However, it looks like there will be two very different teams that take the field at the Bridge this week from the ones who played in the 3-2 victory for United on Sunday.

For the Blues they will, of course, be without striker Fernando Torres and defender Branislav Ivanovic, as they were both sent off in the defeat to the Red Devils, while skipper John Terry is still serving a suspension.

The absence of the influential trio will give some of the fringe players at Chelsea a chance to impress manager Roberto Di Matteo, who will be looking for a bit of revenge following the weekend’s events.

Former Wigan Athletic striker Victor Moses could get a rare start up front and may well partner Daniel Sturridge, in what could be a decent pairing that will cause the United defence problems.

As for the Red Devils, manager Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to rest strike duo Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie for the return to the capital, as they prepare to face Arsenal at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday.

Michael Keane, Marnick Vermijl and Scott Wootton have all been touted as youngsters who could be given a chance against the Blues.

The changes to both teams should defuse what would have been a highly-charged encounter and, based on the strength of players coming into their side, Chelsea should book their place in the quarter-finals, with United possibly having one eye on their clash with the Gunners.

In another encounter on Wednesday, Norwich City are set to host an ever-improving Tottenham outfit at Carrow Road (Norwich 16/5, draw 13/5, Tottenham 5/6 – Match Betting).

Spurs will be making plenty of changes for their clash with Canaries as they prepare for their fourth game in 12 days, after all their efforts in the Premier League and Europa League.

Hugo Lloris is expected to be given a chance between the sticks, as he desperately looks to nail down a regular spot in the starting XI under manager Andre Villas-Boas.

Norwich boss Chris Hughton is also likely to swap things about but he will have to do without the services of defender Russell Martin, who picked up a back problem in the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa over the weekend.

These two sides met early in the Premier League season and it ended in a 1-1 draw but Spurs have improved since then and they should come out on top.

In the other game on Wednesday night, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers takes on his former club Swansea City at Anfield in a battle of two teams who like to pass the ball (Liverpool 4/9, draw 10/3, Swansea 13/2 – Match Betting).

Liverpool have been forced to use their youngsters regularly this season and the defending League Cup title holders will once again look to the youth at the club.

The Swans have been struggling to pick up wins in the Premier League and they will be keen to focus on their exploits in the top flight in their bid for survival.

Liverpool, especially on home soil, should have too much for the Swans and the Reds look like they will progress further in the competition once again.

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Manchester City

Premier League champions City are preparing to host a struggling Aston Villa side at the Eithad Stadium, with the visitors eager to make the most of their distraction from league problems (City 1/3, draw 4/1, Villa 8/1 – Match Betting).

The Villans will have to make big improvements from their performance at the weekend after they handed Southampton their first points in the Premier League this term, with a 4-1 defeat at St Mary’s.

Following the loss on the South Coast, manager Paul Lambert has stated he believes Darren Bent and Christian Benteke will make a formidable partnership this season but they need time to gel.

The former Norwich City boss might be tempted to give the duo more time on the field and they could cause the Citizens defence problems.

As for City they will be looking to get back to winning ways after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Arsenal on Sunday.

Manager Roberto Mancini will look to bring some fresh legs into the starting line-up for Tuesday night, with the likes of Mario Balotelli, Jack Rodwell and Carlos Tevez (who were all on the bench against the Gunners) set to feature.

Even if it was a City second team you would still fancy them to overcome Villa and the Blues should come out on top comfortably.

Tuesday will also see the Blues of Merseyside make the trip across the Pennines to West Yorkshire to face a potential banana skin against Leeds United at Elland Road (Leeds 10/3, draw 5/2, Everton 5/6 – Match Betting).

Everton will be buoyed by an impressive performance against Swansea City at the weekend, in a game they dominated at the Liberty Stadium.

That game finished 3-0 but it could easily have been a win by five or six goals, which will have pleased manager David Moyes ahead of the trip to Leeds.

As for the Whites, they too go into this game on the back of a win, and were boosted by the news the potential takeover at the club is edging towards a conclusion before beating Nottingham Forest 2-1.

Leeds will be a tough prospect on home soil but with the injury list ever increasing for Neil Warnock, Everton should have enough strength in depth to progress, even if it does take extra-time or penalties.

The Blues of London make up a strong treble of teams who should go through, as Chelsea host Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge (Chelsea 1/4, draw 5/1, Wolves 9/1 – Match Betting).

Wolves have started to settle into life in the Championship as they push for promotion back to the top flight.

Chelsea have a host of young players coming through the ranks at the Bridge and manager Roberto Di Matteo will be looking to give them a run out.

Even if they do field their young guns, Chelsea should have too much firepower for Wolves, who will be more focused on their Championship campaign.

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The Blues will go into the match full of disappointment, having squandered a two goal lead in the Champions League against Juventus and will be looking to get straight back on track after their superb start to the campaign.

One of the only bright spots to come out of Wednesday’s draw was the performance of Brazilian youngster Oscar, who will be desperate to continue his progress following his brilliant display in his first start for the club.

Unlike last year when they visibly struggled, the Potters don’t have European football to deal with this time around and should be fresh ahead of the game at Stamford Bridge.

Tony Pulis’ men will surely be looking to use their physical advantage over the Blues and, after seeing their defensive frailties in midweek, are likely to try and expose their opponents at the back.

This one really does have the potential for an upset but Chelsea may feel they have a point to prove and should come through comfortably (Chelsea 5/1 to win 2-0).

The other game that really stands out on Saturday is the clash between Southampton and Aston Villa at St Mary’s (Match Betting – Southampton 7/5, draw 12/5, Villa 2/1).

This may not be the most glamorous tie but with both sides struggling so far this term, three points could prove vital come the end of the campaign. Southampton truly were a breath of fresh air in the opening weeks, as their cavalier style saw them come agonisingly close to wins over both Manchester clubs.

However, they were outclassed by Arsenal last Saturday and it will be interesting to see how they respond to that drubbing.

Despite the positively brought to the club following the summer appointment of Paul Lambert, Villa unfortunately look set for another long and difficult season. Now bereft of the talent that saw them look set to go on and challenge for the title under Martin O’Neill, the Villains currently have to rely on seasoned veterans and unproven youngsters.

Despite this though, they earned a surprise win against Swansea last time out and will be looking to kick on after their sluggish start to the season.

Like the first game, this looks almost too close to call but the Saints will be desperate to win and should come through in what may turn out to be a thriller (Match Betting 28/1 to win 3-2).

In the other games, Swansea will be confident of continuing their fine home form against injury-plagued Everton, while West Brom will fancy themselves to carry on Reading’s dismal return to the Premier League.

Elsewhere, West Ham will be hopeful of earning another home win against Sunderland while Fulham will see their trip to Wigan as a superb chance to earn their first away points of the campaign.

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QPR v Chelsea – 3pm

All eyes are likely to be on Loftus Road for the pre-match build-up to this local derby as handshake gate part 3 looks as though it could take place. The fallout from the corresponding fixture last year still continues to dominate the build-up to this game, with the news John Terry is set to play likely to stoke the fire further.

Aside from all the tension there is still a game of football to be won and when it comes to the match there should be only one winner given the two club’s respective starts. Chelsea might have been embarrassed in their last outing in the European Super Cup but they have won three out of three in the league and look a sure thing at 5/6. QPR have only one point to show for their efforts thus far and Mark Hughes still has a lot of work to do to blend his raft of summer acquisitions into a team. Rangers are 7/2 for the win, with the draw priced at 13/5.

Manchester United v Wigan – 3pm

It’s fair to say United have stumbled out of the blocks this season, with the defeat to Everton being followed by less than convincing wins over Fulham and Southampton. The game against the Latics represents a great opportunity to get the season up and running, with United traditionally taking three points off their north west neighbours. Last season’s 1-0 defeat at the DW aside, United have won 14 of their 15 meetings and have an aggregate score of 24-1 in games at Old Trafford.

While Wigan have started the season brightly United are likely to have too much fire power for them, with Robin van Persie a good bet to score first at 9/4. United are 1/4 to win the game, with the Latics 12/1 and the draw 5/1.

Arsenal v Southampton – 3pm

The Gunners looked good when they scored their first goals and registered their first win of the season at Liverpool before the international break. Arsene Wenger will hope the recent World Cup qualifiers haven’t interrupted the momentum Arsenal were trying to build, especially with the start of the Champions League around the corner.

Arsenal have yet to concede a goal this season but in Ricky Lambert the Saints have the kind of striker Wenger’s men hate coming up against. Lambert is 11/4 to score anytime and might be worth a punt. However, Lambert’s goal could be the only bit of joy the travelling fans get, with the Gunners 4/11 to win the match and 10/1 to win 3-1.

Stoke City v Manchester City – 3pm

Some of the City players might be forgiven for being distracted heading to the Britannia Stadium on Saturday, with a trip to Real Madrid to come early next week. The Potters will hope to take advantage of City’s state of mind and record their first win of the season after three draws on the bounce.

Tony Pulis may include Charlie Adam and Michael Owen in his Stoke squad for the game, two players who can add that extra bit of quality the Potters have been lacking this season. City have their own new recruits to call on, with Scott Sinclair, Javi Garcia, Maicon and Matija Nastasic likely to be part of the travelling party. Much like rivals United, City have been far from convincing so far this season and Stoke may get something out of this one. Another draw for the Potters can be backed at 11/4 and that is the best they can hope for. City are 8/11 to win, while Stoke are 4/1.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Liverpool could be in for another long afternoon when they visit the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland. The Black Cats have made a slow start to the season but with Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson have more of a cutting edge which could make the difference against the toothless Reds. Under 2.5 goals is on offer at 8/11, with Sunderland 9/4 to come away with the win.

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So far, all four games in the pool have been absolute crackers but, after both Croatia and Spain beat the Boys in Green, the Azzurri will be expecting a comfortable win.

After a disappointing build-up to the tournament, Cesare Prandelli’s men have quietly impressed in Poland and Ukraine with two solid defensive displays, but will be looking to showcase their attacking prowess when they step out in Poznan.

Italy have often built their success on firm foundations but under Prandelli they have displayed much more offensive tendencies and contain a number of flair players within their ranks.

The most notable of these is perhaps Udinese captain Antonio Di Natale (7/2 first goalscorer) who looks set to start at the Municipal Stadium due to the lingering doubts over the fitness of the enigmatic Mario Balotelli.

Di Natale has been the top Italian striker in Serie A for the last few seasons and despite being relatively small, has the pace and trickery to trouble any defence.

The 34-year-old scored in the 1-1 draw with Spain and with this likely to be his last major championships, he will be desperate to make an impact.

The Irish have had a torrid time at Euro 2012 and, after being easily outclassed by both Croatia and Spain, know that it is now impossible for them to qualify for the quarter-finals.

However, despite their lack of talent, they’re certainly not short of determination and will not be overawed against their illustrious rivals, especially after they won 2-0 in the two sides’ last meeting.

For a number of Giovanni Trapattoni’s players this may well be their international swansong, as the young side that almost beat Spain at their last major tournament appearance in 2002 is starting to look weary and tired.

As usual, their chances of success will probably revolve around the performance of captain and talisman Robbie Keane (10/1 first goalscorer) who has so far remained coy on his plans for the future.

Although he may be past his best, Keane still has the talent to muster something out of nothing and will be desperate to prove he can cut it on the big stage.

However, despite Ireland’s best efforts, Italy should be more than strong enough to overcome them and, although it may be tight early on, fatigue could play a part in the latter stages, which may open the floodgates (Italy 7/1 to win 3-0).

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Birmingham City

The Tangerines head into the decider with a 1-0 advantage after a Curtis Davies own-goal handed them the slenderest of victories when the two sides met at Bloomfield Road on Friday.

But Blues boss Chris Hughton is not ready to wave the white flag just yet, and is backing his men to overturn the deficit and book their place at Wembley.

“They are probably slight favourites because they have that one-goal lead, but the semi-final is not over yet at all,” said the former Newcastle United manager.

“My thoughts are very much on how we play and if we’re able to impose ourselves on them more than perhaps we did then we’ve got a chance.”

Birmingham are 10/11 favourites to win the second leg after 90 minutes, while Blackpool are available at the relatively generous price of 3/1.

There is no away goals rule in the Football League play-offs, which means that any Birmingham victory by a one-goal margin would be enough to take the tie into extra time.

City are priced at 6/1 to win the game 1-0, while 2-1 is available at 7/1 and 3-2 is on offer at 25/1.

Hughton’s men took the spoils during the regular Championship season, securing a last-gasp 2-2 draw at Bloomfield Road before recording a comfortable 3-0 victory on home turf.

Birmingham would undoubtedly be delighted to repeat the feat when they welcome the Seasiders to St Andrews for a second time this season, and a repeat scoreline of 3-0 is available at 14/1.

Both teams have shown prolific form in front of goal this season, with only Southampton and West Ham finding the net more often during the regular campaign.

Leading the way for Birmingham is experienced former Premier League star Marlon King, although he has been ably supported in the ‘goals for’ column by team-mates Chris Burke and Nikola Zigic.

Zigic found the net the last time these two sides met at St Andrews and is worth considering at 6/1 to score the first goal or the same price to get the last, having been left on the bench in the first leg.

But while King has led the way for Birmingham, Blackpool have depended on another former Premier League star for goals.

Sunderland legend and former Blues marksman Kevin Phillips has netted 16 times this season and is priced rather generously at 15/2 to score the first goal and 15/2 to score the last.

The experienced star is certainly worth considering, and would surely love nothing more than to fire his side into the final at the expense of his old club.

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Friday’s

The two sides cannot be split in terms of the outright betting for promotion with both on offer at 11/4 to make it back to the big time, although West Ham, who were the other side relegated last season, are the favourites at 13/8 with Cardiff the outsiders at 4/1.

Birmingham beat champions Reading 2-0 on the final day of the Championship season to climb above Blackpool, who were held 2-2 at Millwall, and seal the advantage of playing the second leg at St Andrew’s next Wednesday.

Both sides go into Friday’s clash in decent form with Blackpool enjoying a seven-match unbeaten streak, since a 3-1 loss at Reading, while the Blues have now gone nine matches without defeat following a surprising 4-1 reverse at Portsmouth.

Ian Holloway had suggested that not many, including himself, would have expected the Tangerines to make the play-offs this year but they have been installed as the 11/8 favourites in the match betting for the first-leg clash, with the Blues priced at 21/10 and the draw on offer at 9/4.

It is perhaps no surprise given the fact that Blackpool have made Bloomfield Road something of a fortress this season, suffering just three defeats and none since a 4-1 hammering against the Hammers in February.

Chris Hughton has done wonders with the cash-strapped Blues, who had a Europa League campaign to contend with following their Carling Cup success, and they should be full of confidence going into the first-leg clash.

Their away form has been patchy though this season with seven wins, seven draws and nine defeats on the road – the worst record of the top six clubs – although there is good news in the sense that Blackpool’s away record is only one draw better.

The game promises to be a cracker with City boasting the highest number of away goals scored in the division, while the Tangerines’ home tally is second only to Southampton so Over 2.5 Goals at 5/6 looks the way to go.

Backing that up is the fact that the two played out a 2-2 draw in the regular season fixture last November, with Birmingham going on to win at St Andrew’s in comfortable fashion, 3-0.

Hughton’s men have struggled defensively on the road as they have conceded a huge 37 goals, with only five teams with a worse record, and they have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 11 games.

As it is a two-legged affair, more good news for Birmingham is the fact that Blackpool are one of the teams that have conceded more.

Blackpool will be desperate to get the lead going into the return leg but Birmingham should have enough nous and organisation to at least take something from the game ahead of the return leg.

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As both Premier League games between the London sides have ended in draws this season, the two teams will be looking for the extra ingredient that will see them beat their opponents to keep their hopes of domestic silverware alive.

At the turn of the year, Tottenham looked as if they could win the Premier League title after staying in touch with both Manchester United and Manchester City at the top of the table, but they have struggled in recent weeks and have now dropped to fourth behind local rivals Arsenal.

They lost last time out against Norwich but the FA Cup is a totally different kettle of fish and they will be looking to win their first piece of silverware since capturing the League Cup in 1998.

Key to their chances of victory will undoubtedly be the performance of Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart (13/8 to score at any time) who, after starring in the early part of the campaign, has struggled recently. However, he always seems to perform on the big stage and his ability to play clever passes and unlock defences could make the difference.

The Blues are currently in a rich vein of form under interim boss Roberto di Matteo, having won four of their last five matches in all competitions.

They may have a mouth-watering Champions League semi-final tie with Barcelona on Wednesday but they will be desperate to beat their local rivals first. They will also have a number of players who will be looking to put in a strong display against Spurs to give themselves a chance of being included in the starting line-up for the clash against the Blaugrana.

Like Spurs, much of their attacking threat comes through their playmakers and Spanish international Juan Mata (15/8 to score at any time) could play a vital role in proceedings. Mata is a similar player to Van der Vaart so expect him to pop up all over the field as he looks to break down the Tottenham rearguard.

This looks almost too close to call but with captain John Terry fit and Chelsea being the form side, they should just sneak it 1-0. However, it’s guaranteed to be tight (Chelsea 13/2 to win 1-0).

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Birmingham’s

Following last season’s relegation, this campaign has seen a period of rapid change at Birmingham, with a raft of players taking their Premier League wages elsewhere and even their manager, Alex McLeish, jumping ship to their near neighbours Aston Villa.

With last season’s Carling Cup success meaning Europa League football this season, new manager Chris Hughton has had to juggle a busy domestic and European schedule as well as rebuilding a squad dismantled following relegation.

It is to his credit then that the Blues are well in contention for a play-off place. Last weekend’s 3-1 win at Doncaster lifted them fourth, with race for a top six spot becoming increasingly frantic.

Burnley, meanwhile, will be disappointed not to have been competing at the top end of the Championship this year. They were in the Premier League only two years ago but have failed to re-adapt to the rigours of the second tier since relegation.

Manager Brian Laws was sacked in December 2010 after a poor start to that campaign and highly-rated boss Eddie Howe was brought in from Bournemouth to guide the Clarets up the table. An eventual 8th place finish raised hopes of a sustained promotion push this campaign.

However, they find themselves well out of the play-off picture down in 16th place – well clear of relegation trouble but 10 points off the top six.

They will go into this game full of confidence after a 5-1 hammering of relegation-threatened Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday – their first win in eight games – as Howe aims for a strong finish to a below par year.

Their form at Turf Moor is a concern and a principal reason for their lowly league position. Only four sides have won less games on their home ground the Burnley this season. They have, however, only conceded 22 goals on home turf, with only two sides in the bottom half conceding less.

Those stats therefore would point to a narrow Birmingham victory but it pays to note that the Midlanders have built their promotion challenge on solid home form rather than away results; with 11 wins, eight draws and just one defeat at St Andrew’s this season. On the road they have already lost nine games – more than any other side in the top ten.

With poor home form meeting poor away form, making an accurate forecast is tricky, but with the season reaching its conclusion, City’s push for the play-offs could prove decisive.

Their spot in the play-off places is only secured by goal difference, with Blackpool, Brighton and Middlesbrough all joining the Blues on 63 points. Therefore the chance to move three points clear is one City will be loathed to turn down.

Therefore our tip is a narrow 1-0 to the Blues priced at 6/1, with the draw/Birmingham HT/FT forecast also worth considering at 9/2.

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Norwich v Chelsea 12:45pm

Who would have thought that at the start of the season Norwich would be 11 points clear of the Premier League relegation zone and seemingly cruising towards safety. While the Canaries have as many points as Blackpool did at this time last season they have shown no signs of hitting the self destruct button and undoing all their good work from earlier in the campaign.

However, there are some similarities between Paul Lambert’s men and Blackpool. The amount of goals they score is phenomenal, with only the top five having banged in more. As such the first bet to look out  for should be over 2.5 goals at 8/13 in this game, even if Fernando Torres plays.

Chelsea are looking for a fourth win on the bounce win but showed they still aren’t over the issues that have dogged them right throughout the season in the 1-0 win over Sunderland last week. The Black Cats were unlucky not to take anything from the game and as such you have to think Norwich have a great chance of recording their first win over one of top teams in the Premier League, despite the Andre Villas-Boas recently signing England defender Gary Cahill.

The Blues price of 8/13 to win is too short when taking into consideration how unpredictable the season has been. Norwich are 9/2, while the draw is 3/1 in the match betting.

Everton v Blackburn 3pm

It’s fair to see you wouldn’t want to trade places with either David Moyes or Steve Kean this season given their respective issues. Kean might have seen results improve recently but that hasn’t stopped Chris Samba putting in a transfer request as Rovers battle to hold onto their star men. The Blackburn boss will be desperate to keep Samba given how well he has played this season and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the big centre-half started at Goodison Park on Saturday.

While they might have struggled at Ewood Park Rovers form on the road hasn’t been too bad. They have lost one of the last seven on the road in the league, although they have only won once as well. That victory was at Manchester United though and the trip to Goodison Park looks as though it could be fruitful.

Everton won’t have to deal with former striker Yakubu but at 6/1 Blackburn are too big a price to ignore. Everton are the lowest scorers in the Premier League, managing just 21 goals in 21 games so far. Moyes has managed to bring in Darron Gibson this month but there looks like there isn’t much cash left to improve what he has at this creaking club. Everton are 4/7, with the draw 11/4 and if Blackburn don’t take all three points they should take at least one.

Wolves v Aston Villa

If Mick McCarthy isn’t a worried man, then he should be because his Wolves team are slipping badly at the moment. He might have made ten changes for the game against Birmingham City in midweek but his squad is looking devoid of confidence and the 1-0 loss to their Midlands rivals will not have helped.

Saturday brings McCarthy another derby match up and he will hope things can improve against the increasingly unpredictable Villa. Alex McLeish’s team should have picked up three points against Everton last week but were caught on the counter attack and shouldn’t be too downbeat as they make the short trip to Molineux.

Villa have been tough to beat on the road, losing just two of their ten matches away from home. The game is unlikely to be a classic and 8/11 for under 2.5 goals should be a safe bet. The future looks gloomy for Wolves and expect Villa to heap more misery on them. Villa are 9/5 to win, with Wolves 8/5 and the draw 9/4 in the match betting.

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