On Sunday afternoon, Anfield will oversee the fourth round FA Cup clash between Liverpool and Cardiff City. With the Reds expected to comfortably see the game out and progress without any difficulty, an FA Cup upset can never be ruled out. A tough job for Cardiff has become even more tricky, as they have four key players that are cup tied, as well as Morrison, Ralls and Nelson that are out due to injury. This suggests that the Cardiff line-up will be youth-heavy with not a lot of experience.
In terms of the cup journeys of both sides so far, Liverpool breezed past Shrewsbury with a 4-1 result, whilst Cardiff squeezed past Preston after beating them 2-1 in extra time. Cardiff are currently 20th in the Championship, whilst Liverpool are still holding on to title hopes, being 2nd in the Premier League.
The last time that Cardiff exceeded the fourth round of the cup was in the 2013/14 season, where they lost 2-1 to Wigan in the fifth round. They have been runners up in the competition twice, most recently in the 2007/08 season where they fell at the hands of Portsmouth. They have won the tournament once, all the way back in the 1926/27 season, after beating Arsenal 1-0. With the centenary of the win fast approaching, the Bluebirds will be hoping for some cup success soon.
Liverpool are undoubtedly the more successful team in the competition out of the two sides, winning the Cup seven times. However, with the last FA Cup triumph being in the 2005/06 season, they will be pushing hard to end their drought of the famous trophy. With Liverpool only ever making it to the fifth round under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool will be hoping that this season will break the curse of poor results in the FA Cup.
Have a look at the Cheat Sheet below and have a glance over my bet builder predictions, as Liverpool and Cardiff get Sunday’s FA Cup fixtures underway.
Liverpool v Cardiff City Bet Builder Tips
Over 1.5 Away Cards
Facing Liverpool at Anfield is a tough task no matter the scenario. Being 20th in the division below them certainly doesn’t help your chances and having to field a substantially weaker and inexperienced side seems like the final nail in the coffin. Even though Cardiff shouldn’t be ruled out from the off, they will be going all in as they attempt to upset the red part of Merseyside. Because of the pressure on the Cardiff side due to these reasons, I expect them to rack up Over 1.5 Cards.
Looking at recent form, Cardiff have picked up 13 yellow cards in their last four games. I expect this trend to continue as a mix of possible frustration and the gap in quality of the two sides can be instrumental in the fact that mistakes can be made, and yellow cards can be produced. Cardiff have lost 15 of their 28 games this season, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them on the back foot. If the side aren’t mentally strong enough to keep themselves in the game, their discipline may start to fade away as they start to lose a grip on the game.
Despite the negative aspects that are presented for Cardiff, they are unbeaten in their last four games which shows an upturn in form. This may provide them with a confidence boost that may keep them in the game, but a no-nonsense approach to their defending may lead to some rash tackles, as Liverpool have six potential starters that draw one or more fouls per game. As for Cardiff, Pack and McGuinness are both on six yellow cards so far this season, with Collins and Flint both racking up five each so far. These stats can be seen in the Cheat Sheet below.
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Prediction: Over 1.5 Away Cards
Takumi Minamino to have 2+ Shots on Target
We’ve had a look at the potential holes that may appear in the Cardiff side, so here is one of my choices for one of the most likely options that will exploit the visiting team. Takumi Minamino has presented himself as a reliable choice for cup fixtures this season, and I expect him to be utilised in the game on Sunday. After coming back from Southampton on loan last season, Minamino has struggled to break his way into the starting line-up but can always be depended on as one of their most solid attacking sources in cup fixtures. Based on his reliability up top in these sorts of games, I expect Minamino to get heavily involved on Sunday afternoon and get two or more shots on target.
In his limited game time in the league so far this season, Minamino has achieved an average of 2.87 shots per game, with 1.91 being on target against Premier League opposition. Looking into these numbers a bit more, Minamino has only racked up 94 minutes in the league but has made the most of that by netting two goals. Clearly presenting himself as the game-changer when he comes onto the pitch, I expect these stats to be replicated or exceeded on Sunday, as he will be tasked with getting past weaker opposition than normal.
Analysing Minamino’s form at a similar level as Sunday’s opponents, the 27-year-old has appeared in the EFL Cup four times this season, netting four goals. This has clearly been crucial to Liverpool’s results in this competition, as they have managed to reach the final. Therefore, due to Klopp’s reliance on Minamino when the squad gets rotated, I expect him to be one of Liverpool’s key attacking options against Cardiff.
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Prediction: Takumi Minamino to have 2+ Shots on Target
Kaide Gordon to Score Anytime
Allow me to introduce one of Liverpool’s rising stars: Kaide Gordon. The 17-year-old (yes, really) has found himself in and around the first team this season after signing from Derby County last year. With it seeming like squad rotation will lead to the young Englishman being handed a chance in the cup, I believe that the highly rated youngster will find the back of the net.
His last game of note for Liverpool was their previous FA Cup fixture against Shrewsbury. He was handed a start in the game and ended up getting on the scoresheet, despite still being in an early stage of his footballing development. In the 81 minutes that he played, his goal was crucial as it sparked a Liverpool comeback, as it was an equaliser after Shrewsbury had taken the lead earlier in the first half. With his strikers’ instinct to poach his goal, I see no reason why he won’t continue to take his chances and prove his ability to the Liverpool fans. In the game, Gordon managed to work three shots, with two ending up on target. This shows us that he got himself involved in Liverpool’s attacking chances, and I’m sure he will shine yet again against a less-than-prime Cardiff side.
With Klopp labelling him as “an outstanding talent”, I expect the coach’s faith in him to continue as the youngster progresses to make a name for himself.
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Prediction: Kaide Gordon to Score Anytime
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Liverpool v Cardiff City Predicted Line-ups
Liverpool predicted XI (4-3-3) : Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Jones; Gordon, Firmino, Minamino
Cardiff City predicted XI (3-4-2-1) : Phillips; Flint, Vaulks, McGuinness; Ng, Pack, Wintle, Bagan; Colwill, Doyle; Hugill
Liverpool v Cardiff City Cheat Sheet
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing *
How to watch Liverpool v Cardiff City in the FA Cup
📅 When is Liverpool v Cardiff City? / Sunday, 6th February 2022, 12:00
🏟 Where is Liverpool v Cardiff City? / Anfield (Liverpool)
📺 What TV channel is Liverpool v Cardiff City on? / ITV
🟨 …And who is the referee for Liverpool v Cardiff City? / Andrew Madley 🏴
