After a pretty straightforward third round, the FA Cup continues to roll on this week.
The fourth round of English soccer’s oldest competition, which runs from Jan. 25-29, is highlighted by a number of all-Premier League matches, plus the appearance of fourth-division club Wrexham AFC, co-owned by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds.
Here’s what you need to know about the FA Cup’s fourth round.
Single-elimination format
The 16 matchups that make up the fourth round are all single elimination and not two-legged, home-and-away affairs.
If a team loses, they’re eliminated. But if a game is tied after 90 minutes of regulation time, a replay match will be scheduled at a later date where extra time and penalty kicks (if necessary) will determine who moves on.
The eight winners advance to the fifth round, which kicks off on Feb. 28.
The marquee matchup: Tottenham vs. Manchester City
There are five all-Premier League matches in the fourth round, but all eyes will be on London when Manchester City visits Tottenham on Friday (3 p.m. ET).
Manchester City currently sits second in the Premier League standings and Tottenham is fifth, but they are only separated by three points, which gives you an idea of how close the race has been at the top of the table this season. Spurs edged Burnley 1-0 in the previous round of the FA Cup while Man City crushed Huddersfield Town of the Championship (second division) in a 5-0 victory.
The Blues have lost all five of their games in all competitions to Spurs at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and haven’t even scored a single time during that stretch. At the same time, Tottenham are unbeaten in their last 13 home contests in the FA Cup (with 12 wins), a stretch that dates back to February 2016, when they dropped a 1-0 decision to Crystal Palace at White Hart Lane, their old home venue.
Be sure to keep close tabs on Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden. The English international bagged two goals in the Blues’ win over Huddersfield Town earlier this month and has 11 goals and five assists in his last 14 career starts in the FA Cup.
Chelsea clashes with Aston Villa
In another all-Premier League contest, Chelsea welcomes Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge on Friday (2:45 p.m. ET).
Villa sits in fourth place in the standings and needed an 87th-minute goal from Matthew Cash to earn a 1-0 win over Championship side Middlesbrough in the third round of the FA Cup. Chelsea had a much easier time of it earlier this month when they shut out Preston North End 4-0 to advance to the fourth round. But in the Premier League, the Blues have struggled for results this season — they occupy ninth place at the moment and are 12 points out of the top four.
Incredibly, Chelsea have won 40 of their last 47 home games in the FA Cup (only two losses), including eight in a row by a combined score of 24-3 since their last defeat in 2019. However, Aston Villa have won their last two encounters against Chelsea, including a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sept. 24.
If Villa is going to make it three wins in a row over Chelsea, they’ll have to find a way to stop Raheem Sterling. The English winger has 10 goals and nine assists in his last 20 FA Cup starts, and had a goal and an assist in the Blues’ win over Preston North End.
Wrexham A.F.C. visits Blackburn
Fourth-division team Wrexham A.F.C., co-owned by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, will look to continue its “Hollywood story” in the FA Cup when it visits Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park next Monday (2:30 p.m. ET).
Reynolds and fellow Hollywood star Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham in 2020 for only $2.5 million. The Welsh club turned heads last season by reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup and then went on to be promoted to the fourth division, earning worldwide recognition thanks in large part to their famous owners.
Earlier this month, the Red Dragons bested rivals Mansfield Town in the third round of the FA Cup. They sit in second place in the fourth division at the moment and could seal a second consecutive promotion up the English soccer pyramid if it continues its solid run of form.
Blackburn has other ideas and isn’t keen to fall victim to Reynolds’ clan of overachievers. The Championship outfit defeated Cambridge United in the FA Cup earlier this month and is keen to repeat last season’s success story when they reached the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Feel good story: Maidstone United F.C.
If you want to follow the progress of another Cinderella team then turn your attention to Saturday (7:30 a.m. ET) when Maidstone United F.C. visits Portman Road to tangle with the Championship’s Ipswich Town, who won the FA Cup in 1978.
Maidstone United competes in the English sixth division, which makes it the lowest ranked side of the 32 teams remaining in this season’s FA Cup. The semi-professional outfit posted wins over higher-ranked teams in two of the previous three rounds of the tournament, including a 1-0 victory over the third division’s Stevenage F.C. earlier this month.
Maidstone United has never been this far in the FA Cup, so they’ll be looking to make history this weekend with another upset victory. The Stones are the first sixth-tier side to reach this stage of the FA Cup since Kidderminster Harriers (2021-22).
Saturday’s contest against Ipswich will be Maidstone United’s first-ever match in any competition against a team from England’s top two divisions. The club is managed by former defender George Elokobi, a former star for Wolves who featured in 12 FA Cup matches during his playing days.
Canadian Ismaël Koné in action for Watford
Canadian Ismaël Koné and Watford F.C. host Championship rivals Southampton at Vicarage Road on Sunday (9 a.m. ET).
Koné, 21, has three goals and two assists in 26 appearances in all competitions for Watford this season, and started in the Hornets’ 2-1 win over Chesterfield F.C. in the FA Cup’s third round.
The industrious midfielder has two goals and 16 caps for Canada, and played in three of the team’s games at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Kone made his debut for Watford in a 2-0 FA Cup loss to Reading last January following a transfer from MLS side CF Montreal.
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.
