The third round of the FA Cup is widely regarded as the competition’s most exciting, with the Premier League giants often locking horns with lower league opposition.
The 2024/25 season has provided plenty of such duels, with Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham all drawn against their lower-division opponents in the third round.
While development is expected for Premier League sides, entering the fourth round can be transformative for those in the lower echelons of the English Football League – and occasionally beyond.
The draw for the fourth round is expected to be spine-tingling as the competition’s underdogs await their fate. Here’s everything you need to know.
Despite Millwall hosting Dagenham & Redbridge on Monday night, the FA Cup The draw for the fourth round will take place the previous day. After his conclusion Arsenal vs Man Utd on Sunday afternoon the remaining clubs will discover their opponents.
With Arsenal v United kicking off at 15:00 GMT, the FA Cup draw is expected to take place at around 17:00 GMT – almost immediately after the match has finished. However, with the match going into overtime and penalties, that estimated time frame could change.
Regardless of the outcome of the match, the draw will take place after the last kick at the Emirates Stadium.
Those looking to tune into the FA Cup fourth round draw are in luck. It will be broadcast live on BBC One after the match between Arsenal and Manchester United, with presenter Kelly Somers. Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown and ex-Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer will conduct the actual draw.
The draw is also available to watch live on FA Cup”on social media channels.
|
Ball number |
Club |
|---|---|
|
1 |
Southampton or Swansea City |
|
2 |
Arsenal or Manchester United |
|
3 |
Exeter City |
|
4 |
Leyton Orient or Derby County |
|
5 |
Burnley |
|
6 |
Aston Villa |
|
7 |
Brighton & Hove Albion |
|
8 |
Manchester City |
|
9 |
Millwall or Dagenham & Redbridge |
|
10 |
Liverpool |
|
11 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers |
|
12 |
Preston North End or Charlton Athletic |
|
13 |
Chelsea |
|
14 |
Blackburn Rovers |
|
15 |
Bournemouth |
|
16 |
Mansfield Town or Wigan Athletic |
|
17 |
Tamworth or Tottenham Hotspur |
|
18 |
Hull City or Doncaster Rovers |
|
19 |
Stoke City |
|
20 |
Leicester City |
|
21 |
Plymouth Argyle |
|
22 |
Coventry City |
|
23 |
Newcastle United or Bromley |
|
24 |
Everton |
|
25 |
Wycombe Wanderers |
|
26 |
Birmingham City |
|
27 |
Leeds United |
|
28 |
Nottingham Forest |
|
29 |
Cardiff City |
|
30 |
Ipswich Town or Bristol Rovers |
|
31 |
Fulham |
|
32 |
Crystal Palace or Stockport County |
While the exact dates of the fourth round matches will be made official at a later date and once the draw is complete, matches will be played throughout the weekend of February 8/9.
16 matches will be played across the country in the fourth round as the clubs approach the final on Saturday 17 May.
