The quarter final fa cup draw produced a blockbuster Manchester City v Liverpool tie and set League One Port Vale on a trip to Chelsea. The draw confirmed Arsenal will travel to Southampton and Leeds will face the winners of West Ham United v Brentford. The quarter-final matches are scheduled across the weekend of April 4–5, ET.
Quarter Final Fa Cup Draw: the ties and immediate fallout
The pairings delivered a high-profile home tie for Manchester City against Liverpool and a David-versus-Goliath tie that sends Port Vale to Stamford Bridge. Arsenal, the competition’s record 14-time winners in historical lists, will visit Southampton, and Leeds United will be drawn to play the winners of the West Ham United v Brentford fixture. Port Vale remain the lowest-ranked team left in the competition after their victory over Sunderland, while Chelsea advanced through extra time in a match that saw them recover from behind.
Key match details and context
Port Vale’s progress after beating Sunderland sets up a rare quarter-final appearance for the League One side and a first competitive meeting with Chelsea since 1929. Manchester City arrive after a convincing 3-1 win away, while Liverpool reached this stage following victory over Wolves. Southampton reached the last eight after a win at Fulham sealed by an injury-time penalty from Ross Stewart. West Ham progressed past Brentford and will be involved in the remaining fifth-round tie that decides Leeds’s opponent.
Immediate reactions from figures present
Members of the draw team were on hand throughout the live selection: Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist presided over the draw while Joe Cole and Joe Hart were among those picking the balls. At one point the broadcast concluded with the line: “That concludes the draw, ties to be played on the weekend of 4th and 5th April. “
On the club front, reactions ranged from reflection to disappointment. One figure connected with Southampton said, “A very bad day for us, ” while analysis during the broadcast noted tactical and mentality questions in the aftermath of recent results.
What’s next
Attention now shifts to the ties scheduled for the weekend of April 4–5, ET, with fixture lists and kick-off times to be confirmed by competitions organisers. The remaining fifth-round decider between West Ham United and Brentford will determine Leeds United’s opponent before the quarter-final schedule is completed. The quarter final fa cup draw sets a clear path to high-stakes weekend fixtures that will decide who advances from the last eight.
