Monday, January 16, 2012

FA Cup Opta Facts - Round 4 (17-18 January)


Wolverhampton Wanderers v Birmingham City

Wolves have eliminated Birmingham on three of the four occasions that they have met in the FA Cup, including in the third round in 2009.
Birmingham have made it to the quarter-finals in each of the last two seasons.
The Blues have won only four of their last 26 FA Cup meetings with top-flight sides.
Wolves have made it past the third round in each of the last nine seasons, only Chelsea and Arsenal can equal this.
Birmingham have only lost one of their last six meetings with Wolves in all competitions (W3 D2 L1).
The Blues have only lost two of their last 10 FA Cup matches away from home.
Wolves have only won two of their last eight home FA Cup matches and kept just one clean sheet in that run.

Millwall v Dagenham & Redbridge

This is the Daggers' fifth appearance in the FA Cup third round, having been eliminated at this stage three times previously.
Dagenham and Redbridge have won only one of their last nine FA Cup games.
The Daggers are the only side to have won a penalty shoot-out in the FA Cup this season, beating Walsall 3-2 on spot-kicks after a 0-0 draw in the second round.
Both of Dagenham's FA Cup ties this season have gone to extra time in a replay.
Millwall's loss to Birmingham last season was their first defeat in normal time on home soil in the FA Cup since 2003.
The Lions are unbeaten in 15 FA Cup games (including replays) against lower league opposition, a run that stretches back to a 0-1 defeat at Hartlepool in October 1999.

Wrexham v Brighton & Hove Albion

This is the third time that Brighton and Wrexham have been drawn together in the FA Cup. In 1932, they drew 0-0 at Brighton before the Seagulls won 3-2 after extra time in a replay. In 1953 they played a replay and extra time before Wrexham won 3-1 at a neutral venue in a third game.
The Seagulls are now unbeaten in eight meetings with Wrexham in all competitions, winning four and drawing four.
Wrexham haven't made it past Round 3 of the FA Cup since 2000.
The Red Dragons have won three of their last four home games in the FA Cup proper.
Brighton have only lost one of their last 11 FA Cup games against teams from lower divisions, winning five and drawing five.
The Seagulls have only won one of their last 10 away games in all competitions, losing seven and failing to score in seven.

QPR v MK Dons

QPR haven't made it past the third round of the Cup since 2001 when they eventually lost 6-0 to Arsenal in the fourth round.
Rangers haven't played a team from a lower division since December 2002 (prior to meeting MK Dons this season), when they were eliminated after losing a 1st round replay on penalties to non-league side Vauxhall Motors.
The Hoops have equaled Leeds United's run of 16 games without a win in the FA Cup proper up to 1962, the poorest streak ever in the competition by a side from the Football League.
The MK Dons have never made it past the third round of the FA Cup.
The Dons have also never defeated a team from a higher division in the FA Cup, losing all four games before their 1-1 draw against QPR this season.

Bolton Wanderers v Macclesfield

Bolton have won both previous home meetings with Macclesfield in all competitions, winning 2-1 in the Carling Cup earlier this season and 1-0 in the same competition in August 2000.
The Trotters have kept six clean sheets in their last eight FA Cup game against lower ranked sides.
Macclesfield have never made it past the third round of the competition, losing all eight previous third round games before their draw against Bolton this season.
If Macclesfield fail to win this game, it will be the ninth successive time that they have failed to make it through the third round. Only one team (Barrow, 11) have made it to the third round on more occasions but never progressed.
Indeed, the Silkmen's previous five away third round ties have seen them lose all five, concede 20 and net just four.
Bolton have lost seven of their last nine home games in all competitions, winning one and drawing one.
Macclesfield have won just one of their last 22 FA Cup games against sides from higher divisions, drawing five and losing 16.

Leicester City v Nottingham Forest

Forest have won just one of their last seven FA Cup matches (including replays).
Leicester have also won only one of their last seven FA Cup games (including replays).
The Foxes have only progressed past the Third Round once in the previous five seasons.
In the last six seasons, Forest have alternated between making it as far as the Fourth Round and failing to get that far. If the sequence is to continue, they will have to lose against Leicester.
Forest won the only previous FA Cup meeting (prior to this season) between these sides 5-1 in February 1901.
The Foxes have won four of their last five home clashes with their East Midlands rivals, losing the other.