FA Cup 4th Round Draw: Liverpool v Manchester United Tops The Bill

By Simon Gallagher / August 30, 2012

Oh dear. It's as if it were all planned: with the two teams at logger-heads over the Luis Suarez affair, and an underlying fierce rivalry that has blazed for the entire Premiership era and beyond, Liverpool and Manchester United will meet in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Anfield, after brushing aside Oldham and Man City respectively. That is undoubtedly the pick of the fourth round ties, with the North East derby between Sunderland and Middlesbrough and the potential for a London derby - if QPR can overcome MK Dons to play Chelsea - also turning more than a few heads and offering up some tasty potential. Elsewhere there are two all-Premiership affairs, with West Brom facing Norwich and Everton facing Fulham, and the potential for a third, if Arsenal can beat Leeds tomorrow night to face Aston Villa and a number of high-profile all-Championship ties. Giant killers Swindon Town, who saw off Roberto Martinez's Wigan Athletic were rewarded with a tie against one of two former Giants of the game - Nottingham Forest or Leicester City, depending on the result of their replay. The happiest Premiership sides of the draw will likely be Tottenham, Sunderland and Newcastle United, all drawn against lower league opposition, and all bolstered by the fact that progression will mean entering a fifth round with at least five more Premiership teams knocked out. The full round of matches was drawn as follows: Brighton or Wrexham v Newcastle Sunderland v Middlesbrough Dagenham & Redbridge or Millwall v Southampton Hull City v Crawley Town MK Dons or QPR v Chelsea West Brom v Norwich Blackpool v Sheffield Wednesday Arsenal or Leeds v Aston Villa Stevenage v Notts County Watford v Tottenham Liverpool v Manchester United Derby v Stoke Everton v Fulham Macclesfield or Bolton v Swansea Sheffield United v Birmingham or Wolves Nottingham Forest or Leicester v Swindon Ties to be played on the weekend of the 28th & 29th