A pair of big boys earned straight-forward paths to the FA Cup semifinals at Monday’s draw in London, while another pair will have deal with each other.
Arsenal are off to second-tier Southampton was Chelsea welcome third-tier Port Vale to Stamford Bridge in draws that will be welcomed by Mikel Arteta and Liam Rosenior.
MORE — Latest FA Cup scores, schedule
You may’ve deduced that Liverpool will have to head to the Etihad Stadium for a meeting with mighty Manchester City, while the final fixture will see Leeds heading to London to meet West Ham United.
Will a giant win it all? Or will we see another fairytale winner like Crystal Palace last season? Can the two teams from outside the top tier make a dream run to at least the semifinals? It’s going to take a serious upset!
FA Cup draw LIVE updates — by Nick Mendola & Joe Prince-Wright
Below is everything you need to know about the FA Cup quarterfinal draw.
So how does that look?
The storyline flying under the radar is that West Ham and Leeds are both in a relegation fight and also within touching distance of the FA Cup semifinals.
Liverpool’s visit to Man City will be welcomed by neither, while Arsenal continue to get every break when it comes to draws in both the Champions League and the FA Cup. Come to think of it, the League Cup balls weren’t mean to them either.
Port Vale will now add Chelsea to their docket after dealing with Arsenal in the League Cup. Hey, stranger things have happened!
West Ham or Brentford vs Leeds United
Tonight’s winners from London will host Daniel Farke’s Leeds.
Manchester City vs Liverpool
There’s one — the rivals of many title runs over the past half-decade.
Chelsea vs Port Vale
The balls are not being favorable to the smaller sides.
Southampton vs Arsenal
The Gunners dodge the giants.
Draw moments away
Looks like 3:05pm ET will see the formal start to the broadcast.
What are the dream draws?
We love an upset, but we also like the idea of at least one non-giant in the semifinal draw, so is it cool to root for the big boys to meet now?
Southampton versus Port Vale would give us at least one non-Premier League team in the semifinal, though either of those teams meeting Leeds or the winner of Brentford vs West Ham would be acceptable.
Manchester City versus Arsenal now would amplify the rivalry with the two sides meeting in the League Cup Final on March 22 and the Premier League on April 19. If that match-up is too cloying, maybe Man City vs Liverpool and Arsenal vs Chelsea?
When will the FA Cup quarterfinal games be played?
The FA Cup quarterfinals will be played on the weekend of Saturday, April 4 with games also likely to be played on Sunday, April 5.
Which teams are in the FA Cup quarterfinals?
Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Southampton, Port Vale and Leeds United have so far booked their spot in the last eight.
When will the FA Cup quarterfinal draw take place?
The FA Cup quarterfinal draw is expected to take place at approximately 3pm ET on Monday March 9, ahead of West Ham hosting Brentford in the final game of the fifth round.
How to watch FA Cup quarterfinal draw live, stream link
You will be able to watch the draw live on TNT Sports’ YouTube channel, here.
What are the FA Cup ball numbers for quarterfinal draw?
1. Southampton
2. Port Vale
3. Manchester City
4. Leeds United
5. Arsenal
6. Liverpool
7. Chelsea
8. West Ham United or Brentford
