Draw day for the FA Cup 4th round has stirred up several interesting matchups, including a very personal one for Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior, who will get a chance to go head-to-head with his former club, Hull City. Chelsea are set to visit the MKM Stadium for their game, which means close quarters for Rosenior, as he left the Tigers for Strasbourg and then moved on from the 2023/24 season at the end.
Local team Macclesfield, who aren’t in one of the top leagues, are still the dark horses, the highest-ranked team, and they’ve got another top-tier draw at home, this time against Premier League side Brentford. The National League North team shocked the current holders, Crystal Palace, with a 2–1 win last round, and they probably haven’t stopped thinking about another miracle since then.
Moreover, there is the highlight of the all-Premier League duel, which is the fixture where Aston Villa and Newcastle are getting ready to face each other at Villa Park, with the possibility of a really exciting match. Other matches have Arsenal going against a League One side, Wigan at home, and Manchester City will play their match on home turf against either Salford City or Swindon Town.
Liverpool have been drawn against Brighton, whereas Leeds United have been drawn against Birmingham City in their Championship. A few other games that may be of interest are Southampton against Leicester City as the home side, and Wrexham at Ipswich Town.
The 4th-round games are scheduled for the weekend of Saturday, February 14, as the cup slowly reaches its climax and excitement before the season’s final stages.
Full FA Cup fourth-round draw:
Liverpool or Barnsley vs Brighton
Stoke City vs Fulham
Oxford United vs Sunderland
Southampton vs Leicester City
Wrexham vs Ipswich
Arsenal vs Wigan
Hull City vs Chelsea
Burton Albion vs West Ham
Burnley vs Mansfield Town
Norwich City vs West Brom
Port Vale vs Bristol City
Grimsby Town vs Wolves
Aston Villa vs Newcastle
Manchester City vs Salford or Swindon
Macclesfield vs Brentford
Birmingham City vs Leeds
