SAN FRANCISCO, January 11, (THEWILL) –Â After the matches of Sunday concluded the third round fixtures of the English FA Cup with the only upset being Premiership side Leeds losing 3-0 to League Two giant-killers Crawley Town, it was time for the draws to determine the next pairings for subsequent rounds.
In the standout fixture for those pairings for the fourth and fifth rounds in the draw that took place on Monday night, League champions Liverpool will face Manchester United at Old Trafford in a fourth round battle.
Liverpool qualified through the third round by edging past a COVID-stricken Aston Villa side that resorted to fielding a combination of youths from their Academy for the tie. Getting through to the fifth round will not be that easy. Title rivals and second-placed United, in search of a debut silverware for their manager, will be hungry for progress after four consecutive semi-final defeats.
The Reds themselves are not going to be easy pushovers, however. Even against the depleted Villa side, Jurgen Klopp named a strong side to drive home his determination to pursue all prizes while keeping the bulk of his side primed for victory. The ramifications for both sides make the match a mouthwatering affair.
As if all of that was not enough to signify how magnificent the fourth round pairing is, there is one more. The match takes on added importance as it is set to take place a week after they face off in an enticingly table-topping contest in the Premier League between the leading two sides on the log. A lot will be hanging on the outcome.
In typical, old-fashioned FA Cup fairytale, non-league side Chorley have survived as the lowest ranked team left in the competition after edging past Derby County in the third round to keep their dreams of glory alive. They will continue their fantasy at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the fourth.
In other fixtures, whoever wins between Southampton and Shrewsbury will face defending champions and the most successful FA Cup team in history Arsenal, while other London teams Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will battle it out against Luton Town and Wycombe Wanderers respectively.
Below are all the ties for the fourth round from the draw
FA Cup Fourth Round:
Cheltenham Town vs Manchester City
Bournemouth vs Crawley Town
Swansea City vs Nottingham Forest
Manchester United vs Liverpool
Southampton or Shrewsbury vs Arsenal
Barnsley vs Norwich
Chorley vs Wolves
Milwall vs Bristol City
Brighton vs Blackpool
Wycombe Wanderers vs Tottenham
Fulham vs Burnley
Sheffield United vs Plymouth Argyle
Chelsea vs Luton Town
Stockport County or West Ham vs Doncaster Rovers
Brentford vs Leicester
Everton vs Sheffield Wednesday
The draw for the fifth round was also made on Monday immediately after the fourth round draw concluded. Just like that round, there were interesting matchups in the fifth but all the ties depended squarely on how the fourth round games play out.
These are how the pairings ended up after the draw
FA Cup Fifth Round:
Fulham or Burnley vs Bournemouth or Crawley Town
Manchester United or Liverpool vs Stockport County/West Ham or Doncaster Rovers
Sheffield United or Plymouth vs Milwall or Bristol City
Chorley or Wolves vs Southampton/Shrewsbury or Arsenal
Barnsley or Norwich vs Chelsea or Luton
Everton or Sheffield Wednesday vs Wycombe or Tottenham
Swansea or Nottingham Forest vs Cheltenham or Manchester City
Brentford or Leicester vs Brighton or Blackpool
The fourth and fifth rounds are due to take place 22-25 January and 9-11 February respectively.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
