FA Cup pedigree suggests Arsenal good value for Burnley win
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We shouldn’t be surprised about a team’s solid FA Cup record when their manager is the competition’s most successful boss in history.
Arsene Wenger can boast six FA Cup victories with Arsenal, a record the Frenchman shares with Aston Villa’s legendary coach George Ramsey, who claimed a sextet of Cups between 1887 and 1920.
We dare to say that Wenger’s achievement should be held in somewhat higher regard however, and in the broad scheme of discussion, the Arsenal gaffer is the FA Cup’s greatest manager.
Sir Alex Ferguson claimed a comparatively lacklustre five, while other legends such as Bill Nicholson and Sir Matt Busby won five between them.
All in all, this doesn’t bode well for Championship side Burnley, who head to Arsenal this weekend.
The Gunners have won 14 of their last 15 FA Cup ties on home soil, with the one blip coming in a 1-0 defeat to second-tier Blackburn in February 2013.
That result is the only time that Arsenal have lost a home FA Cup game to lower-league opposition under Arsene Wenger, and you have to go back to a 2-0 Millwall victory in 1995 to find the second time it happened.
Burnley saw off promotion rivals Middlesbrough in the third round, but that was the Clarets’ first FA Cup win in seven attempts.
Previous trips to Premier League opposition haven’t gone well either, losing 4-2 to Tottenham in a replay last year, 4-3 to Southampton in 2014, and 4-1 away at Norwich four years ago.
The Lancashire side have racked in 16 goals in winning five of their last six matches, but it would be understandable if they prioritised a return to the Premier League over an unlikely cup run.
Arsenal to win and both teams to score could well be a popular avenue at 21/10, while the hosts -1 on the handicap is available at evens.
History suggests an Arsenal slip-up is extremely unlikely, and even in this most unpredictable of seasons, Arsene Wenger’s love for the cup should see the Gunners through once more.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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