The FA Cup fifth round threw up a couple of upsets, with two lower-league clubs seeing off Premier League opposition. Port Vale, who are bottom of League One, somehow got the better of top-flight side Sunderland. Their 1-0 home win saw them ride their luck at times, while they scored with their only shot on target. Even so, the result showed that the romance of the cup is still very much alive.
Championship team Southampton also upset the odds and beat a side from a higher division as they got the better of Premier League side Fulham, thanks to a late penalty. Their 1-0 win was even more impressive given it occurred away from home, and they will hope the morale boost gained from the victory will help fire them to a strong league finish that ends with a play-off spot.
But Premier League Boasts a Strong Presence in the Last Eight
Your finalised #EmiratesFACup quarter-final draw 🏆
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 9, 2026
Two Premier League sides were eliminated in the last 16, but six others advanced. West Ham got the better of Brentford in the final clash of the round on Monday night. They went through on penalties, the Bees coming unstuck thanks to a failed Panenka that the keeper anticipated and caught with total ease. A day earlier, Leeds United dispatched Championship side Norwich City 3-0, the West Yorkshire team booking a last-eight spot for the first time in over 20 years.
Both West Ham and Leeds are embroiled in a relegation fight this term, so it remains to be seen whether this cup run will serve as a tonic or a distraction. The two are set to meet each other on the final day of the Premier League season, and a little extra spice has been added to things as they were drawn to face each other in the quarter-finals. That game will take place at West Ham.
Whoever wins will be through to the semis at Wembley, but both the Hammers and Leeds will know their chances of FA Cup glory this term remain slim. That is because four of the big six remain in the competition. Man City saw off Newcastle 3-1, coming from a goal down to win with relative ease. In what is clearly the round of the tie, they will face Liverpool in the last eight after the Reds eased past Wolves 3-1. Arne Slot’s men gained some revenge after the Black Country outfit had beaten them in the league just three days earlier, both clashes having taken place in the West Midlands.
Chelsea also booked a spot in the quarters, beating Wrexham 4-2 in Wales. That score flattered Liam Rosenior’s side, with gloss being added by a late goal right at the end of extra time after the game finished 2-2 in 90 minutes. The hosts were the better team for much of the clash and weren’t helped by a harsh VAR red card decision. Arsenal also had to work harder than they may have expected away at Mansfield. Playing a League One side, even away from home, they would have expected a routine victory, but the game was locked at 1-1 with less than 25 minutes to go. Eberechi Eze produced a thunderous strike to settle the tie and continue Arsenal’s quest for an unlikely quadruple.
Another Kind Draw for the Gunners
We will face Southampton away in the Emirates FA Cup quarter-finals 🏆 pic.twitter.com/jtkvoPAR7G
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 9, 2026
Mikel Arteta’s men have got a kind draw in the Champions League, with most of the best sides all in the other half of the draw. Thus far in the FA Cup, they have beaten Portsmouth, Wigan and Mansfield, with only Championship club Southampton standing between them and yet another FA Cup semi. The Gunners are bidding to win the competition for a record-extending 15th time, and the draw is certainly not doing them any harm in that quest.
Chelsea, who have won the FA Cup eight times (to Arsenal’s 14), have an even easier draw, as they face Port Vale. The Valiants are the lowest-ranked team left in the FA Cup, and what’s more, the Blues play at home, unlike the Gunners. With Liverpool facing a tough trip to the Etihad, Arsenal are now clear favourites to win the competition. They are priced at 9/4. The other big-six outfits are all offered at single-digit odds ranging from 10/3 (City) out to 11/2 (Liverpool), so there really isn’t much in it between the leading quartet.
As for the other four teams still in the mix, they are deemed to have a chance somewhere between very slim and almost none. The Hammers are priced at odds of 16/1, with Leeds a little longer. Only Craig David, Rishi Sunak and other Saints fans will be tempted by the 66/1 on them going all the way, while Port Vale are priced at a whopping 500/1 to claim the cup. Given they are almost certain to be in the fourth tier come August, even that looks a little tight to us!