FA Cup Quarter Final Predictions – Fixtures and Expert Picks

The FA Cup, also known as the Football Association Challenge Cup, is now at the Quarterfinals. Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Port Vale, Southampton, Arsenal, West Ham, and Leeds United are in the draw. We can expect a proxy rivalry between Arsenal and Man City, given the recent Carabao Cup finals. Manchester City returns to another English Cup event with confidence and strong momentum. Meanwhile, Arsenal is looking for a chance to bounce back. As the fixtures are scheduled, fans can’t wait to see their favorite teams on the stage. Ahead of the fixtures, we have given a preview and predictions for the matches below.

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FA Cup Quarter Finals 2025-26

Manchester City vs Liverpool

Date: April 04, 2026.

Time:  07:45 AM ET | 04:45 AM PDT | 05:15 PM IST.

Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester.

Chelsea vs Port Vale

Date: April 04, 2026.

Time:  12:15 PM EDT | 09:15 AM PDT | 09:45 PM IST.

Venue: Stamford Bridge Football Stadium, London.

Southampton vs Arsenal

Date: April 04, 2026.

Time:  03:00 PM EDT | 12:00 PM PDT | 12:30 AM IST (Next Day).

Venue: St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton.

West Ham vs Leeds United

Date: April 05, 2026.

Time:  11:30 AM EDT | 08:30 AM PDT | 09:00 PM IST.

Venue: London Stadium, London.

FA Cup Quarter Finals Prediction

Manchester City vs Liverpool – Lineup & Prediction

Manchester City’s Expected Lineup (4-1-3-2)

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	James Trafford
Defenders	Rúben Dias, John Stones, Marc Guéhi, Joško Gvardiol
Midfielders	Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders
Attackers	Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo

Liverpool’s Expected Lineup (4-2-3-1)

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Giorgi Mamardashvili
Defenders	Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez
Midfielders	Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz
Attackers	Hugo Ekitike

Manchester City’s Previous Matches

Manchester City is currently on a massive win over Arsenal in the EFL Cup Finals. This has revamped their form after losing the UEFA Champions League to Real Madrid. Man City kept possession, creating active chances against the Gunners. Their scored twice, making a smooth transition towards the championship. They also faced Real Madrid in a previous match, where they were knocked out. Erling Haaland scored the only goal against Vinicius Junior’s brace. By the end, Real Madrid had won both the games, registering a win against Pep Guardiola’s men. Now it enters with a renewed confidence for the FA Cup Quarterfinals.

Liverpool’s Previous Matches

Liverpool is undoubtedly a strong club, having qualified for the UCL Quarterfinals. They kept two clean sheets consecutively in the UCL Round of 16 against Galatasaray. Especially in the second leg, they were so aggressive and bagged 4 goals. In the second half, they scored 3 goals within 15 minutes. However, their previous game against Brighton was not impressive. Despite having a higher possession and passing accuracy, they failed to outscore Brighton. Despite the efforts, Liverpool couldn’t outscore them, resulting in a narrow loss. Now Liverpool’s performance will be pivotal in the upcoming FA Cup battle.

Prediction

Under Pep Guardiola’s guidance, Man City has a solid attacking form. Their defensive midfielders have a deep midfield game. It will pressure Liverpool in the early moments. Conversely, Liverpool’s depth is good with players like Florian Wirtz and Virgil van Dijk. In terms of defense, they are active in the midfield. However, Man City’s rapid attacks will get past their defensive line.

The Pick:  Manchester City.

Chelsea vs Port Vale – Lineup & Prediction

Chelsea’s Expected Lineup (4-5-1)

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Robert Sanchez
Defenders	Malo Gusto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato
Midfielders	Moisés Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Alejandro Garnacho, Cole Palmer, Estevão
Forward	Liam Delap

Port Vale’s Expected Lineup (3-4-3)

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Joe Gauci
Defenders	Jaheim Headley, Eli Campbell, Tyler Magloire
Midfielders	Jordan Shipley, Jack Shorrock, Ethon Archer, Rhys Walters
Forward	Ben Waine

Chelsea’s Previous Matches

Chelsea recently lost a Premier League game without scoring a single goal. Although Chelsea were dominant in possession and coordination, Everton cleverly outperformed Chelsea. Their defensive instability caused to concede thrice. In contrast, Everton maintained a rigid defense that never allowed to score. In addition, they have also lost a UEFA Champion League Round of 16 fixture. In the game against PSG, Chelsea tried their best to outscore the French side. Yet, PSG outperformed Chelsea. However, they come in a good form to face Port Vale in the FA Cup fixture.

Port Vale’s Previous Matches

Port Vale recently had a defeat from Wycombe. Cauley Woodrow scored the first goal for Wycombe and held Port Vale. They fully cornered Port Vale and restricted their scoring opportunities. Especially in the final moments, Wycombe scored three goals back-to-back. Port Vale also lost in a previous game against Doncaster. This intensified in the second half, when Doncaster began to score more aggressively. Finally, it left Port Vale devastated, being unable to score.

Prediction

Chelsea is having inconsistent outcomes in the Premier League. They lost four-matches in a row across all formats. But their quality and roster is comparably better than Port Vale. Playing at home, Chelsea will have a strong winning possibility. Port Vale is currently facing relegation risk in League One. Their last five games have been severely poor, making it hard for them to face Chelsea. Therefore, Chelsea will sweep the win in this FA Cup fixture.

The Pick: Chelsea.

Southampton vs Arsenal – Lineup & Prediction

Southampton Expected Lineup (4-2-3-1)

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders	Ryan Manning, Jack Stephens, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, James Bree
Midfielders	Shea Charles, Flynn Downes, Léo Scienza, Finn Azaz, Tom Fellows
Forward	Cyle Larin

Arsenal Expected Lineup (4-2-3-1)

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Kepa Arrizabalaga
Defenders	Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Cristhian Mosquera, Myles Lewis-Skelly
Midfielders	Declan Rice, Christian Norgaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka
Forward	Viktor Gyokeres

Southampton’s Previous Matches

Southampton’s last two games were dominant wins. They recently defeated Oxford Utd by having two-third of the possession. Their shot-making was also good that they scored twice in the first half. After that, they tried to score furthermore, which were nullified. But they never conceded once and won a clean sheet for the second consecutive time after beating Norwich City. The win against Norwich City was not an easy task though. Despite playing at home, Southampton clearly struggled to outshine Norwich City. Southampton’s rare yet precise shots earned them the single-decisive goal.

Arsenal’s Previous Matches

Arsenal had one of the intimidating games recently against Leverkusen. They won over the German side with a clean sheet. In that UCL knockout clash, the gunners were clearly making chances using their excellent transitions and rhythm. They scored very deliberately in both the halves. However, they failed to win the EFL Cup, leaving the trophy to Man City. Arsenal submitted, failing to find the net.

Prediction

Southampton is having a decent spot in the Championship league. Their attacking style is methodical and possession-based. But Arsenal has a rapid attacking style. Their speed and quick-paced transitions will easily overwhelm Southampton. Moreover, Arsenal’s squad is more deep and experienced than Southampton’s. So, the Gunners are predicted to win in this FA Cup clash.

The Pick: Arsenal.

West Ham vs Leeds United – Lineup & Prediction

West Ham’s Expected Lineup (4-4-2)

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Alphonse Areola
Defenders	Kyle Walker-Peters, Jean-Clair Todibo, Axel Disasi, El Hadji Malick Diouf
Midfielders	Jarrod Bowen, N’Golo Kanté, Tomas Soucek, Crysencio Summerville
Forwards	Jarrod Bowen, Valentin Castellanos

Leeds United’s Expected Lineup (3-4-3)

Position	Players
Goalkeeper	Lucas Perri
Defenders	Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol, Ethan Ampadu,
Midfielders	Sean Longstaff, Ao Tanaka, Joel Piroe, Brenden Aaronson
Forwards	Daniel James, Lukas Nmecha, Wilfried Gnonto

West Ham’s Previous Matches

West Ham faced Aston Villa earlier, losing the fixture as they failed to score while the hosts scored twice. Although using the 4-3-3 formation, they couldn’t score a goal. Their midfield went weak against Aston Villa’s strategic passing. Before that, they drew a game against Manchester City. In the clash against City, West Ham neutralized the score shortly after Man City scored. After that, they kept the 1-1 intact with their fluid movement. But still, their possession was not adequate enough.

Leeds United’s Previous Matches

Leeds United is inconsistent in their recent matches. Their last two games are goalless draws. But in a recent fixture against Brentford, Leeds United gave a decent performance. They suppressed Brentford’s game and suffocated them in every aspect. Somehow, they failed to score, ending up with a 0-0 tie. Likewise, they had a previous draw against Crystal Palace. But in this clash, Leeds United had less possession and they had fewer chances. Yet, their defense was solid; it constantly nullified Crystal Palace’s efforts. At the end, it was another 0-0 draw.

Prediction

West Ham is in the relegation zone in the premier league. Their recent form is not reliable and they have recently lost a game against Aston Villa. They also have a negative record in head-to-head games. Unlike West Ham, Leeds United has a better form in their recent games. They have tied more games, showing their ability to defend or neutralize. So, West Ham will have a tough time outscoring Leeds United.

The Pick: Leeds United.

FA Cup Semifinals – A Preview

The FA Cup Quarterfinals is all set to commence the rivalries. Now, the question lingers around the possible scenarios for FA Cup Semifinals. The clash between Arsenal and Manchester City is highly expected in the Semifinals, given the recent EFL Cup finals. Besides, they are having a strong rivalry in the Premier League table. So, the upcoming FA Cup Quarterfinals will be decisive in shaping the FA Cup Semifinals.