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The Gunners are 1/4 favourites to make it through to the fourth round at the first attempt, while Leeds are on offer at 11/1 to enjoy the romance of the cup with the draw priced at 9/2 in the match betting.

It is hard to argue with the betting given that Arsene Wenger’s men have been an elite team in the country for many a season, while the Elland Road outfit are trying to make their way back to the top-flight from League One football just two seasons ago.

There will be those who fancy the price on the away win as in that promotion season, Leeds famously beat Manchester United at Old Trafford 1-0 in the third round, while they also took Tottenham to a replay the same year after a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane.

Last season, the Whites were at it again and held this year’s third-round opponents to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates, before losing 3-1 in the replay back on home territory.

That previous form may tempt some, but Leeds have endured a difficult run in the Championship of late with a 2-1 home win over Burnley last time out ending a three-match losing streak.

Simon Grayson’s men do still remain in play-off contention but, because of that, it might pay to see what line-up Grayson puts out against the Gunners, particularly with injuries beginning to take their toll.

Centre-back Paddy Kisnorbo has picked up a knee injury which will keep him out for the rest of the season, while fellow defenders Tom Lees and Alex Bruce are struggling to make it.

Captain Jonny Howson and playmaker Robert Snodgrass are also amongst those on the injury list, which is making the case for a shock win all the more difficult, even with a host of changes expected for Arsenal.

Defensively the Gunners are down to the bare bones with Thomas Vermaelen, Bacary Sagna, Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs and Andre Santos all ruled out through injury, while Johan Djourou is suspended.

Robin van Persie has been on fire for the Gunners this season and has single-handedly kept them in the Champions League hunt, and he has unsurprisingly been installed as the 9/4 favourite to be the First/Last Goalscorer.

The latter of those is more viable as the Dutch striker is expected to be rested for this tie so there could and should be more value elsewhere – and Thierry Henry is worth considering at 9/4 First/Last and 5/4 Anytime as he is set to start on his return to the Gunners.

Marouane Chamakh is also available as Wenger has successfully delayed his departure to join up with the Morocco squad for the African Cup of Nations and may be worth a punt at 5/1 First/Last.

There has generally been a glut of goals between these two in recent meetings and, with both defences shorn of key players, there should be more on Monday evening, which is reflected in the betting – Over 2.5 Goals at 4/9, and 4 or more goals at 6/5.

Providing Arsenal do not get caught up in Henry’s return, they should have too much for an injury-hit Leeds side to cope with, although an away goal cannot be ruled out (Arsenal 3-1 Correct Score 10/1).

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Boxing Day

Derby v Leeds (13:00)

Simon Grayson’s Leeds travel to Pride Park as they look to continue their excellent away form and should be backed at 11/8 to pick up all three points against Nigel Clough’s side.

Leeds have picked up maximum points in three of their last four away matches and seem to enjoy playing away from Elland Road.

The Yorkshire club did slip up recently at home to Reading but are still just inside the play-off positions and are a good bet to stay there come end of the season.

Derby, on the other hand, are not safe from relegation this season, despite being seven points above the drop zone at this stage. They could so easily be dragged into the fight for survival if they lose two or three games on the spin during the Christmas period.

The Rams have only won one of their last eight fixtures so hardly go into this game in any rich vein of form.

The visitors should have too much class for the home side so take Leeds to beat Derby 2-0 at odds of 10/1.

Barnsley v Blackpool (15:00)

Keith Hill has done a terrific job at Oakwell this season since taking over the reins at Barnsley over the summer from Mark Robins.

The former Rochdale boss was handed one of the smallest budgets in the league when he took over, yet has kept the Yorkshire club clear from the relegation placings.

The 13/8 on the home side looks very good value as Blackpool make the short trip across the Pennines. Craig Davies has proved to be one of the bargain signings of the season in the Championship and is a good bet at 6/1 to score the opening goal in the game.

The former Chesterfield striker has made the leap from League Two with relative ease and has provided regular goals recently, included the one he scored at Elland Road when Hill’s men upset Leeds in their derby clash recently.

Reading v Brighton (15:00)

Brighton made an excellent start to life in the Championship following their promotion from League One last season, but have since struggled for results in the league.

Reading, on the other hand, are just starting to put a decent run together after wins over Leeds and West Ham. The Royals can be relied on to continue that run with another three points at 8/11.

The home side are just two points outside the play-offs and a good run over Christmas could secure a place in the top six by the end of 2011.

Both of these sides have not been troubling the opposition keepers too much in recent matches so it is likely to be tight affair with very few goals.

Take a chance on Reading to come on top with a 1-0 scoreline at 6/1.

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Leicester v Leeds (15:00)

Simon Grayson’s Leeds make the trip down to Leicester after a humiliating 5-0 defeat to Blackpool at Elland Road on Tuesday, and they can expect no joy on the road when they face the Foxes , who are buoyed from their 3-1 win at Burnley during the week.

Although without a permanent manager since Sven-Goran Eriksson was sacked last month, Leicester proved they have enough quality to push for promotion this season in their impressive display in the emphatic victory on Tuesday.

Caretaker manager Jon Rudkin was able to leave Jermaine Beckford on the bench for the game at Turf Moor, with David Nugent and Paul Gallagher both rewarding him with goals. On paper, the Foxes have one of the best starting XI’s in the Championship and it is only a matter of time before they go on a winning run, which will push them into the play-offs at the very least.

Take Leicester at 10/11 to overcome the Yorkshire side and David Nugent looks a good bet to score the first goal of the game against Leeds at a generous 5/1.

Brighton v Barnsley (15:00)

After a flying start to life in the Championship, Brighton have not won a league game since September 10. They have though had a tough fixture list in recent weeks, so they will appreciate the visit of Barnsley to the Amex Arena.

Keith Hill’s side have been no pushovers this season, but they are unlikely to be in the top of the table come the end of the season. Hill took over the reins at Oakwell in the summer and was handed one of the smallest budgets in the Championship, which the objective to remain in the league this season.

Craig Mackail-Smith surprised a lot of people when he signed for south coast club in the summer, despite generating a lot of attention from Premier League clubs. He is a good price at 9/2 to score the opening goal in the game.

The home side look the best bet and the Seagulls to be winning at half-time/full time at odds of 7/4 looks a decent price.

Reading v Birmingham (15:00)

Birmingham travel to the Madjeski Stadium after a tough European encounter with Club Brugge on Thursday evening, in which they came back from a 2-0 deficit to take a point from the game.

It is the perfect time for the Royals to take on the Chris Hughton’s side, on the back of a European encounter and they are a solid selection at 6/5.

Reading have a solid home record so far this season, they have not been beaten on home soil since early September.

Adam Le Fondre (9/2 First Goalscorer) signed from Rotherham before the summer transfer window closed. He has made a good start to his career at the club, scoring four goals in his opening seven games.

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A sluggish start to the season has been quickly forgotten about and a run of five wins in all competitions means it is something of a surprise to see Blues trading at favourable odds to pick up maximum points against Simon Grayson’s fellow Premier League promotion hopefuls (16/1 Leeds – Championship Outright).

Chris Hughton’s side showed guts when coming from behind to beat Maribor before collecting back-to-back Championship wins against Nottingham Forest and Leicester City.

Again, they turned defeat around when beating FC Bruges in their own back yard and a double from the in-form Chris Burke yielded another three points from an awkward assignment against basement dwellers Bristol City at the weekend.

Blues have only conceded one goal at St Andrew’s in the Championship in four games so far but will be given a stern test by the potent attacking threat of Leeds.

The West Yorkshire side have scored 13 goals in six Championship away games so far this season but needed a 96th-minute winner to see off 10-man Peterborough at the weekend.

The burning issue for Grayson has to be tightening up his defence on the road – the Whites have conceded 12 goals – because any shortcomings could be exposed by a Birmingham side seemingly adept at retaining possession.

Blues have won all four previous meeting between these two sides at St Andrew’s since the turn of the century – the most recent 2-0 – and should not be dismissed lightly to make it six consecutive wins in all competitions.

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The home side put in a good showing against Liverpool on Wednesday, but were eventually beaten 2-1 and Gus Poyet, a former Leeds assistant manager, is now looking to avoid three defeats in a week. The Seagulls slipped out of the top two last weekend, with a 1-0 defeat at Leicester – their first league defeat of the season.

Brighton have won two and drawn one of the three Championship games so far in their new stadium, which has already created an intimidating atmosphere. But the test comes now, with expectations rising on the south coast and it looks like goals might be an issue.

Poyet’s side have scored three in their last three league games, with just one coming from a striker – Ashley Barnes’ lone strike at Bristol City. Summer signing Craig Mackail-Smith (5/1 First Goalscorer) is still their main goal threat, but he has got just two league goals to his name and hasn’t scored in the Championship since mid-August.

The home side will miss key man Will Buckley through injury, while the manager will also make a late check on new Spanish capture Vicente after his run-out as a substitute against Liverpool. Defender Marcos Painter is back in contention after suspension, while Will Hoskins is back after a hip problem.

Leeds (8/1 Promotion Betting) appear to have turned the corner after a tricky start to the season, although how they respond to Tuesday’s comfortable defeat to Manchester United remains to be seen.

Simon Grayson’s men are going for a third league win in a row, but their first away from Elland Road.

The Whites’ resurgence looks to have coincided with the return to fitness of Luciano Becchio (15/8 To Score At Anytime), who could form a successful partnership with the in-form Ross McCormack. The loan capture of Danny Pugh from Stoke could also have a big impact in the middle of the park.

Leeds’ major problem, however, has come at the back, with Grayson’s side already conceding 12 goals in seven games. The return from suspension of Patrick Kisnorbo will strengthen the manager’s options, as the Yorkshire outfit look to extend a six-game unbeaten run against the Seagulls – which includes wins in their last three trips to Brighton.

The extra day of rest may yet prove crucial, with Leeds certainly capable of taking at least a point from the AMEX – if they can stop the threat of Mackail-Smith.

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Reading’s

The Royals looked all set for a mid-table finish a couple of months ago, but since then Brian McDermott’s side have purred into top gear and won eight on the spin to not only move into the play-off places, but also into contention for automatic promotion.

Winger Jimmy Kebe has been inspirational in that superb run, with Irish strikers Shane Long and Noel Hunt eagerly waiting to put away the chances, with the latter having scored five times in his last eight games and priced 6/1 to open the scoring at Elland Road.

Leeds’ own automatic promotion hopes have all but disappeared during a nervy run of results and they now need to get back on track to ensure that they do not compound their misery by missing out on the play-offs altogether.

A loss at home to the Royals would open the door for Nottingham Forest to overtake the Whites by winning at home to East Midlands rivals Leicester City.

Earlier this season an Andy King goal settled a tense derby at the Walkers Stadium and another tight encounter is on the cards, albeit with a few more goals due to both teams’ defences having started to creak at the wrong time of the season.

The odds of both sides finding the net during the game are 4/5.

Relegation matters also feature heavily, with both Doncaster Rovers and Crystal Palace hoping that Scunthorpe United come unstuck at Coventry City.

The Iron currently occupy the final relegation spot, being three points adrift of Rovers and five behind the Eagles with just four games to play, having won 2-1 at Crystal Palace last weekend.

However, with Doncaster and Palace meeting at the Keepmoat Stadium, a Scunthorpe win at the Ricoh Arena could make things very hairy.

The arrival of new manager Alan Knill, who previously made his name with Bury, has provided a much-needed spark, even if his reign at Glanford Park started in a 6-0 thrashing at Norwich City.

Loan striker Joe Garner could have made the difference at Coventry, but his red card at Palace could prove costly, with Scunthorpe available at 8/5 to score first in the game.

No doubt phones and radios at the Keepmoat Stadium will be relaying news of events in Coventry back to the nervous fans of both teams in action, with the Rovers faithful particularly on edge after a run of eight games without a win.

Palace, like Rovers, appeared to be safe a matter of weeks ago, but a 2-1 home loss to Scunthorpe last time out plunged them right back into the mire and having won just once on their travels this term, they cannot head to South Yorkshire full of confidence.

The Eagles have shipped 44 goals away from home this term and netted a mere 15 and so can be backed at 11/4 to keep a rare clean sheet.

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Andy O’Brien

Players and fans alike could be forgiven for keeping an eye firmly fixed on the principal aim of returning to the Premier League, but seasoned Leeds followers will know the famous old domestic cup competition evokes fond memories (10/3 Leeds – npower Championship Promotion 2010/11).

The Whites took the prize scalp of cross-Pennines rivals Manchester United last season and held Tottenham to a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane before finally bowing out at the hands of the north Londoners.

This time around they have the chance to send Tottenham’s capital rivals out of the FA Cup in front of what is again expected to be a white-hot atmosphere in West Yorkshire.

Arsene Wenger’s Premier League title-chasers needed a dramatic late penalty from captain and talisman Cesc Fabregas to spare their blushes at Emirates Stadium and O’Brien has warned the Gunners they can expect more of the same.

O’Brien said: “I don’t think we have missed our chance. To a certain extent, the Cup games take care of themselves. We were the underdogs but now we are playing at home with a massive support behind us.”

The winners tomorrow will be at home to in-form League One promotion-hopefuls Huddersfield Town in the fourth round, and O’Brien added: “I don’t think an FA Cup run is a hindrance. As a professional footballer, you want to stay in as many competitions as possible for as long as possible and if we’ve got a lot of games it means we are doing something right.”

Grayson added: “We have got to be underdogs because Arsenal have some fantastic players. We will look to try and get through and we will go out with the attitude that we can win it and give them a tough night, but we have to be aware of what Arsenal can do because they are a fantastic team.”

Leeds won their most important FA meeting with Arsenal in 1972 when a diving header by Allan Clarke from a Mick Jones cross was the only goal of the centenary final at Wembley.

However, Arsene Wenger has never experienced third-round defeat during his Arsenal managerial career and it is difficult to ancticipate the Gunners flopping (6/1 Arsenal – FA Cup outright).

Defender Sebastien Squillaci (hamstring), midfielder Abou Diaby (calf), goalkeeper Manuel Almunia (ankle) and centre-back Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles) remain on the sidelines, so Wenger will have to shuffle his pack.

Leeds are unbeaten in seven games in all competitions at Elland Road so the advice here is to take the 4/6 on both teams to score and cover yourself with the 2-1 (7/1) and 3-1 (10/1) Arsenal win correct scores.

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QPR

Leeds v QPR

Rangers’ last win at Elland Road came back in the 1995/96 season when both clubs were still in the Premier League, with Danny Dichio steeling the headlines with a brace in a 3-1 win.
Three trips north since have seen the Hoops pick up just a point and the league leaders will do well to improve on that against a side that have not lost at home in almost two months.

Bet Advice: Draw HT / Leeds FT @ 9/2

Cardiff v Burnley

If QPR slip up, then Cardiff will be confident of pegging them back when they come up against Burnley, who threw a 2-0 half-time lead last week at home to Leeds.
The Clarets have not tasted victory away from Turf Moor this term and that record will not be improved on in the Principality.

Bet Advice: Cardiff to win @ Evens

Sheffield United v Swansea

The Swans will also be looking to stay on the coat tails of the leaders at Bramall Lane, as they face a Blades outfit which lost boss Gary Speed this week to the Welsh job.
United average a goal a game at home and that will not be good enough against the visitors.

Bet Advice: Swansea to win @ 6/4

Coventry v Norwich City

These two occupy the final play-off places and will fancy their chances of staying there on the final day of reckoning in May.
The Sky Blues are overdue a home draw and the Canaries will be good for at least a point at the Ricoh Arena.

Bet Advice: Draw @ 23/10

Ipswich v Leicester

The Foxes have been boosted ahead of the trip to Portman Road after being reassured boss Sven-Goran Eriksson does not want the Blackburn job.
The Walkers Stadium outfit will have more reason to celebrate when they have put Roy Keane?s free-falling outfit to the sword by the odd goal.

Bet Advice: Leicester to win 2-1 @ 8/1

Derby v Reading

The Royals will fancy their chances at Pride Park against a Rams side who have lost four out of their last six games, with wins coming against strugglers Ipswich and Scunthorpe.
So take Brian McDermott’s side to nick it and secure their third away win to move into the top half of the table.

Bet Advice: Reading to win @ 19/10

Watford v Preston

This meeting at Vicarage Road has score draw written all over it, with both sides finding some decent form of late.
North End are still rock bottom but are unbeaten in three – taking five points in the process, while the Hornets beat QPR last time out and have no lost in four matches.

Bet Advice: Draw 2-2 @ 12/1

Portsmouth v Scunthorpe

Pompey have been hard to beat at home and have got back to winning ways after a slight wobble, however next-to-bottom Scunny have already won five on the road so represent danger.
There should be goals in this one and both teams to score looks nailed on.

Bet Advice: Both Teams To Score @ 8/11

Hull v Bristol City

The Tigers are currently enjoying a five-game unbeaten run which they are putting on the line against a Robins side also in form.
Home advantage should count in this one, although goals have been in short supply at both ends at the KC Stadium this season.

Bet Advice: Hull to win 1-0 @ 13/2

Doncaster v Middlesbrough

As a curtain-raiser for the weekend’s Championship action, the fixture planners could have chose a tastier game for Friday evening.
Both sides would have expected to be in the top half at the halfway point of the season, but it hasn’t worked out like that.

Bet Advice: Draw @ 12/5

Millwall v Barnsley

Just as Donny and Boro are under-achieving, the Lions and Tykes are enjoying decent seasons however the Yorkshiremen’s poor away record goes against them here.

Bet Advice: Millwall to win @ 20/23

Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace

Palace like playing at Selhurst Park this season, which is just as well because they have been lousy on the road so far.
Forest are unbeaten on their own patch and although that won?t last it will do for the rest of the year.

Bet Advice: Forest HT/Forest FT @ 13/10

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