Fourth round draw details, where to watch & more

The 2024/25 FA Cup truly came alive in the fourth round, with Plymouth Argyle’s dramatic victory over Premier League leaders Liverpool marking the tie of the round by some distance.

Liverpool were the Pilgrims’ second top-flight scalp of the season, with the club at the bottom of the Championship seeing off Brentford in the third round.

Premier League and Championship teams are already dominating the field, with Doncaster Rovers one of just two sides outside of the top two tiers ahead of the fifth-round draw. Details of this year’s competition so far can be found below.

Last year saw former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag get revenge for his side’s defeat in the 2023 final. While the final featured two of the elite top-flight sides, there were a few cup runs from those in the lower tiers.

Maidstone United reached the fifth round, suffering a 5-0 defeat to Coventry City, who came so close to reaching the final. Against Man Utd, the Sky Blues thought they had won the tie in extra time, but eventually lost on penalties.

The first FA Cup final was played in 1872 and won by Wanderers Football Club – the first of five victories. As of 2024, Arsenal hold the record for most trophies won with 14, with their last coming in 2020.

In total, there have been 143 FA Cup finals staged, with 44 teams winning the competition at least once in their history.

FA Cup format and changes

The FA Cup is a simple knockout tournament, with the winners of each tie advancing to the next round. Non-league clubs take part in qualifying, with teams from League One and League Two entering in the first round proper. Premier League and Championship clubs join at the third-round stage.

A major change to the format has seen replays scrapped from the first round onwards. Previously, drawn matches would see the fixture replayed at the visitors’ home ground, but citing player welfare, the FA decided to remove replays to ease fixture congestion.

The move sparked anger from the EFL and prompted backlash from the likes of Keir Starmer.

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FA Cup fifth round fixtures

The fifth round draw was made on 10th February, with holders Manchester United remaining in the competition following another dramatic win at Old Trafford.

Doncaster Rovers and Exeter City were the only representatives outside of the top two divisions, albeit before their own fourth-round fixtures at home to Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest respectively.

The fifth round, which is set to be played on the weekend of 1st-2nd March, sees Plymouth travel to Manchester City in what is surely their toughest possible assignment.

Elsewhere, there is an all-Championship tie between Preston and Burnley, while Newcastle’s quest for a cup double will continue when they host Brighton & Hove Albion.

TV picks and kick-off times are set to be announced in due course.

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2024/25 FA Cup results

The FA Cup’s first round proper kicked off with fifth-tier Tamworth defeating League One Huddersfield Town, while the weekend saw its fair share of surprise results and almighty scares.

However, there was to be no ‘fairytale’ run for Wrexham as they were undone by Harrogate Town. AFC Wimbledon’s win in a grudge match against MK Dons was another highlight of the round.

Tamworth continued their story in the second round after knocking out Burton Albion on penalties, while Reading were taken to extra time by Harborough Town. Elsewhere, League One leaders Wycombe avoided an upset with a win at non-league Wealdstone.

The Lambs’ superb run to the third round came to a valiant end at home to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, with the National League outfit taking Ange Postecoglou’s men to extra time.

The shock of the third round was undoubtedly Brentford’s undoing at home to Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle, while holders Manchester United saw off Arsenal in a fierce affair at the Emirates Stadium following a penalty shootout.

The Pilgrims were at it again in the fourth round, while Brighton claimed a high-profile scalp themselves by coming from behind to see off Chelsea.

Elsewhere, Manchester City were given an almighty scare by League One’s Leyton Orient, falling behind to one of the goals and moments of the season before battling back to squeeze into Round Five.

First round

Second round

Third round

Fourth round

Round dates

The fourth round will take place on the second weekend in February, with subsequent rounds being held throughout the year, as detailed in the table below. Actual fixture dates are subject to change depending on TV selections. Draws are usually held following the last match of the round, though this can vary due to TV schedules.

FA Cup prize money

The FA will give out over £22m in prize money over the course of the 2024/25 season. Any non-league clubs who make it through from the first round of qualifying to the first round proper could pocket around £23,000, while if a Premier League or Championship club was to go all the way, they’d be better off to the tune of £5.41m.

How to watch the FA Cup on TV

In the UK, broadcasting rights for the FA Cup are shared between the BBC and ITV. Throughout the season, the BBC will show 18 live matches, while ITV is committed to broadcasting 20 games from the competition.

In the US, FA Cup games are broadcast live on ESPN, with ESPN+ streaming a selection of fixtures across the duration of the tournament.

Recent years have seen BBC and ITV share coverage of the final, while a new broadcasting deal is set to take effect next year, which will see BBC and TNT Sports share coverage of the competition.