Theo Walcott has made it clear that this season’s FA Cup could well be his best chance of finally winning a trophy as an Arsenal player. The Gunners are still yet to win any silverware since lifting the 2005 FA Cup trophy, something that has caused a host of key players to leave the club. Arsene Wenger’s men will now go into their fifth round tie of this year’s FA Cup knowing they now have a great chance of finally ending that wait. Fans of Betfair should bear this in mind.

With both Manchester clubs out of the competition, Arsenal will be one of the favourites to go on and lift the trophy. The Gunners produced the sort of form champions need to be capable of when they came back from 2-0 against Aston Villa in the last round to win the tie 3-2 and earn their place in the final-16, where they will now come up against either Sunderland or Middlesbrough.

There is still some way to go before the club can start planning their open-top bus parade through the streets of north London and Wenger will know his side have a lot to do to reach Wembley. Those looking at the FA Cup betting should remember this.

That said, however, Walcott has admitted the team are confident of finally ending their silverware drought and making up for their Carling Cup final defeat of last season by winning this year’s FA Cup. The 22-year old has made it clear he is determined to make up for the lack of trophies in his Arsenal career to date, admitting he is hopeful of putting that right in this year’s tournament.

“I would like to look back on my career at the trophies I have won. There are none yet. This is a competition that we can win.”

“A couple of big teams have gone out and, if we can come from 2-0 down, hopefully we can beat anybody now.”

Nemanja Vidic is unlikely to feature when Manchester United attempt to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment against Wolves at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The Serbia defender fell awkwardly under a challenge from Basel striker Marco Streller in the 2-1 defeat against Basel in Switzerland on Wednesday and manager Sir Alex Ferguson has said he fears his captain suffered medial ligament damage. Anyone looking at the Premier League betting will be wondering how long he will be out for.

The loss of the 30-year-old former Spartak Moscow stalwart added to a hugely disappointing night for the Premier League champions.

The three-time winners of the competition only needed a draw in Switzerland to get out of Group C but failed to book their place in the knockout stages for a fifth consecutive season thanks to goals from Streller and Alexander Frei. Those following the Betfair Premier League odds should remember this.

It means United must now enter the Europa League in a situation defender Patrice Evra described as “embarrassing” and a “catastrophe”.

Ferguson was less damning of his players but admitted it would take some of his youngsters time to recover.

“Of course we’re disappointed, there’s no other way you can feel,” he said.

“It’s part of football. You have to deal with the disappointment, and this club has used it as motivation many times.”

The Scot added: “These young players will feel disappointed but they’ll have to cope with it and go on with their careers.

United are the first team to be knocked out at the group stage the season after reaching the final and it is only the third time in 17 years that they have departed Europe’s elite club competition at this stage.

Stourbridge FC have warned second-round opponents Stevenage Borough that the club’s FA Cup dream is far from over.

The Dudley-based outfit caused a huge upset last time out when they beat struggling League Two side Plymouth thanks to goals from Paul McCone and Sean Evans.

McCone’s 52nd-minute header put the home side in front and Evans sealed Stourbridge’s passage to a second-round home tie when he bundled home a 73rd-minute rebound. Fans of football betting online will have been impressed.

The result means another pay-day against another Football League outfit for the West Midlands side and a chance to net the Glassboys a place in the third round of the famous old cup competition. Those looking at the FA Cup betting will be following their fortunes.

“I’d back us against anybody at home, without a doubt,” bricklayer McCone told the Birmingham Mail.

“Wayne Rooney? I would smash him,” joked the defender.

Team manager Gary Hackett, a former West Brom winger now working by day as company secretary of a chemical firm, said: “There are some nice stories there.”

He added: “A lot of them have had to battle with rejection from League clubs. This was the biggest football night for most of them.”

Stourbridge are enjoying a terrific run of form at the War Memorial Athletic Ground and have dropped only two out of a possible 21 points on home soil all season.

Second Round

Salisbury City v Grimsby
Stourbridge v Stevenage
Sheffield United v Torquay
Colchester v Swindon
Chelmsford v Macclesfield
Leyton Orient v Gillingham
Crawley v Redbridge
Luton v Cheltenham
Fleetwood v Yeovil
Brentford v Wrexham
Bradford v AFC Wimbledon
Shrewsbury v Rotherham
Dagenham v Walsall
Barnet v MK Dons
Gateshead v Tamworth
Sheffield Wednesday v Aldershot
Sutton v Notts County
Southend v Oldham
Totton v Bristol Rovers
Charlton v Carlisle

Ties to be played on December 3/4

Lionel Messi was delighted with Barcelona’s thrilling 3-2 Champions League victory at AC Milan and believes the two sides put on a great spectacle for the fans.

Barca are now confirmed as group winners following the win, secured thanks to a goal from the Argentinian, his first against an Italian side, an own goal from Mark van Bommel and a second-half Xavi strike.

It was a wonderful 90 minutes of football in Italy as Milan twice equalised through former Barca striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kevin-Prince Boateng only to be denied by Xavi. Those following the Champions League betting will have been impressed.

The European champions were tested by Milan once again but, after the two sides had played out a 2-2 draw in the first game between the pair in September, Barca eventually prevailed in the return to ensure they will finish top of the group.

The win, which shows the Spanish giants can dig deep for victory when asked questions by the opposition as well as simply ripping teams apart, underlines their status as favourites to retain their crown next May and Messi was predictably delighted with the performance and victory.

He told UEFA: “It was a great match against a prestigious team. We finished top which was what we were looking for.

“It was nice to score my first goal against an Italian team but the important thing was to win and we did that against a side with excellent players.”

Barca will now avoid the other group winners in the last 16 and Messi believes that is crucial as they bid to become the first side to claim back-to-back Champions League titles since the format was changed in 1992-93. Fans of Betfair football will know they have every chance of doing so.

“It was crucial to win tonight as it makes the draw for the round of 16 slightly easier, in theory, which is better for us,” he added.

“We badly wanted to win against this great team and I think it was a great spectacle for the fans in a fantastic stadium.”

AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played down the Champions League clash against his former club Barcelona on Wednesday, saying there is “no need to over-hype” his meeting with his old employers in Group H.

It is likely to be a fairly relaxed meeting in the San Siro in midweek with both sides already through to the last 16 with two games to play in the group.
Top spot is still up for grabs, though, with Milan the underdogs to prevail as group winners as they sit two points behind leaders Barca ahead of the game. Fans of Betfair football should remember this.

They played out a 2-2 draw in the corresponding clash in Spain on Matchday 1 although Sweden star Ibrahimovic had to sit out that return to the Nou Camp because of injury.

He admits he was disappointed to miss the first game but is set to feature on Wednesday as he takes on the club he spent one season with in 2009-10 – although has not attached much personal significance to the fixture. Those following the Champions League betting should bear this in mind.

“I was looking forward to that match (the first group game),” he said on the UEFA website.

“I was training very hard but I got an injury the day before. I was disappointed, but for me playing against a former team is nothing personal.

“Of course it’s emotional, a big game, but in the end it’s like any other game. There’s no need to over-hype it.”

Ibrahimovic admits when he left Barca they were the best team in the world but he stands by his decision to move on as things hadn’t worked out exactly as he had planned, despite scoring 21 goals and helping Pep Guardiola’s side to the Spanish title during his time there.

He added: “We will be playing against the best team in the world, without doubt. Even when I left the team, I knew I’d left the best team in the world.

“But, for me and all the other parties involved, I think the best solution was to leave the club. Given the results for both sides, it was the best solution.”