The quarter finals of the FA Cup are really intriguing, there is a real chance that we get a surprise winner of the most prestigious cup competition in world football this year with the race open when discounting Manchester City who are rightly favourites to lift the trophy. Both of these London sides will fancy their chances of reaching Wembley in what should be a closely run affair when looking at their previous meetings this season.

Crystal Palace are on a sensational run of form, only Arsenal (25) and Liverpool (31) have picked up more points than Crystal Palace (23) since Boxing Day with the Eagles also only conceding seven goals in this run. This run includes beating Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage just a few weeks ago which will stand them in good stead for this FA Cup quarter final.

Fulham have also been impressive this campaign under Marco Silva with the Portuguese boss getting the most out of his side which is made up of players that didn’t quite make the cut at other clubs. They’ve been a bit more inconsistent than Palace in winning just two of their last five games across all competitions. This tie means a lot to both clubs who haven’t touched silverware in a long time which should set up a closely fought encounter which could end up going the distance but it’s hard to look past Palace having the edge here given their remarkable form since the turn of the year as well as their recent victory over the Cottagers.

Bradford still have some work to do in cementing an automatic promotion spot in League Two, they currently have a five point gap to chasing sides but that is far from a guarantee at this level of football. They’ve seen 2+ goals in three of their last five games in League Two and their away games are usually much more competitive than their home fixtures which also gives Accrington a chance of contributing to the goal tally here.

Bradford rank 13th in League Two for their away record, a massive drop off from their home form for which they top the League Two rankings. Their 18 away trips have produced 37 goals (2.05 per game) with almost double the amount of goals conceded compared to their home games (12-20). This drop off will encourage Accrington who have seen 2+ goals in four of their last five games across all competitions.

Accrington’s 18 home games this season have produced 46 goals (2.55 per game) which suggests that this line will be covered again here. They don’t have as much to battle for but can certainly take advantage of Bradford’s mediocre performances away from home this campaign and drive up the goal count with the away side likely to be looking for all three points here with the battle at the top of League Two becoming tighter by the week.

Tom Cleverly’s Watford side are still well within a chance of reaching the playoffs but will need to find some consistency in these final weeks which is something they’ve struggled to find for the majority of the campaign. They are five points off the playoff positions which isn’t a significant gap in the lower leagues where the picture can change week on week.

Their home form has been particularly strong in carrying them to this position, they’ve won 11 of their 19 games at Vicarage Road this campaign. Interestingly, they’ve only drawn two of these games indicating that it tends to be black or white when Watford take to the pitch at home with the sharing of points not a regular practice for the Hornets. Looking at their opponents here, they should fall on the right side of that split in their push for the playoffs.

Plymouth had improved in the early stages of Miron Muslic’s reign but have quickly fallen back into old habits having won just one of their last five games in all competitions. Their away record is quite concerning, winning just one of their 19 games on their travels this campaign which unsurprisingly is the worst away record in the division. They’ve only managed to score eight goals across these games whilst conceding 43, both records which have them rock bottom of the Championship when it comes to away metrics.

Stockport have done well to keep pace with some of the super squads present in League One this season. Birmingham in particular have dominated the conversation in this league this campaign with their significant spending power and squad depth but sides like Stockport are still well within a chance of clinching promotion this season via the playoffs.

Stockport’s recent games have been very tight encounters, they’ve only lost one of their last five games which was away against Wrexham and have seen under 3.5 goals in each of these games. This possibly reflects the tension currently surrounding the playoff picture in League One, Stockport have a cushion of five points to Bolton but the likes of Reading are also finding some form at the right time making their position precarious if they are to drop off in the latter stages of the season.

They face a Burton side who will still feel like they can put a run together to stay up with six points separating them from safety but crucially - they have a game in hand on the teams surrounding them which could completely warp the picture at the bottom of the table. Stockport have won 11 of their 18 games at home this season and will fancy their chances of adding to that decent record here against a side that they comfortably beat 3-0 in the initial meeting between the teams earlier in the campaign.

This game is a crucial battle in the League One playoff race, these sides currently sit fourth and sixth in the table, separated by just five points with Huddersfield crucially having a game in hand on their opponents here. Charlton had their solid run of form cut short by Peterborough last time out who fired three goals past Nathan Jones’ side which will have taken the wind out of the Addicks’ sails slightly at this pivotal point of the season.

Huddersfield have been inconsistent in recent weeks which has seen them fail to really get a grip on the playoff race. They’re being chased closely by Bolton and Reading with Leyton Orient still hovering with intent should there be any slip up from Michael Duff’s side. Huddersfield have seen BTTS in three of their last five games in League One and tend to score plenty on their travels - they’ve scored 29 goals across their 18 away trips this campaign, only Blackpool and Wycombe have scored more away goals than the Terriers in League One this season.

Charlton are really strong at home, only Wrexham and Birmingham can boast a better home record in the division than Charlton who have won 12 of their 19 games at home, scoring 27 goals in the process. BTTS landed in the initial meeting between these sides with Huddersfield running out 2-1 winners which was a result largely dictated by a Charlton red card in the first half. Both sides posted an xG in excess of 1.0 in that game and should be able to carve out chances here given the context surrounding this game and their respective impressive records at home and on the road this season.

This is a real six pointer at the bottom of the Championship table. Luton can close the gap to safety to just one point with a victory here whilst Hull can steer further clear of the drop zone with all three points. A positive result for Luton here would also drag Hull back into the relegation scrap making this game one of the most important for shaping the relegation picture in the second division this weekend.

Interestingly, it is Hull’s home form which has them in this position as we enter the final stages of the season. They have the worst home record in the Championship having won just four of their 19 games at the MKM Stadium this season - conceding 24 goals in the process (1.26 per game). Ruben Selles’ side have only kept one clean sheet across their last five games which came against bottom placed Championship side Plymouth.

Luton haven’t been the best on the road either this campaign but can make the most of Hull’s issues at the back to get on the scoresheet here. It’s hard to back either of these sides to come out with the three points given their inconsistency this season but backing the away side to breach the Hull backline here looks a decent angle. Luton scored the only goal of the game in the initial meeting between these sides earlier in the season and you get the feeling that they’ll have to offer some attacking threat in this game if they are to avoid being cut off at the bottom of the Championship table.

Crewe are just one point off the playoff places in League Two and will see this as a serious opportunity not just to break into the playoff positions but to destabilise one of their promotion rivals. Port Vale sit fourth in League Two, level on points with Wimbledon who occupy the final automatic promotion spot making this just as crucial a game for Darren Moore’s side who can make a real statement here before the rest of the sides kick off later in the day.

Port Vale have scored in four of their last five games in League Two with the exception coming against Barrow last time out in which they should have really scored as the dominant side, racking up 14 shots and an xG of 1.02. Their scoring power is pretty steady on the road this season, finding the back of the net 23 times across their 19 away games (1.21 per game). They travel to a Crewe side that has conceded 21 goals across their 18 games in League Two this season (1.16 per game) and notably, haven’t been as reliable at home this campaign winning just eight of their 18 games which represents the eleventh best home record in the league.

The initial meeting between these sides ended in a 1-1 draw and a similar result is likely to be on the cards here given the importance of this fixture. Whatever the outcome, Port Vale should be able to take advantage of Crewe’s shaky home record and find the back of the net in this important battle at the top of League Two.