The FA Cup quarter-final draw has set up a seismic clash between Manchester City and Liverpool, ensuring at least one heavyweight will fall before the semi-finals as the competition’s last-eight lineup was confirmed.
The Standout Tie and the Underdog’s Tale
The standout fixture of the round pits Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium. City, who have now reached the FA Cup quarter-finals for an eighth consecutive season, booked their place with a 3-1 win over Newcastle United, a result that also brought up their 100th goal of the 2025/26 campaign. Liverpool, 19 points adrift in the Premier League, see the FA Cup as their most likely route to silverware this season. Their 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the previous round sets up a first FA Cup meeting between these sides since the 2022 semi-final, which Liverpool won 3-2. City last won the trophy in 2023, their seventh triumph, while Liverpool, the 2022 winners, are bidding for a ninth title.
At the opposite end of the spectrum lies the competition’s fairy-tale story. League One strugglers Port Vale, currently bottom of the third tier, have reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1954 after a famous fifth-round upset against Sunderland. Their reward is a trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. The two clubs have not met in a competitive fixture since the 1928/29 season. Chelsea, eight-time winners, needed extra time to see off Wrexham 4-2 in their last outing.
Arsenal’s Quadruple Pursuit and a Pending Opponent
Arsenal, pursuing an unprecedented quadruple, have been handed an away tie against Championship side Southampton. The Gunners, who hold the record with 14 FA Cup victories but have not lifted the trophy since 2020, have enjoyed a favourable route, avoiding Premier League opposition so far. Their run has featured victories over League One’s Mansfield Town and Wigan Athletic, and Championship club Portsmouth. Southampton earned their place with a dramatic 1-0 win over Fulham, secured by a late Ross Stewart penalty.
One tie remains incomplete. Leeds United will face the winner of the delayed fifth-round match between West Ham United and Brentford, which was locked at 2-2 after extra time at the time of the draw and was heading for a penalty shootout to decide who progresses.
The four quarter-final ties are scheduled to be played across the weekend of April 4-5, 2026. The winners will progress to the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium on April 25, with the final set for May 16, 2026.
