FA Cup fixtures today - your guide to Friday's games

  • Four FA Cup games take place on Friday 26 January in the fourth round
  • Holders Man City travel to Tottenham in the clash of the round
  • Chelsea host Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest face a trip to Bristol City
Tottenham and Man City produced a thriller in their last meeting
Tottenham and Man City produced a thriller in their last meeting / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

The FA Cup third round did produce some interesting match-ups but it lacked a little of the competition's fabled magic.

However, the fourth round has some more intriguing ties, several of which will be played this Friday under the lights.

There will be two gargantuan battles to set up the weekend, including Manchester City's trip to eight-time winners Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea's mouth-watering encounter with high-flying Aston Villa.

Here is your guide to all four of Friday's FA Cup fixtures.



Sheffield Wednesday vs Coventry City

Djeidi Gassama, Josh Eccles
Wednesday and Coventry have already clashed twice this term / Naomi Baker/GettyImages
  • Location: Sheffield, England
  • Stadium: Hillsborough Stadium
  • Date: Friday 26 January
  • Kick-off Time: 19:45 GMT / 14:45 ET / 11:45 PT
  • Referee: Darren Bond
  • VAR: Not in use

Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City will lock horns for the third time since Christmas this Friday, with the Sky Blues having won both previous meetings between the Championship duo. The most recent clash came last weekend, with last season's play-off finalists winning 2-1 at Hillsborough thanks to a brace from Ben Sheaf.

After a difficult start to the campaign, results have picked up for Wednesday since Danny Rohl's arrival in the dugout, the Owls hammering Cardiff City 4-0 in the FA Cup third round. Coventry enjoyed a similarly emphatic result in the last round, thrashing Oxford United 6-2.


Country

TV channel/live stream

United Kingdom

Not available

United States

ESPN+

Canada

Sportsnet Now Plus


Bristol City vs Nottingham Forest

Andrew Omobamidele
Nottingham Forest edged past Blackpool in the third round / Stu Forster/GettyImages
  • Location: Bristol, England
  • Stadium: Ashton Gate
  • Date: Friday 26 December
  • Kick-off Time: 19:45 GMT / 14:45 ET / 11:45 PT
  • Referee: Stuart Attwell
  • VAR: Not in use

Bristol City will feel confident of another Premier League scalp this Friday, the Championship side defeating West Ham United in a replay to progress to the fourth round. Tommy Conway's third-minute goal was the difference between the sides, earning the Robins the possibility of another upset against Nottingham Forest.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side also needed a replay to make it to the fourth round, beating Blackpool 3-2 after extra-time thanks to a Chris Wood winner. The forward has been in fantastic form, netting again during Forest's 3-2 defeat to Brentford in the Premier League last Saturday.


Country

TV channel/live stream

United Kingdom

Not available

United States

ESPN+

Canada

Not available


Chelsea vs Aston Villa

Nicolo Zaniolo, Malo Gusto
Chelsea lost to Aston Villa earlier this term / Visionhaus/GettyImages
  • Location: Birmingham, England
  • Stadium: Villa Park
  • Date: Friday 26 December
  • Kick-off Time: 19:45 GMT / 14:45 ET / 11:45 PT
  • Referee: Robert Jones
  • VAR: Simon Hooper

Having just secured their spot in the Carabao Cup final on Tuesday evening, hammering Championship Middlesbrough 6-1 at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will be aiming to take another step towards FA Cup glory this Friday. In one of the round's more challenging ties, the Blues welcome overachieving Aston Villa to west London.

The bad news for the 2022 FA Cup runners-up is they have lost their last two clashes with Unai Emery's Villa, both of those meetings coming at Stamford Bridge. The Midlands side won at Chelsea earlier this term, Ollie Watkins' goal punishing the ten-man Blues.

Villa continue to exceed expectations in the Premier League this season, currently sat fourth and 12 points above the Blues. Emery has a strong record in knockout football and his players will be looking to punish any Chelsea fatigue in search of a fifth round spot.


Country

TV channel/live stream

United Kingdom

Not available

United States

ESPN+

Canada

Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet Now Plus, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet East


Tottenham vs Manchester City

FBL-ENG-PR-MAN CITY-TOTTENHAM
Pep Guardiola and Ange Postecoglou will meet for the second time / DARREN STAPLES/GettyImages
  • Location: London, England
  • Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
  • Date: Friday 26 December
  • Kick-off Time: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
  • Referee: Paul Tierney
  • VAR: Tim Robinson

A fixture that produce drama no matter the circumstances, Tottenham will face current FA Cup holders Man City for the second time this season on Friday. Despite a raft of injuries, Spurs managed to salvage a late point at the Etihad in the previous meeting in early December, Dejan Kulusevski's header seeing the game finish 3-3.

Man City have a notoriously poor record against Tottenham in recent times, especially on the road. In fact, Pep Guardiola's side haven't beaten the Lilywhites in north London since 2018, failing to score a single goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since it opened in 2019.

However, Man City are beginning to hit their stride after a slightly bumpy start to the campaign and have won four games on the trot since being crowned world champions at the end of last year.

With Kevin De Bruyne fit and already producing match-defining moments and Erling Haaland potentially available for Friday's affair, Ange Postecoglou's side will have their work cut out to stop the Cityzens this time round.


Country

TV channel/live stream

United Kingdom

ITV1, ITVX, STV Scotland, STV Player

United States

ESPN+

Canada

Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet World, Sportsnet Now Plus, Sportsnet World Now


READ THE LATEST FA CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS & RATINGS HERE

feed