FA Cup quarter-final draw happens Monday night at 7:05 pm. Find out ball numbers for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and other teams in the last eight.
By: Akinde .S. Oluwaseun
So here we are. Monday night. The FA Cup quarter-final draw is finally happening and honestly, the excitement is pretty real right now.
If you’re planning your evening, mark this down – approximately 7:05 pm tonight. That’s when the draw goes live. Eight teams left standing, all dreaming of Wembley glory.
The whole thing will unfold during the pre-match coverage before West Ham United and Brentford face off at the London Stadium. Yeah, that’s the final fifth-round game that’s been hanging around. Once that’s sorted, we’ll know all eight quarter-finalists officially.
Let’s talk about who’s already through, shall we?
Chelsea had their way with Wrexham, which wasn’t exactly shocking but still impressive. Manchester City swept past Newcastle United – business as usual for Pep’s men. Liverpool took care of Wolves without too much drama. Then things got interesting. Port Vale, and I mean Port Vale, pulled off an absolute stunner against Sunderland. Nobody saw that coming. Leeds United got past Norwich City, and Southampton? They went and shocked Fulham in what was probably the upset of the round.
Now here’s what really matters if you’re trying to follow along tonight. The ball numbers.
Ball number 1 goes to Southampton. They’ve been riding high on confidence after that Fulham result. Port Vale, the underdogs everyone’s talking about, they’re ball number 2. Manchester City sits at number 3 – and lets be honest, nobody wants to draw them. Leeds United claimed ball number 4. Arsenal, who’ve been looking sharp lately, are ball number 5. Liverpool grabbed ball number 6. Chelsea sits at lucky number 7. And ball number 8? That’s whoever wins between West Ham and Brentford tonight.
The draw format is pretty straightforward, no seeding or anything complicated. Pure luck of the draw. Any team can face any other team.
What makes this years quarter-finals particularly spicy is the mix we’ve got. You have your heavyweight clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City. Then you’ve got ambitious teams like Leeds pushing for something special. Southampton playing with house money after their upset. And Port Vale? They’re just happy to be here, but don’t sleep on them. They already proved they can bite.
One thing’s certain – someone’s getting a dream draw tonight, and someone else is getting a nightmare. That’s the beauty of cup football, innit?
The quarter-final matches themselves will take place on the weekend of March 21-22. So not too long to wait once tonight’s draw is done. Teams will have a couple weeks to prepare, scout their opponents, and get their game plans sorted.
Reportersroom will have live updates as the draw happens, so you won’t miss a thing even if you can’t watch it live. We’ll break down each matchup, what it means, and who’s got the best path to the semi-finals.
For Arsenal fans, there’s real belief this could be their year. Chelsea supporters are always confident in cup competitions – it’s kind of their thing. Liverpool want redemption after a inconsistent season. City? They just want everything, as always. Leeds fans are dreaming big. Southampton supporters are already celebrating. Port Vale’s fan base must be absolutely buzzing.
The FA Cup magic is alive and well this season. Tonight at 7:05 pm, eight teams will learn their fate. Some will celebrate. Others will groan. But everyone will start believing they can reach Wembley.
Don’t miss it. This is what cup football is all about.
