Macclesfield rewarded with home tie against Brentford in FA Cup fourth round

There is plenty of scope for upsets in the fourth round with seven Premier League teams travelling to lower league opposition.

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026 - 19:45

Macclesfield must upset another Premier League side if they are to continue their fairytale FA Cup run after drawing Brentford in the fourth round.

The National League North team produced one of the greatest upsets in the competition’s history when they defeated holders Crystal Palace 2-1 at Moss Rose on Saturday.

John Rooney’s giant-killers are at home once again for their tie against Brentford, who are positioned fifth in the Premier League.

“We said before that we would have liked to get Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal, but another Premier League side is incredible,” Rooney said.

The Bees are two points off the Champions League places and will be desperate to avoid the fate of Palace, who were knocked out by part-timers sat 117 places beneath them in the football pyramid.

There is plenty of scope for upsets in the fourth round with seven Premier League teams travelling to lower league opposition.

Among them is Chelsea’s visit to Hull that will see new Blues boss Liam Rosenior return to the club where his managerial career began in earnest in 2022.

Rosenior has taken charge at Stamford Bridge after Enzo Maresca was sacked on New Year’s Day and the 41-year-old began his reign with a 5-1 victory against Charlton on Saturday.

West Ham are currently stuck in the relegation zone and they must travel to League One outfit Burton in a fixture fraught with danger. The Hammers’ 2-1 win against QPR in the third round was their first success since November 8.

Fulham, Sunderland, Leeds and Wolves also face banana skin games when they take on Stoke, Oxford, Birmingham and Grimsby respectively.

Manchester City are at home for their tie against Salford or Swindon, who meet on January 20, while the FA Cup’s most successful side Arsenal take on League One club Wigan at Emirates Stadium.

Liverpool could face Brighton at home if the Reds beat Barnsley in their third-round clash later on Monday, and there is an all-Premier League clash between Aston Villa and Newcastle.

All matches will be played around the weekend of February 14 and 15.

FA Cup fourth-round draw

Liverpool or Barnsley v Brighton

Stoke v Fulham

Oxford v Sunderland

Southampton v Leicester

Wrexham v Ipswich

Arsenal v Wigan

Hull v Chelsea

Burton v West Ham

Burnley v Mansfield

Norwich v West Brom