The 6 Main Contenders for 2019/20 FA Cup Glory

The battle to win the FA Cup is certain to be fiercer than ever in 2019/20 due to the depth of quality among the top teams.

The Big Six will all be desperate for silverware and only one of them can win the Premier League, so the cup offers a strong consolation prize. The uninspiring 2008 final between Portsmouth and Cardiff City is now a distant memory and the big teams take this competition very seriously nowadays.

Here are the main contenders for glory this season:

Man City

Pep Guardiola’s men stormed to a domestic treble last season and bolstered their claims to be named the greatest English team of the modern era. They ended a famous campaign by annihilating Watford in the most one-sided FA Cup final ever witnessed, and they should be formidable once again in 2019/20.

Bookmaker odds make them the clear favourites to win this tournament and they have phenomenal depth within their squad, so they should triumph once more if they put their minds to it.

However, surely it is time for Guardiola to make a concerted push for Champions League glory this coming season, and their FA Cup campaign could be a casualty.

Liverpool

Liverpool are priced at 7/1 to win the FA Cup and that is a lot more attractive that the 3/1 widely available on Man City. They showed their prowess in knockout competitions when they won the Champions League last season, and fans will be pleased to see Jurgen Klopp’s final hoodoo come to an end.

The Reds are also supremely capable of winning the cup, but their motivation to do so is questionable. If they are locked in another fierce title battle with City, the FA Cup could become a distraction.

Yet if they fall behind in the title race or suffer Champions League elimination, they certainly have the ability to beat any team in this competition and 7/1 looks tempting.

Tottenham

Spurs have not won a trophy since 2008 and they could do with some silverware to reward the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli for their loyal service.

Tottenham can beat anyone on their day, but they have the tendency to slump to surprise defeats over the course of the campaign, and that has frequently seen them come unstuck in the FA Cup.

They were beaten semi-finals in 2017 and 2018, while they crashed out at the hands of Crystal Palace last season. Champions League commitments could derail their bid this time around.

Chelsea

The Blues ended the 2018/19 campaign by battering Arsenal in the Europa League final, but they are likely to regress this season.

They lost star man Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, and they have been unable to splash the cash this summer due to a two-window transfer ban for irregularities in signing young players.

Ironically this will force new boss Frank Lampard to turn to youth in 2019/20 to plug gaps in his squad, and this looks like being a transitional year for Chelsea.

Manchester United

The Red Devils endured a horrendous campaign last season and there is little to suggest they will fare much better in 2019/20. They are yet to address defensive issues that plagued them last term and the squad does not look in great shape.

They may well conduct some impressive business before the transfer window closes as proven by the Maguire acquisition, but Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku could both leave, while there are question marks over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s ability to manage at the top level, so it seems unlikely that they will win the cup.

Arsenal

The Gunners have won this tournament three times in the past six years, but it is hard to see them prevailing again. If they come up against Man City or Liverpool, they are unlikely to triumph due to the lopsided nature of their team.

They are great going forwards, but poor at the back, and that could be their downfall. This trophy actually looks like a straight fight between Man City and Liverpool and at longer odds the Reds look to be the most attractive option right now.