FA Cup fourth round: Arsenal host Wigan as Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea and more progress
The FA Cup fourth round delivers a packed weekend of ties and several high-profile names remain in the hat. Big clubs progressed in early ties while Sunday’s schedule features Arsenal, Leeds, Wolves, Sunderland, Fulham and Stoke across staggered kickoff times in Eastern Time. Cup shocks and squad management will be the themes as teams juggle domestic priorities.
Results roundup and this weekend’s schedule (all times ET)
Early fixtures set the tone for a lively weekend. On Friday Chelsea dismantled Hull with a 4-0 win while Wrexham edged Ipswich 1-0. Saturday produced a mix of expected wins and cup shocks: Manchester City beat Salford City 2-0, Liverpool overcame Brighton 3-0, and Newcastle defeated Aston Villa 3-1. Norwich triumphed 3-1 at West Brom, while Southampton needed extra time to knock out Leicester 2-1. There was giant-killing drama too — Mansfield Town shocked Burnley 2-1 after leading in a result that will boost lower-league belief, and West Ham progressed with a late extra-time victory at Burton.
- Sunday fixtures (ET): Birmingham vs Leeds — 7: 00 AM ET; Grimsby vs Wolves — 8: 30 AM ET; Oxford United vs Sunderland — 9: 00 AM ET; Stoke vs Fulham — 9: 00 AM ET; Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic — 11: 30 AM ET.
- Monday fixture (ET): Macclesfield vs Brentford — 2: 30 PM ET.
Expect managers to rotate and test depth, but several matches carry narratives that extend beyond a single cup tie.
Key storylines: Arsenal’s reset, Wigan’s caretakers and the lower‑league threat
Arsenal arrive at this weekend’s tie looking for a momentary reset. The club lost Kai Havertz to injury in a difficult week for their title push, and squad balance is under the microscope. Gabriel Jesus has returned from a lengthy ACL layoff and has shown glimpses of form — four goals and an assist in limited minutes — but Saturday’s Premier League action left him on the bench. With Mikel Arteta already short in midfield options, this FA Cup outing offers a chance for Jesus to rediscover rhythm and for fringe attackers to stake a claim ahead of a congested run of fixtures.
Wigan arrive in London amid turmoil. The recent departure of their manager has handed first-team responsibilities to caretakers who must steady a side battling poor league form. Cup ties often level differences in resources and morale, but Wigan’s backroom instability and league concerns make them heavy underdogs. Still, the Latics have a history of producing cup upsets and will be determined to turn the Emirates stage into a platform for momentum.
Lower down the pyramid, this round already produced notable shocks and near-shocks. Mansfield’s win over Burnley is a reminder that the Cup remains fertile ground for upset results. That narrative is magnified on Monday when Macclesfield — the non-league story of the season — host Brentford. The Silkmen have become the competition’s feel-good story, buoyed by a vibrant attacking run and a memorable victory earlier in the tournament. Even with a huge league gap between the sides, the Cup’s pressure and a partisan 3G surface can shrink that difference on the night.
What to watch and the wider implications
Managers will weigh squad rotation against momentum. For top clubs, the Cup offers minutes for players returning from injury and a chance to protect fitness for the title race and European commitments. For lower-league sides, the FA Cup is a financial and reputational lifeline that can galvanize a season.
Key individual storylines to monitor: whether Gabriel Jesus can convert minutes into consistent attacking impact; how Arsenal cope without Havertz for the short term; how Wigan respond under temporary leadership; and whether any other underdog can emulate Mansfield or Macclesfield with a shock result. With knockout football’s unpredictability, the fourth-round weekend promises both predictable progress for favourites and the very real possibility of another memorable cup upset.
