Rarely have Arsenal taken so much consolation from an early FA Cup exit, but with six changes made and with full control of the Premier League title race, a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City was by no means a disgrace for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Nathan Ake scored the only goal in Friday night’s game, despite Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez providing another promising glimpse of their future partnership.
Leeds joined City in the fifth round with a routine win over League One Accrington Stanley thanks to goals from Jack Harrison, Junior Firpo and Luis Sinisterra seeing Jesse Marsch’s side through. Leslie Adekoya, 18, offered a late consolation for Stanley with one of his first touches after his introduction from the bench.
Leicester also made it through an early kick-off unscathed, beating Walsall 1-0 thanks to a fluke of a goal from Kelechi Iheanacho, courtesy of a deflection from Brandon Comley. That came after Youri Tielemans had missed a penalty in another worryingly uninspiring display from the Foxes.
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In the first of two all-Championship clashes, Bristol City made the FA Cup fifth round for the third time in five years. The Robins swept aside West Brom 3-0 thanks to a Sam Bell brace and a close-range Alex Scott finish.
Meanwhile, Blackburn were pegged back late on for a 2-2 draw with beleaguered Birmingham Ewood Park. Bradley Dack and Joe Rankin-Costello had cancelled out Reda Khadra’s early opener before substitute Jordan James made an immediate impact in injury time.
Ipswich Town can take inspiration in their promotion push from how they battled Championship table-toppers Burnley in a goalless draw, though a replay does not suit either side.
FA Cup 4th rounds results in full
Friday 27 January
Saturday 28 January
- Accrington Stanley 1-3 Leeds
- Walsall 0-1 Leicester City
- Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Birmingham City
- Bristol City 3-0 West Bromwich Albion
- Fulham 1-1 Sunderland
- Ipswich Town 0-0 Burnley
- Luton Town 2-2 Grimsby Town
- Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Fleetwood Town
- Southampton 2-1 Blackpool
- Preston North End vs Tottenham Hotspur (6pm KO)
- Manchester United vs Reading (8pm KO)
Sunday 29 January
- Brighton & Hove Albion vs Liverpool
- Stoke City vs Stevenage
- Wrexham vs Sheffield United
Grimsby thought they were on course for one of the shocks of the round when they took the lead shortly before half time at Luton through Gavan Holohan, only for Elijah Adebayo to equalise from the spot. Luton took a short-lived lead themselves through Jordan Clark before Harry Clifton levelled things up a minute later to force a replay.
Sheffield Wednesday, on the other hand, would have expected a comfortable afternoon against Fleetwood Town – but they didn’t get one, Mallik Wilks cancelling out Promise Omochere’s opener in a 1-1 draw.
Blackpool welcomed Mick McCarthy to the dugout for the first time but struggled to contain Romain Perraud, the Southampton left-back scoring twice to give the Saints an unassailable lead before Arsenal loanee Charlie Patino’s consolation. Ian Poveda was guilty of a mindless miss as he tried to chip Willy Caballero when through on goal.
On Sunday, the lowest-ranked side remaining in the competition Wrexham take on Sheffield United, Stoke City host Stevenage, and Liverpool will look to put their recent thrashing at the hands of Brighton behind them in another trip to the Amex.
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