FA Cup Fourth Round Review Part Two: Premier League Sides Advance Unscathed As Fifth Round Draw Is Concluded

The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round concluded without a single Premier League scalp, as top-flight clubs negotiating ties on Sunday 15 and Monday 16 February all booked safe passage into the last-16. With Macclesfield having already ousted holders Crystal Palace in the previous round, ten EFL hopefuls were left to try their hand at another giant-killing, yet none could finish the job.

At St. Andrew’s, Birmingham City pushed Leeds United every step of the way. Lukas Nmecha’s second-half strike looked to have sent Daniel Farke’s side through, only for Patrick Roberts to level in the 89th minute and force extra time. After 30 additional minutes failed to separate the Championship hosts from their Premier League visitors, a shootout saw misses from Tommy Doyle and Roberts allow Leeds to convert four of their own spot-kicks and progress 4-2.

League Two Grimsby Town gave Wolves a fright at a raucous Blundell Park, holding Rob Edwards’ men goalless in the opening period and without a shot on target. Centre-back Santiago Bueno finally broke the deadlock on the hour, and the Premier League strugglers clung to the 1-0 advantage to keep their cup dreams alive.

Struggling Oxford United, appearing in the Fourth Round for the first time since 2019-20, could not spring a surprise against Sunderland. Habib Diarra’s 32nd-minute penalty proved enough for Regis Le Bree’s strong Black Cats XI, who shut up shop to secure a 1-0 win at the Kassam Stadium.

Stoke City briefly threatened an upset when Jun-Ho Bae fired the Potters ahead after 20 minutes against Fulham, yet Kevin Mbabu levelled ten minutes into the second half and Harrison Reed struck six minutes from time to complete a 2-1 turnaround for Marco Silva’s side.

Arsenal, record 14-time winners, produced the round’s most ruthless display as Wigan Athletic were swamped at Emirates Stadium. Eberechi Eze created the opener for Noni Madueke and soon teed up Gabriel Martinelli; a Jack Hunt own goal and Gabriel Jesus finish made it 4-0 inside half an hour. The Gunners eased off after the break but still recorded a confidence-boosting clean sheet.

The weekend’s final fixture pitted National League North high-flyers Macclesfield against Brentford, and for 75 minutes the Silkmen matched their Premier League guests. The tie was settled by an unfortunate moment: defender Sam Heathcote headed a routine cross into his own net, handing the Bees a 1-0 victory and ending the sixth-tier side’s fairytale run.

With the Fourth Round complete, the Fifth Round draw—conducted ahead of the Macclesfield-Brentford game—pitts the following sides together:

Fulham vs Southampton Port Vale or Bristol City vs Sunderland Newcastle United vs Manchester City Leeds United vs Norwich City Mansfield Town vs Arsenal Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Liverpool Wrexham vs Chelsea West Ham United vs Brentford

Mansfield, rewarded for their earlier elimination of Crystal Palace, will welcome league-leading Arsenal to One Call Stadium, while Newcastle entertain holders Manchester City in an all-Premier League clash. In-form Championship outfit Wrexham host Chelsea, and Leeds return to Elland Road to face Norwich. The ties are scheduled for late February/early March, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.