January 12, (THEWILL) — The FA Cup fourth round draw has delivered favourable ties for Arsenal and Chelsea, whilst sixth-tier Macclesfield Town earned a dream fixture against Brentford after their stunning third round victory over holders Crystal Palace.
Liverpool, should they overcome Barnsley on Monday night, will meet English Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, who defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford to secure their progression.
Arsenal will face Wigan Athletic, the 2013 FA Cup winners, after the Gunners survived a scare against second-tier Portsmouth in the previous round.
Chelsea, beginning their campaign under new head coach Liam Rosenior with a comprehensive victory over Charlton, have been drawn against Hull City, Rosenior’s former employers.
Macclesfield’s defeat of Crystal Palace represented the standout result of the third round weekend. The non-league side, which only purchased their ground off Rightmove in 2020, will now travel to face EPL opposition once more when they visit Brentford.
Manchester City await the winner of Monday’s tie between Salford City and Swindon Town, whilst Aston Villa have been paired with Newcastle United.
Other notable fixtures include Birmingham City hosting Leeds United and Wrexham welcoming Ipswich Town.
West Ham United will travel to Burton Albion, and Wolverhampton Wanderers face a trip to Grimsby Town. Southampton will host Leicester City.
The fourth round proper is scheduled for the weekend of February 14, with the competition culminating in the final at Wembley on May 16.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
