The FA Cup third round just a couple of weeks ago did not disappoint with major upsets, dramatic penalty shootouts and plenty of goals, and there’s no reason to expect the fourth round to be any different.
32 sides remain in the competition but only 16 can make it through to the fifth round and we’ll know exactly who those sides are after Monday night.
All 16 games have high potential but we’ve selected the five most eye-catching clashes to keep an eye out for this weekend.
Manchester United vs Liverpool
Two of the Premier League’s title contenders battle it out at Old Trafford on Sunday, in a repeat of last weekend’s clash.
Although that game failed to live up to the billing, there will be no place for another dull 0-0 affair as there must be a winner on this occasion.
Liverpool were given a tough test in the third round when they come up against a very inexperienced Aston Villa side but did negotiate their way through it in the end thanks to goals from Georginio Wijnaldum, Mo Salah and two from Sadio Mane.
Man United meanwhile came up against tougher opponents in Watford but Scott McTominay’s early header proved to be enough to see the Red Devils into the hat for the next round.
Hopefully we’ll see two sides going all out for a win in this one and there’s sure to be plenty of quality on show as two of the biggest sides in world football head to battle.
Chorley vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
The only non-league side left in the division will look to continue their cup journey when they face Wolves to kick off the fourth round later today.
There’s a huge gulf between the two sides but the National League North side will look to cause one of the biggest cup upsets of recent times if they can beat the mid table Premier League side.
Chorley beat Championship side Derby County 2-0 in the third round although they weren’t tested as much as they though they might have been as Wayne Rooney gave the U23 squad a chance to shine.
Wolves haven’t hit their usual heights so far this season and are without a win in their last six Premier League games, although Nuno’s men will be confident this will be the opportunity they need to get back to winning ways.
Kick off at Victory Park is at 7:45pm tonight and its sure to be a fascinating affair.
Cheltenham Town vs Manchester City
Saturday’s evening kick off takes place at Whaddon Road as Cheltenham take on a Man City side flying towards the top of the Premier League.
Cheltenham have set their sights on promotion to League One this season and currently within the play-off places, although they’re without a win in their last seven league matches.
Man City meanwhile have won their last 9 games in all conceptions, conceding just two goals in the process and haven’t lost since mid November.
It would be some ask for Cheltenham to cause a shock and knock last season’s semi finalists out at this stage but stranger things have happened and the Robins will be keen to go out there and show what they’re about with nothing to lose.
This game marks the first ever competitive meeting between these two sides and the winner of this one will face either Swansea City or Nottingham Forest away in the fifth round.
Brentford vs Leicester City
Another exciting game on Sunday sees Championship side Brentford host high-flying Leicester City at the Brentford Community Stadium – a game between two sides full of confidence and who like to play exciting attacking football.
The Bees will have their sights firmly set on promotion to the top flight this season after narrowly missing out at Wembley in the play-off final in August.
They’re on a great run at the moment having avoided defeat in their last 16 Championship games and as a result currently sit just two points behind second place.
Leicester also have eyes on the top at the moment, as they sit just two points behind the summit of the Premier League and come into this game off the back of an impressive 2-0 win over Chelsea.
The Foxes like to play with energy, similar to their Championship opponents and this game has all the makings of an exciting game of cup football.
Brighton and Hove Albion vs Blackpool
Another game with a huge gulf between the two sides sees Blackpool visit the Amex to take on a Brighton side who have just shown some sings of encouragement in recent games.
The Seagulls have lost just one of their last four games and that came at the hands of Man City by a narrow 1-0 scoreline.
The win at Leeds at the weekend would’ve given Graham Potter’s men great belief ahead of this tie which they are really expected to win against a struggling Blackpool side.
These two teams last met in the Championship in 2015 and Brighton will be keen to show just how far they’ve come since then.
The Tangerines have nothing to lose in this one though and will sense a chance given that their opponents were taken all the way to penalties by Newport County in the previous round.
We’re all set for another entertaining weekend of cup football and there’s plenty to keep a close eye on over the coming days.
