After being completely spoiled for romance in the third round of the FA Cup a month ago, the fourth round weekend was when the big guns flexed their muscles.
In one of two all-Premier League ties, Liverpool were too strong for Brighton whose bubble, I believe, has now burst.
League leaders Arsenal could afford to rest half their first choice starting XI and still see off League One Wigan – a team with special moments in this competition themselves over the last 15 years – while Manchester City did the same with substitute Marc Guehi, the man who captained Crystal Palace to cup success last season, scoring his first goal for his new club in a 2-0 cruise against League Two Salford.
There were, though, still some stories to upset the SBOTOP FA Cup 2026 betting odds, not least at Turf Moor where League One outfit Mansfield Town came from behind to beat top flight strugglers Burnley and reach the fifth round for the first time since 1975.
Of course, the Clarets didn’t field a full strength team and we should not pretend otherwise.
But that should not detract from the showing of the Stags, managed by one of a footballing family dynasty.
It’s well documented that the one trophy that eluded the late, great Brian Clough was the most famous cup competition in the world.
Yet he would have looked down proudly as his son Nigel, for whom success in the competition also eluded him, guided them to victory with his captain Louis Reed producing a sublime finish to seal a 2-1 win 10 minutes from time.
There were very nearly FA Cup 2026 highlights at the Pirelli Stadium where six and a half thousand fans crammed in to see Burton take West Ham to extra-time.
There may be 47 places between the Hammers and the League One strugglers, but you wouldn’t have known it as the much-changed top flight side were disjointed.
They eventually needed a goal from the in-form substitute Crysencio Summerville to avoid a shock, the winning strike coming five minutes into extra time, his sixth goal in seven games.
Another substitute, Freddie Potts, was sent off for a reckless challenge shortly afterwards but the Hammers survived to reach the fifth round.
There were other valiant efforts from lower league sides.
Championship outfit Birmingham took Leeds United to a penalty shoot-out with Daniel Farke’s men prevailing 4-2 on spot kicks; resolute Grimsby Town – who have already embarrassed Manchester United in the League Cup earlier this term – were narrowly beaten at home by top flight Wolves, who progressed thanks to a Santiago Bueno goal, their only shot on target; likewise Oxford were also beaten 1-0 at home by a Premier League side, although few could argue that Habib Diarra’s 32nd minute penalty didn’t seal a deserved victory for Sunderland.
Harrison Reed also scored his first ever FA Cup goal as Fulham staged a second-half comeback to beat Stoke City.
The Championship side took the lead in the 19th minute with an emphatic finish from midfielder Jun-Ho Bae.
But Fulham roared back after the break and ended a run of three consecutive defeats across all competitions with goals from Kevin and Reed, who struck the winner with six minutes remaining after a mistake by home goalkeeper Tommy Simkin.
The big tie of the round pitted together Aston Villa and Newcastle, both teams ravaged by injuries but Villa managing far better.
A fortnight after a 2-0 league win on Tyneside, they may have tasted victory again but for the sending-off of reserve goalkeeper Marc Bizot on the stroke of half-time.
At that point, Villa were 1-0 in front with a first goal for the club for Tammy Abraham since he returned on loan for the remainder of the season.
In truth, his goal should not have stood as the England frontman was in an offside position when he slotted the hosts ahead just before the quarter of an hour mark.
With no VAR in use at this stage of the competition, there were just as many talking points as there are without it, but the defining moment came when Bizot brought down Jacob Murphy and was shown a straight red.
It proved too big a disadvantage for the remaining 45 minutes as last year’s League Cup winners fought back to win 3-1, courtesy of a Sandro Tonali double and a Nick Woltemade strike.
Perhaps the result will be an omen for the Tynesiders.
In five of the previous six seasons – dating back to 1895 – Villa and Newcastle have met in the FA Cup, one of them has reached the final.
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