Sophia Crothall

The fifth-round proper draw for the Emirates FA Cup took place last month and revealed which teams would face off in the next round. 

What is the FA Cup?

The FA Cup is an annual knockout football competition played in English football. It is the oldest national football competition in the world, dating back to 1871. Since 2015, it has been known as The Emirates FA Cup, after its headline sponsor.

The competition is open to all eligible clubs down to Level 9 of the English football league system, with Level 10 clubs acting as stand-ins. In 2011-12, a record 763 clubs took part.

“The knockout format makes for compelling matches, drawing large crowds to stadiums and worldwide viewership.”

The tournament consists of 12 randomly drawn rounds, followed by the semi-finals and the final. The first six rounds are the Qualifying Competition and are contested by clubs in the National League System and non-league clubs. Thirty-two of these teams progress to the first round of the Competition Proper, meeting the first of the 48 professional teams from Leagues One and Two. The last entrants are the 20 Premier League and 24 Championship clubs, into the draw for the third round proper.

Why is it so important?

The FA Cup has a rich history and is the oldest national football competition. Winning the competition is an achievement for any club, as it is a testament to their quality and determination. The final will be held in Wembley Stadium, granting a club entry into the following season’s UEFA Europa League.

“The fourth-round matches included an intense game between Manchester United and Newport.”

It allows clubs from all levels of English football to take part. This inclusivity allows smaller clubs to compete against higher-rank teams, creating memories and great fan experiences. It also offers clubs financial rewards through prize money and increased revenue from ticket sales and television rights. For smaller clubs, this can be a significant financial boost.

It generates fan interest across the country. The knockout format makes for compelling matches, drawing large crowds to stadiums and worldwide viewership.

When will the fifth round take place?

The fifth round will take place the week commencing Monday 26th February, and those who succeed will receive £225,000 from the competition prize fund. 

The lineup is as follows:

  1. Blackburn Rovers v Newcastle United
  2. Chelsea or Aston Villa v Leeds United or Plymouth Argyle
  3. AFC Bournemouth v Leicester City
  4. Liverpool v Watford or Southampton
  5. Bristol City or Nottingham Forest v Manchester United
  6. Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brighton & Hove Albion
  7. Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry City v Maidstone United
  8. Luton Town v Manchester City

To determine the above, the following replays will be played during the week commencing 5th February:

  • Southampton v Watford 
  • Coventry City v Sheffield Wednesday
  • Plymouth v Leeds United
  • Nottingham Forest v Bristol City
  • Aston Villa v Chelsea

How can I watch the games?

All eight FA Cup fifth-round ties will be available to watch live, with Blackburn v Newcastle and Nottingham Forest or Bristol City v Manchester United both on BBC One. 

Bournemouth v Leicester City and Wolves v Brighton & Hove Albion will be broadcast on BBC iPlayer.

ITV will host the other four games. 

What happened during the fourth round?

The fourth-round matches included an intense game between Manchester United and Newport, which saw United secure a 4-2 win. 

Within 13 minutes, hopes of a win for Newport seemed distant, with Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo putting the Premier League team 2-0 up. However, Newport knew they needed to defy the odds. 

Rodney Parade, home to Newport, roared when Bryn Morris scored to make it 2-1, followed by Will Evan’s equaliser. 

“For a lot of lower league clubs, those are some of the greatest days in their history”

Another key fourth-round game was for sixth-tier Maidstone United, who are waiting to find out whether they will face Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry City in the fifth round.

The National League South side, the lowest-ranked team still in the competition, eliminated Championship club Ipswich Town at Portman Road. 

However, one side that lost out was Ryan Reynolds’ and Rob McElhenney’s Wrexham, who Blackburn beat. 

Speaking about the FA Cup, Humphrey Ker, Wrexham’s English executive director, said: “For a lot of lower league clubs, those are some of the greatest days in their history, so very quickly Rob and Ryan, myself and anyone else coming into the club has been swept up in that excitement as well.” 

McElhenney congratulated Maidstone after their win at Ipswich on X, seemingly backing the claim. 

The fifth round games are set to take place in the week commencing Monday 26th February, with AFC Bournemouth v Leicester City taking place on Tuesday at 19:30 GMT and the remaining games the day after at 19:45 GMT. 

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Featured image courtesy of Paul on Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image licence found here.

Sophia is studying for a masters in 'Cultural and Creative Industries' at Cardiff University. She has key interests in F1 and Football and is looking to pursue a career in Sports Media. Sophia also runs her own sports news account @sophiacrothall_sport on Tik Tok.

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