opponent by four goals in the cup should give any team confidence of progressing far in the competition. They have another playoff-pushing team to face in the next round: Coventry City. The Sky Blues are in good form too, and Wednesday will be the underdogs. But they certainly have a realistic chance of winning, especially at Hillsborough.

30 Wrexham

Whether you like them or not, Wrexham have become a massive story in the world of football. Their takeover by North American actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds launched the club into a different realm, and the Disney+ series about them, combined with a dramatic promotion back to the EFL, has made them an unmissable watch if nothing else. They have incredible firepower up front for the level that they are at, and so do their opponents: Blackburn Rovers. This is shaping up to be a battle of who can score more. The Welsh side tends to leak goals, and that could kill them off against Championship opposition like Rovers. They won't have their home crowd to be able to fall back on either. It's certainly going to be an uphill battle for them.