Stoke v Liverpool 7:45pm

The Potters have had a mixed season thus far, enjoying great success in the Europa League but struggling somewhat in the Premier League. Their best result to date came in the league meeting against the Reds when a Jonathan Walters penalty secured victory for Stoke.

Since being promoted back to the top flight Stoke have not lost to Liverpool at home, picking up two wins and two draws in the four meetings. However, the last time they played host to Liverpool in the League Cup Stoke were hammered 8-0, although that was 11 years ago.

Both managers are likely to makes changes for the clash and while Liverpool’s team might have a few more stars in it on the night, Tony Pulis has recruited wisely and should field a side capable of challenging Kenny Dalglish’s team. Stoke are 11/5 for the win, a great price given Liverpool’s recent form and record in Staffordshire, with the Reds 5/4 and the draw 23/10.

Everton v Chelsea

Up until two weeks ago Everton had a very good recent record against the Blues, avoiding defeat in the last six encounters, a run which included dumping them out of the FA Cup last season on penalties. However, a 3-1 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge 10 days ago brought an end to that positive sequence, although Wednesday’s meeting gives them a quick chance for revenge.

While Blues manager Andre Villas-Boas has the option of rotating his squad David Moyes finds his hands are tied to a certain extent and will be forced to field a strong team. While the Toffees were somewhat fortunate to get to this stage of the competition, the chance to take the scalp of Chelsea should certainly help to raise their game. Villas-Boas will have a tough job to pick his team up after Sunday, when they played so well with nine men but got nothing from the trip to QPR.

While Everton have never beaten Chelsea in the Carling Cup Wednesday’s game will be as good a chance as any to break that duck. Everton are 9/4 in the match betting, with Chelsea 6/5 and the draw 12/5.

Elsewhere, you’d expect Man City to have a comfortable night at the office when they face Wolves, with Wanderes boss Mick McCarthy having made it clear he doesn’t think the Carling Cup is a priority. The Wolves manager is likely to field a second string and that should be no match for whoever Roberto Mancini sends out. City’s squad will be on a huge high after the weekend and Wednesday could be a long night for the Molineux faithful.

The final match pits struggling Blackburn against high-flying Newcastle in a tough-to-call encounter. The Toon are unbeaten so far this season but showed signs on Saturday that maybe their remarkable start might be coming to a close. Rovers boss Steve Kean could look at this game as a distraction or as a chance for his players to play without the pressure of battling against relegation. Rovers played well against Tottenham on Sunday and it shouldn’t come as a big surprise if they manage to end Newcastle’s unbeaten start.

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Stoke v Manchester United (5.30)

United have been inspired this season and although they have seen off both Chelsea and Arsenal in their 100% start to the season, Saturday’s trip to the Britannia Stadium could prove their toughest test to date.

The Potters have lost all six meetings against Sir Alex Ferguson’s men since returning to the top flight, but they now have probably the strongest squad they have ever had. The aerial threat of Peter Crouch and new signing Cameron Jerome may yet cause problems for the youthful United backline.

Suggested Bet: Draw @ 10/3.

Manchester City v Everton (12.45)

Everton have been City’s bogey team in recent years, doing the double in the last two seasons and they have also won on their last four visits to Eastlands.

Tim Cahill has scored at City on the last three occasions and is due a goal, so don’t be surprised if he pops up with another!

It will be interesting to see how Roberto Mancini’s men respond to the slip up at Fulham, but a stubborn Everton is not the ideal opposition to be facing at this time.

City will have to stand up to the physical test and cope better at the back than they did at Craven Cottage.

Suggested Bet: Cahill to score @ 5/2.

Arsenal v Bolton (3pm)

Arsene Wenger must go into Saturday’s game not knowing what to expect from his stuttering side, who will be without the experienced Yossi Benayoun through injury.

They looked to be cruising at Blackburn last week and threw it away and will now have the added pressure from the home support.

Bolton are not as bad as their league position (second bottom) suggests, with a tough early-season fixture schedule causing a poor points return. The suspension of Ivan Klasnic is a blow, but Owen Coyle might decide to flood midfield in order to frustrate the Gunners.

Suggested Bet: Draw @ 10/3

Chelsea v Swansea (3pm)

Chelsea were impressive in defeat at Old Trafford last week and Fernando Torres looked to be recapturing some form – before that shocking miss!

A lot of eyes will be on the team-sheet, as to whether Frank Lampard will play, but either way Chelsea should be too strong for the Swans.

Brendan Rodgers’ side picked up a much-need win over West Brom and they look to have a real chance of surviving this term. They will make it difficult for Chelsea to break them down and will look to frustrate the home side for long spells.

Suggested Bet: HT-Draw/FT-Chelsea @ 4/1.

Liverpool v Wolves (3pm)

Many people were shocked by Liverpool’s poor display in defeat at Spurs last week, but a midweek Carling Cup success at Brighton seemed to indicate that Kenny Dalglish has got them back on track.

With Steven Gerrard close to full fitness, the Reds have got the boost they need at just the right time and don’t be surprised to see Craig Bellamy among the goals following his strike in midweek.

Wolves’ confidence must be at a low ebb, after back-to-back home defeats, and a trip to Anfield is not a fixture they would have picked to try and bounce back, despite winning here last season.

Goals look to be a problem again for Mick McCarthy’s team and they will get little change from the Liverpool defence.

Suggested Bet: Liverpool to score in both halves @ 23/20.

Newcastle v Blackburn (3pm)

The home side, somehow, find themselves fourth in the table and hats off to Alan Pardew, who has worked wonders with a wafer thin squad. An unbeaten start to the campaign is likely to continue against Blackburn, although they may have to settle for another draw.

Rovers will head to Tyneside full of confidence after back-to-back wins over Arsenal and Leyton Orient. Steve Kean’s men have conceded five goals in those two games and a leaky defence is still a concern.

Suggested Bet: Over 2.5 goals.

West Brom v Fulham (3pm)

Roy Hodgson comes up against his former club on Saturday, with both sides struggling for form at this early stage of the season. The Baggies looked to have turned the corner with a win at Norwich, but their heavy defeat to Swansea will have concerned the manager – they are always tough to beat at home though.

Fulham have showed signs of getting to grips with what Martin Jol is seeking, with their display at Chelsea in midweek giving cause for optimism. Bobby Zamora looks like being key to their chances at the Hawthorns.

Suggested Bet: Zamora to score at anytime @ 15/8.

Wigan v Tottenham (3pm)

Everything here looks to point to an away win – Wigan have lost their key man Hugo Rodallega through injury, while Emmerson Boyce is also a doubt.

Spurs have got back on track after a poor start and following their crushing win over Liverpool, should secure a third league win on the bounce.

Suggested Bet: Correct Score – Tottenham 3-0 win @ 16/1.

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It does of course provide a very quick opportunity for the Potters to gain revenge for Saturday’s 1-0 defeat, but it is difficult to see that happening and it is no surprise to see City installed as the 2/5 favourites in the match betting, with the draw at 3/1 and Stoke available at 6/1 to take the three points.

There could be a case for thinking that with Champions League football already secured as well as a first trophy for 35 years safely locked in the cabinet, City may have their minds on the summer holidays.

However, Roberto Mancini’s side know that a win on Tuesday will see them climb above Arsenal into third place in the table and be in the box seat to secure an automatic entry into the group stages of Europe’s elite competition next term, with one game to go.

The Italian tactician has his mind firmly set on usurping the Gunners and banned his players from celebrating their FA Cup win to keep their heads clear for the remaining two games.

The City boss may of course choose to rotate his squad a little bit, but that merely highlights the vast difference in size and quality of the two squads.

Adam Johnson and James Milner, both England internationals, may well earn recalls and Edin Dzeko could return up front with City looking to wrap up a fine ‘home’ campaign, having lost just twice at the City of Manchester Stadium all season.

Carlos Tevez has seemingly recovered from a hamstring problem that had made him a doubt for the FA Cup final, but played on Saturday and is an obvious candidate in the goalscoring markets (10/3 First/Last Goalscorer), while Mario Balotelli won the man-of-the-match award at the weekend and is on offer at 4/1.

Tony Pulis simply does not have anything like the resources that his counterpart has at his disposal and Matthew Etherington will be a big miss for the Potters on Tuesday.

The former Spurs winger did of course start on Saturday but had not completely recovered from a hamstring injury – and Stoke lacked any real potency in his absence, rarely causing a stir in the City defence.

Jermaine Pennant took one or two blows on his ankle at Wembley and Pulis will be desperate for him to be passed fit to play, but whether that makes a difference remains to be seen.

The Potters have enjoyed a good season, securing Europa League football next term, and will be looking to seal a first top-10 finish since 1975, but City’s need is greater.

Stoke have been awful on the road as well and have won just three times while losing 12 of their 18 games so far, including the last nine – another reason for them to fear the worst.

City have the second-best home defensive record in the league, while Joe Hart has kept 16 clean sheets in the league and backing them to not concede a goal is worth an interest at 21/20, while a City win to nil is available at 13/10.

The Citizens created a number of chances on Saturday and although the big hitters may well pile into a 2/5 home win, taking Mancini’s men on the handicap (-1) against an injury-hit Stoke is worth consideration at 13/10.

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Wolves

While most Stoke fans will be concentrating on May 15 and the FA Cup final, manager Tony Pulis will be more concerned with picking up the handful of points they need to make sure of Premier League football for another season.

How pivotal the draw against Fulham was for Wolves won’t be discovered until the dust has settled on this season. 1-0 up and with ten minutes left Mick McCarthy’s side were looking good to scramble out of the relegation zone. That was until Andrew Johnson popped up with a late equaliser and let all the air out of Molineux.

After such a disappointing result Wolves haven’t got long to pick themselves back up and put a winning formula together ahead of the derby with Stoke.

Tuesday’s trip to the Britannia Stadium is their game in hand over the majority of the relegation strugglers around them. But the Britannia isn’t exactly the place you want to go when you are looking for nice, easy away day.

Stoke have lost just four times at home all season, picking up maximum points in half of their games on their own turf. Contrast that with Wolves’ shocking away form and you can see why Stoke are 20/23 for the win and Wolves are 10/3, with the draw at 12/5. Wolves have won just twice away from home all season, losing 12 of their 16 matches on the road.

With those stats in mind you might think Wolves were in line for a hammering but that shouldn’t be the case. McCarthy’s men looked pretty solid on Saturday and while Stoke racked up five against Bolton a couple of weeks ago that was seemingly a one-off.

Traditionally these two sides don’t share too many goals between them, with two goalless draws in the last six meetings. For that reason you might look at one or less in the total goals market at 11/5, or under 2.5 goals at 8/11.

With just five games left for Wolves they will look at the trip to Stoke as their toughest game left, with trips to Birmingham and Sunderland to come, along with home games against West Brom and Blackburn. Somewhere in those remaining games they are going to have to find an away win, but it looks very unlikely to come against Stoke.

The Potters look to have been galvanised by their Wembley success and Pulis might argue they deserved to win at Aston Villa on Saturday, rather than share the spoils.

With Stoke on 38 points and still not mathematically safe from relegation Pulis will be eager to make sure they secure their league status quickly so they can turn their attentions to the FA Cup.

With Arsenal and Manchester City still to come they might look at Wolves as their golden ticket to safety. Expect Wolves to put up their usual spirited fight but, in the end, be no match for Stoke.

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Owen Coyle is looking to guide the Wanderers to their first FA Cup final since 1958 – when they defeated Manchester United 2-0 at Wembley thanks to a double from Nat Lofthouse.

Sadly, Lofthouse passed away earlier this year so what a fitting tribute it would be to the Trotters legend if his beloved Bolton could reach the final where, ironically, they could be up against the Red Devils (13/8 Man U v Bolton Name The Finalists) just like 53 years ago.

Coyle will be missing the potency of the cup-tied on-loan striker Daniel Sturridge so he will have to pitch Rodrigo or Ivan Klasnic (15/8 Anytime Goalscorer) into his starting XI for the game.

Midfielder Mark Davies is expected to be included in the squad after returning to training following an ankle problem. But Stuart Holden, Sean Davis and Sam Ricketts remain sidelined through injury.

However, four-times FA Cup winners Bolton (9/2 Outright) go into the contest in fairly good form having kept six clean sheets in their last nine FA Cup games and they have lost only two of their last nine matches in all competitions.

Stoke have never played in an FA Cup final (Evens To Qualify) after falling at the semi-final stage in 1899 and in the 1970-71 and 1971-72 seasons when, on both occasions, they lost to Arsenal in a replay.

Potters boss Tony Pulis will stick with Denmark goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, who replaces regular number one Asmir Begovic, because he has been a regular in previous rounds.

Striker John Carew (8/1 First Goalscorer) could come into contention following a four-match absence with a back problem.

Stoke have won, lost and drawn in their last three Premier League games, but have managed to score in their last nine games against Bolton (19/10 To keep A Clean Sheet) to give them hope.

Bolton enjoy the better of their previous FA Cup meetings with three wins from five, with one draw and one win for Stoke, while both sides have won on home soil in this season?s Premier League encounters.

Looking at the record between the two sides it is impossible to pick a winner and for that reason I am expecting it to be a long afternoon at Wembley with a penalty shoot-out (10/1 Bolton & Stoke To Win On Penalties) not beyond the realms of possibility.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 9/4
Value Bet: 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2.

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It has been a season of shocks so far and there are sure to be plenty more in another exciting weekend of football, with Stoke (5/2 to beat Manchester City) looking a decent bet to dent another team’s title hopes.

The Potters have won their last three top-flight games and have an excellent record at the Britannia Stadium, while Manchester City had won just once in five Premier League matches before last Sunday’s 4-1 hammering of Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Tony Pulis’ side have shown that there is more to them than just Rory Delap’s long throws and they are more than capable of beating a City side who have yet to gel as a unit and are there for the taking.

Newcastle have not won in three Premier League matches but have shown their pedigree already this term with a 5-1 hammering of Sunderland and victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium (Newcastle 19/5 to beat Chelsea).

Chelsea continue to disappoint during this current slump, and have shown themselves to be brittle away from Stamford Bridge.

Birmingham proved that Carlo Anelotti’s can be beaten by the so-called lesser teams and MSK Zilina almost took a point from the Blues in Europe on Tuesday night and the Magpies will fancy their chances in this one, roared on by the vociferous Toon Army.

If you are looking for a potential shock north of the border then Inverness’ trip to Celtic (Caley Thistle 9/1 to win at Parkhead) could be the one to target.

The Bhoys have won just one of their last three SPL game and could only manage a 1-1 draw with Dundee United last time out.

Meanwhile, Caley go into the game with three straight top-flight victories, including two away from home, and they will be full of confidence of causing an upset, having won five times on their travels already this season.

Nottingham Forest are currently in the play-off zone while Leicester struggle for consistency in mid-table, but Sven Goran Eriksson’s men (21/10 to beat Forest) are tipped to shock the former European champions this weekend.

The Foxes have been solid at home this term while Forest are not the same outfit away from the City Ground and Leicester could overturn their east Midlands rivals in a low-scoring affair at the Walkers Stadium.

Crystal Palace may be languishing in the Championship relegation zone but do not rule out a victory over a Doncaster side just one place outside the play-off picture (Palace 13/8 to beat Doncaster).

The Londoners have won as many games at home as Doncaster and the hosts are tipped to beat a Rovers side who have already lost four times away from the Keepmoat this season.

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