By Jim Knight
It’s an all-Premier League FA Cup semi-final on Sunday as cup specialists and reigning champions Chelsea take on last season’s league winners Manchester City and Paddy Power are refunding selected bets if either Yaya Toure or Juan Mata score the last goal of the game.
On Monday, the Irish bookmaker refunded losing punters on selected markets in the Manchester derby after Sergio Aguero scored the final goal so it could pay to bet with Paddy Power this Sunday too.
Roberto Mancini’s team – FA Cup winners in 2011 – are 5/4 (2.25) favourites to win the tournament outright with Paddy Power while Chelsea are 6/4 (2.50) with the online bookmaker to record back-to-back tournament wins.
The sides haven’t met in the FA Cup for 42 years (City won 3-0 in 1971) but have met three times this season with the balance of power resting with the Manchester-based club.
They ran out 2-0 winners at home in February and were 3-2 victors in the Community Shield at Wembley last August.
Yaya Toure – who recently signed a new four-year deal with the club – equalised for Mancini’s men at Wembley and also gave his side the lead in the win at the Etihad Stadium in February.
The Cote d’Ivoire international has one goal (in the 4-0 win over Leeds) from two games in the cup and five league strikes to his name this season and is 3/1 to score at anytime against Rafa Benitez’s side or 9/1 to get the last goal of the game.
Juan Mata’s sole FA Cup goal this season came in the 4-0 replay win against Brentford but his 10 strikes in the league – eight away from Stamford Bridge – has kept Chelsea’s top-four credentials on track despite mounting pressure from Spurs and more recently Arsenal.
The Spanish playmaker is 9/2 (5.50) to get Chelsea’s first goal or 8/1 (9.0) to get the last goal of the game with Paddy Power.
If Yaya Toure or Juan Mata score the last goal in this match, Paddy Power will refund all losing first and last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on the game.
City have yet to concede a goal in the four games they’ve played in the competition while Chelsea have conceded five in their six games to date.
Chelsea have scored 16 – three more than City – but have played two games more due to replays and have had only two full days to recover from a long flight back from Moscow while City will be buoyed by the 2-1 derby win over United last Monday.
In all, City have won six of the last 10 encounters between the sides, Chelsea three and there’s been one draw.
The Citizens are 4/6 (1.67) to qualify for the next round with Paddy Power while Chelsea are 11/10 (2.10).
