Plymouth Argyle have been handed a mouth-watering last-16 tie against Manchester City after their FA Cup giant-killing exploits against Liverpool. Plymouth dumped the Premier League leaders out with a 1-0 win on Sunday, and their reward is a trip to last season’s league winners in the first weekend of March. FA Cup holders Manchester United will face Fulham after beating Leicester in controversial circumstances while there are also all-Premier League ties between Newcastle and Brighton, and Bournemouth and Wolves.
Pep Guardiola may think twice about fielding a weakened team against Argyle after Arne Slot was left defending his selection following Ryan Hardie’s second-half penalty to secure a famous defeat. In what was Liverpool’s 13th game since Boxing Day and ahead of Wednesday’s Merseyside derby at Everton, Slot made 10 changes from the side which had dismantled Tottenham Hotspur three days earlier to reach the League Cup final.
“You never know what will happen if we would have played with our starters,” Slot said. “During this season we’ve seen a few times already that it’s a game plan and playing style which is difficult for our starters, but also for the ones that played here.”. Preston North End v Burnley. Aston Villa v Cardiff City. Doncaster Rovers or Crystal Palace v Millwall. Manchester United v Fulham. Newcastle United v Brighton & Hove Albion.
Bournemouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers. Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle. Exeter City or Nottingham Forest v Ipswich Town. 5. Exeter City or Nottingham Forest v 6. Ipswich Town. 14. Manchester City v 10. Plymouth Argyle. The Championship club’s reward for their stunning victory over Liverpool a tie away to the Premier League champions. 11. Bournemouth v 7. Wolverhampton Wanderers. 9. Newcastle United v 3. Brighton & Hove Albion.
1. Manchester United v 8. Fulham. 15. Doncaster Rovers or Crystal Palace v 2. Millwall. 12. Aston Villa v 16. Cardiff City. 4. Preston North End v 13. Burnley. The draw is about to begin. Sit tight. With several of their biggest rivals having been eliminated, Manchester City are comfortable, favourites for the competition, with bookmakers giving them odds of around 2/1. Newcastle are second-favourites, followed closely by the Cup holders Manchester United. Aston Villa, having made the fifth round for the first time in a decade by defeating Spurs, look a good bet at around 8/1.
Championship side Blackburn Rovers lost to Wolves in the fourth round. John Eustace, the Blackburn manager is expected to make the 2-0 defeat his final match with the club ahead of taking the Derby County job. John Percy reported today that Eustace had requested to discuss the role with Derby after they triggered his £500,000 release clause. Liverpool are among the notable absentees from the draw after Arne Slot’s much-changed selection lost to Plymouth. Chris Bascombe, our Merseyside expert, says the result has increased the pressure on the Dutchman to win a trophy in his first season with the club.
There has been no video-assistant referee in the competition thus far but it will be used for the fifth round. The fifth-round ties are due to take place around the weekend of Saturday, March 1. 1. Manchester United. 2. Millwall. 3. Brighton & Hove Albion. 4. Preston North End. 5. Exeter City or Nottingham Forest. 6. Ipswich Town. 7. Wolverhampton Wanderers. 8. Fulham. 9. Newcastle United. 10. Plymouth Argyle. 11. Bournemouth.
12. Aston Villa. 13. Burnley. 14. Manchester City. 15. Doncaster Rovers or Crystal Palace. 16. Cardiff City. Kelly Somers will present the draw on BBC One. She will be joined by former England and Arsenal players Alex Scott and Theo Walcott. Scott has won the Women’s FA Cup seven times with Arsenal, whilst Walcott lifted the trophy three times during his time at the club. Arsenal’s men were eliminated in the third round this season, losing to Manchester United on penalties.
Good evening and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live blog of the FA Cup fifth-round draw. The competition looks more open than it has been for years, with Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur amongst the big clubs eliminated. Plymouth Argyle, bottom of the Championship, are the lowest-ranked team through to the last 16 but no side will want to face Miron Muslic’s giant-killers. They defeated Brentford in the third round and followed up with a superb victory over Liverpool, the Premier League leaders, on Sunday.
“I don’t care who we play next. [Manchester United] are more than welcome!” Muslic said. Tottenham’s defeat by Aston Villa on Sunday meant nine top-flight sides have already departed the competition, with League Two’s Doncaster Rovers aiming to upset visitors Crystal Palace tonight. Exeter City, 18th in League One, host Nottingham Forest in the remaining fourth-round tie on Tuesday. The draw is set to take place at around 7.10pm GMT this evening.
