Predictions for the Fourth Round of the FA Cup

Premier League football is set to pause once more as top teams capitalize on their winter breaks and prepare to compete in the returning FA Cup.

January's third round saw relatively few high-ranking teams departing the competition, with Arsenal being the sole heavyweight casualty, witnessing an end to their cup dreams after a defeat against Liverpool at the Emirates.

Liverpool themselves are placing their bets on the home fixture against Norwich City in order to secure the fifth round, while a much-anticipated game of the weekend will see Manchester City taking on Tottenham Hotspur on Friday night in London.

As we eagerly anticipate the draw for the following round, let's preview the fourth round predictions of the 2023/24 FA Cup based on 90min’s insights.

The first match of the fourth round sees a clash of two teams from coastal towns of the UK with Bournemouth hosting Swansea City.

Despite an abrupt halt in their stunning winning streak due to back-to-back losses to Tottenham and Liverpool, Andoni Iraola, representing Bournemouth, remains positively hopeful of outperforming the struggling Swans, who are currently placed 16th in the Championship.

Under the tutelage of Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea is fresh off their first domestic cup final appearance. They face Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Friday evening, a part of the triple 19:45 kick-offs. Aston Villa, victorious during their last visit to west London in September, hasn't made it to the fifth round since their journey to the final in the 2014/15 season.

Coventry City could potentially outscore Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, having secured wins in their latest three encounters. Nottingham Forest is also speculated to edge past Bristol City in an away tie, which previously witnessed West Ham United's exit in a fixture replay.

Starting at 20:00, Manchester City’s visit to Tottenham is arguably the pick of the lot this round. Defending champions, Manchester City must tackle a particularly steep hurdle at the Spurs’ home turf to keep their campaign alive.

Saturday's FA Cup see inter-league clashes except for one. Potential magic of the season may happen when Maidstone United, the lowest-ranked team left in the contest, take on Championship promotion contenders, Ipswich Town.

Brighton & Hove Albion will look forward to breaking their unbeaten record against Sheffield United. Their duels at Bramall Lane are in the spotlight.

Leeds United's showdown with Plymouth Argyle at Elland Road is expected to be high-scoring, with both teams registering a combined total of 97 Championship goals this season. Leicester, with four consecutive wins against Birmingham, are expected to comfortably move ahead.

The late fixture of the day will feature Newcastle against Fulham. Newcastle's pursuit of their first FA Cup victory since 1955 has been plagued by fitness problems and January transfer window drama. Their clash with Fulham promises great action.

Commencing Sunday’s games, a hyped derby between West Brom and Wolves is set to take place at 11:45. Despite Wolves’ unbeaten run in the last six games, West Brom who accumulated four points from the two previous Premier League encounters, could have the upper hand.

Russell Martin's side, Southampton, who are in great form, take on Watford at Vicarage Road. Watford has been on a steady track recently, having lost only two games since their 1-1 draw with Southampton in early December.

Liverpool and Norwich have shared the odd classic here and there in the Premier League, though their last encounter came in the FA Cup in 2022. The Reds triumphed 2-1 and went on to lift the trophy at Wembley, eventually overcoming Chelsea on penalties.

Sunday's slate comes to an end in Wales when Newport host Manchester United. The Red Devils are never far away from a crisis but Erik ten Hag could do without a first major cupset of his Old Trafford reign. Newport, however, are no strangers to the big occasion, having faced the likes of Man City and Tottenham in the competition in previous years.

Wrexham will look another handful followers to their ever-growing project in the final game of the round at Blackburn Rovers.

The Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds-owned club made a big splash in the FA Cup last season, reaching the fourth round where they were eventually dumped out by Sheffield United in a replay. The Rovers' only win in their last eight outings came in the cup, with their Championship play-off aspirations falling off a cliff of late.