Southampton make attractive 40/1 outsiders for FA Cup
Published:Wigan’s Wembley heroics last season proved FA Cup glory is achievable outside of the top four or five Premier League clubs.
In three of the last four seasons an outsider has made it to English football’s showpiece final and there’s no reason this cannot be achieved again in 2013/14.
With more and more of the top clubs throwing all their efforts at Champions League qualification over domestic cup success, it leaves the gate ajar for one of the lesser clubs to ‘do a Wigan’ every
season going forward.
Having secured their top-flight status with relative ease in the end last season – the Saints only lost two of their last 10 games – Mauricio Pochettino will be confident his talented squad can push on from here.
The Argentine has already won many over to his cause after his controversial appointment last season, including Sir Alex Ferguson, who gushed after Southampton’s visit to Old Trafford that the south coast club were the best team to have visited in the league.
Indeed, Saints’ ability to raise their game against the very top sides is what makes them such a tempting pick to cause a few shocks in a cup competition.
Despite getting knocked out by this season’s 11/2 favourites Chelsea last term, Southampton then returned the favour by beating the Blues 2-1 at St Mary’s in the Premier League later in the campaign.
Chelsea were not the only big gun scalp which Southampton took either, having hit Liverpool for three in the previous game, while doling out Man City the same treatment earlier in the season.
Victor Wanyama’s summer arrival from Celtic should also have a positive effect.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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