FA Cup fifth-round draw LIVE: Man Utd, Newcastle, City, Aston Villa and Plymouth in hat for last 16 – UK Times

As a reminder, the use of VAR is introduced in the competition from the fifth round onwards.

The fourth round carried plenty of controversy due to the lack of VAR, with Harry Maguire’s winner for Manchester United against Leicester clearly offside on replay.

Birmingham also found themselves on the end of a contentious decision, as the linesman flagged for a Newcastle goal despite replays suggesting that the ball had not crossed the line.

In a statement made when announcing their decision to remove VAR from the earlier rounds, the FA said: “This decision ensures that there is a consistent refereeing approach for all clubs taking part in the same stage of the competition.”

Of the 14 teams guaranteed to be in the draw tonight, only five have never won the competition.

Brighton, Fulham, Millwall, Bournemouth and Plymouth have never won the FA Cup, with Argyle and the Cherries never having contested a final.

Fulham, Brighton and Millwall have all lost in the final, with the Seagulls and Millwall both being beaten by Manchester United in their only appearances (in 1983 and 2003 respectively).

In the last 11 years, only one side from outside of the so-called ‘top six’ has managed to win the FA Cup.

That victory came for Leicester in 2021, when Youri Tielemans proved the difference against Chelsea.

Since Wigan shocked Manchester City in the final in 2013, only six different teams have won the competiton – Manchester United (twice), Man City (twice), Arsenal (four times), Liverpool, Chelsea and of course Leicester (all once).

After the fifth round, the competition moves to the quarter-finals, which is the last round before Wembley.

The dates for each round are below:

Fifth Round – Saturday 1 March 2025

Quarter Final – Saturday 29 March 2025

Semi Final – Saturday 26 April 2025

Final – Saturday 17 May 2025

For swathes of the last six years, Leicester City could savour the thought of Harry Maguire and Manchester United. Not here, however, and not in injury time. Leicester were left with a sense of injustice, cursing the goal scored by the man they sold for a world-record fee for a centre-back. Maguire’s Old Trafford career has not always proceeded swimmingly, but on a night when they looked like drowning in their own incompetence, he instead turned rescuer.

A 93rd-minute header took the holders into the FA Cup fifth round in dramatic fashion; controversial, too, given that Maguire – and three of his teammates – had looked suspiciously offside when he ran on to Bruno Fernandes’s deep free-kick to plant an emphatic header in. Amid scenes of bedlam, with no VAR to spare Leicester, United’s act of escapology was complete. “We were not defeated in Fergie time, we were defeated in offside time,” said Leicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy. “This was half a metre, clear in line. It is decided on a clear and obvious mistake, that is unacceptable and unthinkable at this level.”

There are two more ties yet to be played from the fourth round, with the first one taking place tonight and the final one happening tomorrow evening.

Tonight, Doncaster host Crystal Palace, before the round concludes with Exeter City vs Nottingham Forest tomorrow.

The League One side went ahead in remarkable fashion after 16 minutes when a 40-yard strike by Tottenham loanee Jamie Donley hit the bar and went in off City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to send Brisbane Road into pandemonium.

Pep Guardiola had watched City get thumped 5-1 at Arsenal last Sunday and would have feared more London woe, but substitute Abdukodir Khusanov deflected a Rico Lewis shot to level after 56 minutes.

The fifth round will be played across the weekend of 1 and 2 March. However, judging by the fourth round, ties could by spread across multiple days and take place from as early as Friday 28 February through until Monday 3 March.

Plymouth produced a huge FA Cup upset as Premier League leaders Liverpool were knocked out by the bottom club in the Championship to end hopes of a historic quadruple.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot gambled with a weakened side in Devon and literally paid the penalty as Ryan Hardie’s second-half spot-kick gave Plymouth a famous 1-0 win and sent them into the fifth round of the competition.

It was only the fourth time that the team starting the day at the top of the Premier League has been eliminated from the FA Cup by a side from outside the top flight.