Man United face Leicester, Liverpool Travel to Plymouth: Matches to Look Out for in the FA Cup Fourth Round
by Devesh Jaganath | by Cydias Aujard
Manchester United vs. Leicester City - Old Trafford
This is the fourth time that these two will meet in the FA Cup. Manchester United won the first two encounters (3-1 in 1962-63 and 2-1 in 1975-76) while Leicester City came out on top in the most recent matchup, beating United 3-1 in 2020-21 in the quarter-final en route to lifting England's oldest football trophy that same season.
The Red Devils are enduring a dismal league season, down in 13th place with 29 points after 24 matches. With 11 points separating Ruben Amorim’s side and the top six teams in the league standings, winning the FA Cup could be one of United’s best chances of qualifying for European football next season, as they did last term by beating cross-town rivals Man City 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.
United have already beaten the Foxes twice at Old Trafford this season (5-2 in the Carabao Cup and 3-0 in the Premier League), but they have never won three home games against one club in a single season before. The last visiting team to win in normal time at Old Trafford in an FA Cup fixture was Arsenal in March 2015 - a 2-1 victory. Check out our Manchester United vs Leicester City prediction ahead of kickoff.
Everton vs. Bournemouth - Goodison Park
Another battle of the top-tier teams in the fourth round of the FA Cup is set for Saturday afternoon when Bournemouth travel to Merseyside to face Everton. The Toffees have lost seven of their last nine matches against this opponent, but the last six times they have beaten the Cherries all came here at Goodison Park.
Both these sides are on the up in recent times, with Everton enjoying a new/old manager bounce with David Moyes back at the helm. The Toffees have reeled off three Premier League wins in a row ahead of this match (Leicester, Brighton and Spurs), which is the joint-longest active win streak in the top flight alongside league leaders Liverpool.
However, victory for the hosts is certainly not a given, as Bournemouth have been one of the most improved teams in the Premier League this season. The Cherries are firmly in European qualification contention, just three points behind the top four teams in the league standings, and were on a remarkable 12-match unbeaten run before going down to Liverpool somewhat controversially last week.
Brighton vs. Chelsea - American Express Stadium
Saturday’s final curtain in the FA Cup will come from the Amex, where Brighton & Hove Albion will be playing host to Chelsea. The Seagulls have lost each of their last four matches against this opponent across all competitions, and have emerged victorious in only one of their last 11 home games against the Blues (W1 D3 L7).
Since earning promotion to the top flight in 2017, Brighton have won five of their six FA Cup fourth-round fixtures, with the exception being a loss to Tottenham Hotspur in 2021-22. Chelsea, meanwhile, have gotten through 25 of their last 27 ties in this round of the FA Cup, barring losses to Everton and Bradford City in 2010-11 and 2021-22 respectively.
Both teams have been in mixed form in the Premier League of late, though the visitors did win their last match 2-1 against the Irons on Monday night, while the hosts were rag-dolled by this season’s surprise package Nottingham Forest, losing 7-0 at the City Ground last Saturday. Chelsea have also won the last two FA Cup encounters between these sides.
Plymouth Argyle vs. Liverpool - Home Park Stadium
On Sunday, Liverpool will head to the Southwest of England to take on second-tier outfit Plymouth Argyle in a classic David vs. Goliath FA Cup fourth-round tie. These two sides are separated by 44 places in the English football pyramid, with the Reds currently leading the Premier League standings, while the Pilgrims are rock bottom in the Championship.
Plymouth’s only previous FA Cup match against this opponent was in the third round of the 2017-18 competition, where they held the Reds to a goalless draw at Anfield but lost the replay 1-0 at Home Park. The hosts have bowed out in the fourth round on four occasions, including last season against Leeds United, and have not reached round five since 2006-07.
Arne Slot, on the other hand, is enjoying an incredible debut season in England, with his side leading the Premier League, securing the top seed in the Champions League group stage, and are still in contention in both domestic cups. The Reds are also in action in the Carabao Cup against the Lilywhites tonight, and you can check out our Liverpool vs Tottenham prediction for that match right here on SportyTrader!
