Overview
Two Non-League clubs are into the Fifth Round in the same season for the first time since the current FA Cup format was put in place in 1925/26 season. (Note, two non-league clubs or more have been in the last 16 at the same time before, but they all occurred before 1921).
Both Lincoln City and Sutton United now have the opportunity of becoming the first Non-League club to appear in a FA Cup Quarter Final since Queens Park Rangers achieved that feat way back in 1914. To achieve it, the National League clubs will not only have to achieve personal best FA Cup runs, but will also have to equal a modern record set by Telford United in 1985, that is defeat their fourth League club in the same FA Cup campaign.
The draw for the last 16 has kept all the remaining Premier League clubs apart and no tie involves clubs who will meet each other in League action this season.
There are nine former FA Cup winners amongst the final 16 clubs in this year’s competition, with three ties pitting former winners against each other. One of those ties, Blackburn Rovers versus Manchester United, is also one of the two most common ties of the Round. The North West rivals have met each other six times in the competition, as have London rivals Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur.
Tie-by-Tie Previews
- Burnley (Premier League) v Lincoln City (National League)
Level 1 v Level 5
Four previous FA Cup meetings between the two clubs, with Lincoln City winning on the first occasion in 1904/05, but Burnley winning through on the following three times.
Lincoln City are into the Fifth Round for only the second time in their FA Cup history, the first being 130 years ago in 1887, but it is the club’s fourth appearance in the last 16 of the competition. However, the Imps are yet to make the Quarter Finals. One time FA Cup winners Burnley haven’t gone beyond the Fifth Round for 14 years.
- Fulham (EFL Championship) v Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)
Level 2 v Level 1
Six previous FA Cup meetings between the two clubs, with Tottenham Hotspur winning through on the first five occasions, but Fulham won 4-0 in the latest meeting just six years ago.
It is seven years since Fulham made FA Cup Quarter Finals, whilst seven times winners Tottenham Hotspur are trending to Quarter Finals this season having gone out in the 3rd Round, 4th Round and 5th Round in the last three years.
- Blackburn Rovers (EFL Championship) v Manchester United (Premier League)
Level 2 v Level 1
Six previous FA Cup meetings between the two clubs, with Blackburn Rovers having the upper hand with four wins to two, although all of Blackburn’s wins came before 1929, two of them heavy wins over Newton Heath in the 19th Century.
Blackburn reached the Quarter Finals twice in their last four FA Cup campaigns whilst FA Cup holders Manchester United have appeared in the last eight three times in the same period.
- Sutton United (National League) v Arsenal (Premier League)
Level 5 v Level 1
Unsurprisingly this is the first FA Cup meeting between the two clubs.
Sutton United are into the FA Cup Fifth Round for the first time ever in what is the club’s 95th FA Cup campaign. Sutton have the poorest record in the FA Cup of all the remaining 16 clubs, whilst Arsenal have the best record of all clubs who’ve ever taken part in the FA Cup. Arsenal are appearing in the Fifth Round for the seventh successive season.
- Middlesbrough (Premier League) v Oxford United (EFL One)
Level 1 v Level 3
First FA Cup meeting between the two clubs despite 203 campaigns between them.
It is eight years since Middlesbrough last appeared in an FA Cup Quarter Final, something the club has achieved 16 times. Oxford United have only ever reached the last eight on one previous occasion, back in the 1963/64 season, a rare appearance by a fourth tier club in that round.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers (EFL Championship) v Chelsea (Premier League)
Level 2 v Level 1
Three previous FA Cup meetings between the two clubs, with Chelsea 2 to 1 ahead in terms of victories.
Wolves are in the Fifth Round for the first time in nine seasons and it is a further five years before then since the club appeared in the Quarter Finals. Chelsea have only failed to reach the Fifth Round twice in the 21st Century.
- Huddersfield Town (EFL Championship) v Manchester City (Premier League)
Level 2 v Level 1
Two previous FA Cup meetings between the two clubs, both won by Manchester City, but both times not until after a replay.
It is 45 years since Huddersfield Town last reached the FA Cup Quarter Finals, coincidentally the same season the club was last in the top flight. Manchester City have been at least Quarter Finalists five times in the last 11 campaigns before this one.
- Millwall (EFL One) v Leicester City (Premier League)
Level 3 v Level 1
Four previous FA Cup meetings between the two clubs, with Leicester City triumphant on the first two occasions and Millwall the winners on the latter two occasions.
Millwall reached the Semi-Finals just four seasons ago and the Final nine years before that. Leicester City, on the other hand, have just three Quarter Final appearances this Century.
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