Liverpool head to Wolves for the FA Cup fifth round next weekend, returning to Molineux within days of also facing them in league action.
Image: AFP / File
TIME certainly is flying. It feels like we welcomed 2026 just a moment ago, and yet here we are, already at the end of February. Two months – poof – gone just like that!
It is unsettling, but also exciting, because although the FA Cup fifth-round ties will only be played from March 6 to 9, their confirmation this week has already sharpened focus across England, and you can be sure in homes around the globe where EPL teams have supporters.
So, with the last-16 match-ups now locked in, clubs can finally begin detailed preparation, analysing opponents, managing schedules and fine-tuning game plans well before a coin is tossed or a ball is kicked in just over a week’s time.
The FA Cup is that stage where heavyweight ambition and underdog opportunity collide — and this draw offers both. And so, with just a few days to get our snacks and beverages sorted, here we look at five key themes shaping the round.
The spotlight naturally falls on Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Arsenal travel to face Mansfield Town in a tie that places Premier League pedigree against third-tier ambition. Manchester City visit Newcastle United in what stands out as one of the round’s most competitive all top-flight match-ups. While Liverpool head to Wolves, returning to Molineux within days of also facing them in league action.
For the established powers, this round is about control. The FA Cup remains one of English football’s most historic trophies, and progression here keeps silverware ambitions intact, even for those teams still in the running who cannot, at this point in the season, even hope to win the League.
As mentioned earlier, the draw has resulted in the interesting scenario that not every team considered a favourite because of their pedigree has drawn lower-league opposition.
Newcastle United against Manchester City at St James’ Park promises intensity, while Wolves hosting Liverpool adds further top-flight tension. These are not ties where reputation alone guarantees passage.
At this stage of the competition, margins tighten. A single tactical lapse or moment of quality can define the evening, and progression in the competition.
The FA Cup’s identity has always been shaped by surprise runs, and Mansfield Town embody that tradition in the upcoming competition weekend.
Their reward for reaching this stage is a home clash against Arsenal. It is precisely the kind of pairing that fuels the competition’s appeal — a third-tier side testing itself against one of England’s established giants, the front runners in the league race. With thousands of passionate fans roaring from the stands, the Gunners can expect Mansfield to come out swinging.
Elsewhere, Port Vale or Bristol City host Sunderland, Fulham welcomed Southampton to Craven Cottage, while Wrexham face Chelsea at the Racecourse Ground. The value of home ground advantage and the energy from supporters in the stands can never be underestimated, and this means that the opportunity for lower-division clubs to reach the quarter-finals remains very real.
As we have just said, venue may prove decisive.
Mansfield host Arsenal at One Call Stadium. Newcastle welcome Manchester City to St James’ Park. Wolves have Liverpool at Molineux. Wrexham entertain Chelsea at the Racecourse Ground.
Cup football compresses the contest into 90 minutes — or more if required — and familiar surroundings can narrow perceived gaps in quality.
For sides outside the Premier League elite, home support often becomes part of the tactical equation.
This is the final hurdle before the last eight.
Winners from this weekend move into the quarter-finals and take another step toward Wembley later in the English spring. With league schedules tightening and European competitions progressing, squad management becomes critical for clubs balancing multiple objectives.
For Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, the fifth round goes beyond mere survival. These teams need to signal intent, prove to partisan crowds and those hoping that they’ll slip up that they deserve their five-star billing. For others, the teams a few rugs lower on the ladder, it is about extending belief and making a decisive and historical statement.
Either way, the FA Cup’s last-16 weekend promises tension, contrast and the possibility of another upset written into the competition’s long history.