Chelsea FC, fresh off their narrow escape over Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup yesterday, will now face Luton Town in the next round. For the Blues, they’ll step up in class a bit for the fifth round as now they’ll face an opponent from the Championship division (second tier of English football), having just vanquished opposition from League One (third tier).
Of course, there is a plenty of other football to be played, as Chelsea are now bound for the Club World Cup (tourney preview material here)
FA Cup Full 5th Round Draw
Luton Town vs. Chelsea
Crystal Palace vs. Stoke City
Peterborough United vs. Manchester City
Liverpool vs. Norwich City
Southampton vs. West Ham United
Middlesbrough vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Nottingham Forest vs. Huddersfield Town
Everton vs. Bournemouth or AFC Boreham Wood
Taking a look at the full draw, you’ll see only two all-Premier League match-ups: while Liverpool-Norwich City and Southampton-West Ham United. The four teams out of the proverbial big six that still remain in the competition are all separated from each other in the upcoming ties for the next round.
Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were also drawn against opponents from lower divisions. Happy FA Cup draw day everyone! The world’s oldest domestic cup competition is really starting to heat up in the latter stages now.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.