FA Cup fourth round storylines: Macclesfield eye latest upset, Liam Rosenior looks to avoid unhappy reunion, Premier League clubs plot road to Wembley
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Published 13/02/2026 at 11:37 GMT
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As everybody just about catches their breath from an unforgettable third round, The Emirates FA Cup fourth round is upon us with 16 games set to create more headlines, live on TNT Sports and discovery+. Ahead of the weekend's action, TNT Sports picks out some of the big stories to keep an eye on with potential upsets, fairytales and season-defining cup runs always a possibility.
Highlights: Macclesfield SHOCK holders Crystal Palace in cupset for the ages
Video credit: TNT Sports
The Emirates FA Cup is back for fourth-round action as lanes continue to merge on the road to Wembley.
After a third round that saw big names fall and dramatic upsets – including arguably the biggest ever in the competition – 32 teams will fight it out over a much-anticipated weekend of action.
The action begins on TNT Sports on Friday, February 13 with Liam Rosenior hoping to avoid any bad luck on his return to Hull City with Chelsea.
West Ham United travel to Burton Albion for the early game on Saturday, while Premier League powerhouses Aston Villa and Newcastle United face off in the afternoon, with Liverpool hosting Brighton & Hove Albion in the evening.
Sunday’s offerings will see Birmingham City welcoming Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers travelling to Grimsby Town and Arsenal hosting Wigan Athletic.
Finally, the cameras will be back at Macclesfield to see if they can repeat their round three heroics against Brentford.
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Wrexham v Ipswich Town on the Friday and two matches on Sunday afternoon will also be available via discovery+, while highlights of all the other fixtures can be found on tntsports.co.uk.
Your weekend schedule is below, and then TNT Sports looks at some of the big talking points heading into the weekend…
Which FA Cup matches are on TNT Sports?
Below are all the Emirates FA Cup fourth-round fixtures that will be shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
| Date | Match | Kick-off (UK time) |
| FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13 | HULL CITY v CHELSEA | 19:45 |
| FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13 | WREXHAM V IPSWICH TOWN* | 19:45 |
| SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 | BURTON ALBION v WEST HAM | 12:15 |
| SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 | ASTON VILLA v NEWCASTLE | 17:45 |
| SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 | LIVERPOOL v BRIGHTON | 20:00 |
| SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 | BIRMINGHAM CITY v LEEDS | 12:00 |
| SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 | GRIMSBY TOWN V WOLVES | 13.30 |
| SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 | OXFORD UNITED v SUNDERLAND* | 14:00 |
| SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 | STOKE CITY v FULHAM* | 14:00 |
| SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 | ARSENAL v WIGAN | 16:30 |
| MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16 | MACCLESFIELD FC v BRENTFORD | 19:30 |
The fifth round draw will be made live on TNT Sports during the pre-match coverage of Macclesfield v Brentford on Monday, February 16, and further details will be confirmed beforehand.
*discovery+ only
More Macclesfield magic on the cards?
Can they do it again?
Whatever happens between now and May, Macclesfield have already written themselves into the history books after disposing of Crystal Palace in round three at Moss Rose, with everyone in the ground able to say they witnessed the biggest upset in the competition’s history.
The National League North side became the first side from English football’s sixth tier to knock out a team from the top flight - and their victory was made all the more remarkable due to the fact Palace were the holders following their own surprise Wembley victory over Manchester City the previous season.
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'It's what dreams are made of' - Macclesfield owner on celebrations after historic win
Video credit: TNT Sports
The Silkmen have been rewarded with another home tie and another date with a Premier League side as Brentford make the journey north in round four.
Like Palace, The Bees will undoubtedly go in as favourites, but unlike Palace, Keith Andrews will now be fully aware of the threat posed by the giant-killers and hopes to avoid the same fate as his London counterparts.
But with the match taking place on Monday night, under the lights with a sell-out crowd, the stage could certainly be set for more FA Cup magic.
To Hull and back for new Blues boss
Liam Rosenior’s latest cup tie sees him head to familiar surroundings in the FA Cup as he takes his Blues to Hull City, who he featured for 161 times over five years – his most appearances for any club during his playing career.
While on Humberside, Rosenior helped the club to Premier League promotion from the Championship, and reached the 2014 FA Cup final.
The Tigers even found themselves 2-0 up against Arsenal in the showpiece match that day before The Gunners fought back to claim the trophy.
Rosenior's first permanent managerial role was also at Hull from 2022 to 2024.
The current Hull iteration are flying high in the Championship, firmly in the chase for Premier League promotion.
Rosenior’s return has dominated the pre-match headlines but all concerned will hope to take the emotion out of this reunion, with the home side spying an upset against their former boss.
Arteta’s silver search
Mikel Arteta has a unique relationship with this competition, having been the first and, to date, only person to win the FA Cup as both a captain and manager of the same club.
As a player, Arteta ascended the Wembley steps with the armband for Arsenal following that win over Hull in 2014, before leading The Gunners to glory in 2020 for what was also his first and, currently, only major honour as manager.
He was also, however, on the bench as Pep Guardiola’s assistant when Manchester City demolished Watford 6-0 in the 2019 final as part of their historic domestic treble.
Arteta and Arsenal have not been beyond this stage of the competition since their triumph six years ago and even though they find themselves challenging for honours on multiple fronts this season, everyone at the club should still look to the cup as a prize worth winning.
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Whether fairly or unfairly, despite Arteta’s undeniable improvements to the team since that 2020 triumph, the Spaniard has faced some questions about a lack of meaningful success since.
Though the Premier League is the primary target, it does feel like winning any silverware now is necessary to silence some of those voices.
With The Gunners’ strength in depth across their squad, few will be predicting League One strugglers Wigan to cause them much trouble, especially with the tie taking place at Emirates Stadium.
However, The Latics have their own special bond with the trophy and are big believers of the competition’s fabled magic, having famously stunned Man City in the 2013 final to win the first major honour in their history.
They also took Arsenal all the way to penalties in the following year’s semi-final before eventually being beaten, so revenge could well be on their minds as they target a major scalp.
Furthermore, as a League One side in 2017/18, they knocked out a Man City side which would win the Premier League title with 100 points.
A tale of two Citys
A Manchester derby that doesn’t feature United… sort of.
Salford City’s Moor Lane is less than a half-hour drive to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, but the gap between the two in footballing terms is considerably larger.
Pep Guardiola’s side welcome their neighbours to the other side of town in the cup for the second year in a row, having administered a crushing 8-0 hammering on the League Two side 13 months ago.
With Man City also claiming record-breaking 10-1 win over Exeter City in the third round, the short journey may once again feel like a much longer one for those brave Salford fans.
The added intrigue of this fixture is the Manchester United imprint on the ambitious side, having been under the watch of former Old Trafford greats Gary Neville and David Beckham and others since 2014.
Clawing their way out of non-League to the fourth tier courtesy of four promotions in five seasons, the club are now a Football League mainstay, and have their eye on promotion to League One this season following a restructuring of their ownership model last year.
It may be tough to see anything other than a Man City win, but the upwardly mobile Salford will want to make a better impression than their last visit to the blue part of Greater Manchester.
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Highlights: Man City hit TEN past Exeter as Semenyo enjoys dream debut
Video credit: TNT Sports
Tricky ties for Premier League strugglers
The draw has thrown up several other potential games ripe for upsets with teams battling to keep their heads above water in the top flight facing lower-league threats in the competition.
Despite a recent upturn in form for both Leeds and West Ham, trips to Birmingham and Burton, respectively, will not be easy, with huge shock potential.
Meanwhile, Grimsby Town, conquerors of Manchester United in the League Cup earlier this season, will certainly fancy their chances at home to rock-bottom Premier League side Wolves.
How do I watch FA Cup live streams on TNT Sports? What is discovery+?
The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports and entertainment in one destination.
You can also watch TNT Sports through EE TV, Sky, and Virgin Media.
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