FA Cup Fifth Round Draw Highlights Exciting Matchups

omidbasir- The draw for the FA Cup fifth round took place on Monday evening, unveiling eight exciting matchups for the teams still in contention. The standout fixture is undoubtedly Wrexham’s encounter with Chelsea, as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s team prepares to challenge the Premier League giants, managed by Liam Rosenior.

Manchester City faces a daunting trip to St James’ Park to take on Newcastle, while Liverpool is set to clash with struggling Premier League side Wolves. Sunderland will await the winner of the match between Port Vale and Bristol City, and West Ham will compete against either Macclesfield or Brentford.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will travel to League One side Mansfield Town.

The complete draw is as follows:

– Fulham vs Southampton
– Port Vale or Bristol City vs Sunderland
– Newcastle vs Man City
– Leeds vs Norwich City
– Mansfield Town vs Arsenal
– Wolves vs Liverpool
– Wrexham vs Chelsea
– West Ham vs Brentford

Wrexham made headlines by defeating Premier League opposition in the third round, overcoming Nottingham Forest in a dramatic penalty shootout following a 3-3 draw. They secured their place in the fifth round with a narrow 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town. Chelsea has also demonstrated their strength, defeating Charlton Athletic and Hull City with impressive scores of 5-1 and 4-0, respectively.

The Welsh club has not reached the fifth round since 1997, but manager Phil Parkinson is focused on the future rather than the past. After the victory over Ipswich, he stated, “We spoke before the game about our chance to create a bit of history. We’ve done it, and I’m so pleased because it was always going to be a tough game against a very good side.”

He continued, “This season, with the challenge of being in the Championship and now an FA Cup run, we want to enjoy it, and tonight we certainly did. It’s fantastic for our owners to reach the fifth round. We look forward to the draw on Monday night while staying focused on our league commitments.”

Meanwhile, Rosenior aims to secure his first trophy with Chelsea this season. He praised his team’s application during their 4-0 victory over Hull, acknowledging the challenge posed by the Championship side. “I was delighted with the players’ application and attitude in the first half. Hull is performing well in the Championship, and I hope they achieve promotion this year. However, our quality and mental application set the foundation for our success tonight.”

He added, “While we have areas to improve, I am pleased with our initial performances. Pedro Neto stood out, contributing with hard work and quality. It’s reassuring to see the team’s mentality, reflecting positively on the club.”

The fixtures for the fifth round of the FA Cup are scheduled for the weekend of March 7-8. Winning clubs will receive £238,500, providing a significant financial incentive for lower-league teams.