Arsenal hold too many guns for Sky Blues

There’s always the chance of an upset, it’s the FA Cup, right? Wrong.

Try as hard as I can, I can’t find an ounce of evidence to suggest that Coventry can be given an earthly tonight at the Emirates and take issue with the Racing Post’s page 99 headline that suggests “Sky Blues won’t roll over easily”.

I can probably find 99 reasons why they will, and trust me I want to TRY and find some reasons for thinking against the masses to try and get maximum value from the match.

But when this pair last met it was 6-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates….

HEAD TO HEAD
(Last 10 only)
Sep 2012 Capital One Arsenal 6-1 Coventry
Feb 2001 Premiership Coventry 0-1 Arsenal
Sep 2000 Premiership Arsenal 2-1 Coventry
Mar 2000 Premiership Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
Dec 1999 Premiership Coventry 3-2 Arsenal
Mar 1999 Premiership Arsenal 2-0 Coventry
Oct 1998 Premiership Coventry 0-1 Arsenal
Jan 1998 Premiership Coventry 2-2 Arsenal
Nov 1997 League Cup Arsenal 1-0 Coventry
Aug 1997 Premiership Arsenal 2-0 Coventry

It was 2001 that these two teams last met at the top level and Coventry’s subsequent freefall has been well documented.

However, they are playing well in League One at the moment, despite being docked 10 points by the FA at the start of the season for entering administration, and it’s certainly not inconceivable that they could get into the play-offs even with that hefty handicap.

Furthermore, Coventry have lost just one of their last 11 and won at Barnsley in round three of the Cup.

But they face an Arsenal side who have conceded just one goal in their last NINE home matches and are currently proudly sitting at the top of the pyramid of English football.

Arsene Wenger has indicated he will play a strong side tonight and will no doubt be keen to avoid a repetition of last season’s shock defeat by Championship side Blackburn.

There’s always the ‘romance’ of the cup to consider, but even so, with home advantage, it’s hard to see anything other than a convincing win for the Gunners and I’m buying the total goals market with Star Spreads at around 3.9.

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• Any spread prices quoted are indicative and as always prices are subject to fluctuation.
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