Thirty-two teams resume play in the FA Cup this weekend as fourth round action gets underway, the pack of clubs left standing led by some of the Premier League’s finest as the competition to lift England’s most historic trophy continues.
Premier League giants Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City will take on lower division sides as they target a spot in the quarterfinals, while a handful of competitive matches also await. Two all-Premier League matchups make up the 16 games on the slate, with Liverpool set to take on Brighton and Hove Albion and Aston Villa to square off against Newcastle United. A handful of Championship teams will also face off against one another, including Wrexham’s match against Ipswich Town in a battle between two teams chasing promotion to the top flight and a fixture between Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion.
The list of contenders for the trophy is led by 14 Premier League clubs, most of the top flight’s 20 teams making it through the third round unscathed. One notable exception are reigning champions Crystal Palace, who were ousted in a historic upset by a non-league side last month.
Here’s what you need to know about the next round of action before tuning in.
FA Cup fourth round TV schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
Friday, Feb. 13
Hull City vs. Chelsea, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN2)
Wrexham vs. Ipswich Town, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN Select)
Saturday, Feb. 14
Burton Albion vs. West Ham United, 7:15 a.m. (ESPN Select)
Southampton vs. Leicester City, 10 a.m. (ESPN Select)
Burnley vs. Mansfield Town, 10 a.m. (ESPN Select)
Norwich City vs. West Bromwich Albion, 10 a.m. (ESPN Select)
Port Vale vs. Bristol City, 10 a.m. (ESPN Select)
Manchester City vs. Salford City, 10 a.m. (ESPN Select)
Aston Villa vs. Newcastle United, 12:45 p.m. (ESPN Select)
Liverpool vs. Brighton and Hove Albion, 3 p.m. (ESPN Select)
Sunday, Feb. 15
Birmingham City vs. Leeds United, 7 a.m. (ESPN)
Grimsby Town vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers, 8:30 a.m. (ESPN Select)
Oxford United vs. Sunderland, 9 a.m. (ESPN Select)
Stoke City vs. Fulham, 9 a.m. (ESPN Select)
Arsenal vs. Wigan Athletic, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN Select)
Monday, Feb. 16
Macclesfield Town vs. Brentford, 2:45 p.m. (ESPN Select)
Macclesfield Town, the last non-league team standing
There will be one clear underdog heading into the fourth round — Macclesfield Town, the only non-league team remaining in the competition. They have already made history by beating Crystal Palace 2-0 in the third round, becoming the first non-league side to knock out the reigning champions since Palace themselves did it in the 1908-09 season. The challenge of advancing in the FA Cup does not get any easier from here, though. They next face Premier League side Brentford, who are in the midst of an impressive first season under coach Keith Andrews. The Bees are in the hunt to qualify for European competition for the first time in their history and are not all that far off from the UEFA Champions League berths, arguably making them one of the most formidable challengers for the FA Cup left.
A different type of Manchester derby
Manchester City, meanwhile, return to play in the FA Cup with a favorable matchup against League Two side Salford City in a local tie against a team from the Greater Manchester area — and one owned by a batch of ex-Manchester United players. City will naturally go into this match as the heavy favorites, their might on display when they beat Salford 8-0 in FA Cup third round action last year. Pep Guardiola’s side, though, also seem to have a new lease on life after a come-from-behind win against Liverpool last weekend, perhaps providing them additional incentive to come out with a win as they look to win their first trophy in two seasons. Considering the favorable circumstances, expect Guardiola to rotate through his options but considering City have several quality attackers at their disposal, the team selection may offer little reprieve for Salford.
Liam Rosenior’s Hull City return
Chelsea have a chance to bounce back from a midweek draw against Leeds United when they return to FA Cup action on Friday, opening up the fourth round slate with a trip to Hull City. It marks a homecoming of sorts for new Blues coach Liam Rosenior, who cut his managerial teeth during a two year stint with Hull — and offers a chance for him to prove his worth in the early weeks of his tenure at Chelsea. Rosenior inherited a team that won two trophies last season under his predecessor Enzo Maresca, the UEFA Conference League title in which a young team announced themselves and the FIFA Club World Cup title in which they proved they could contend with some of Europe’s best on any given day. Rosenior, though, has also joined a team with a sputtering attack, epitomized by Cole Palmer’s big miss against Leeds as a dry spell in front of goal continues. Friday’s game at Hull may not offer any revealing answers on that front, but Rosenior’s big task is still getting the best out of Palmer, and perhaps picking up silverware along the way in the short-term.
