Get On Gunners for FA Cup Glory

Arsenal are widely available at 9/2 (Bet365, Coral and Sporting Odds ) to win the FA Cup this season and that price looks well worth taking. The Gunners have triumphed on three occasions in the past five seasons, demonstrating how seriously they take this competition, while the return of Thierry Henry from injury is proving to be a massive boost to their hopes of silverware this term. Confidence is sky high after five wins on the bounce, including a 3-1 victory at Anfield in the previous round of the FA Cup. Providing they overcome Bolton in Sunday's 4th round tie at the Emirates, you can expect their price to come crashing down, depending on the draw for the next round. They certainly offer more value than out-of-sorts Chelsea (9/4 Ladbrokes) who should cruise past Nottingham Forest this weekend but are surely too short, considering their current defensive frailties. Aside from Liverpool and Arsenal, the only other team to win the FA Cup in the past five years is Man Utd and they're 7/2 (bet365) to repeat their success of 2004. However, the league is clearly the number one priority for the Red Devils, something which may be beyond the Gunners in April. They also have a tricky-looking match against Portsmouth on Saturday and will be shaken after their 2-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium last Sunday. Indeed, the Big 4 have dominated this competition in recent history but that shouldn't put you off looking for some decent each-way value instead. With bookies paying half the odds on the first two places, backers of West Ham, Millwall and Southampton will have been rubbing their hands in recent seasons. However, punters need to be careful that the team they back put out their strongest side in the FA Cup. After careful consideration, I'll take Blackburn at a tasty 20/1 (Paddy Power) to make it to Wembley this season and give Mark Hughes a chance to emulate his Cup achievements as a player. After a poor start to the season, they've eased themselves up to mid-table but may need this competition for another shot at Europe next year. Rovers are also doing well on the road, which bodes well ahead of Saturday's lunchtime trip to Luton or QPR.