FA Cup 4th Round Predictions: Liverpool, Aston Villa Look to Navigate Tricky Ties

There’s nine FA Cup ties to sink your teeth into throughout Saturday.

FA Cup weekend still sparks wild excitement across the UK. | Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

Victory in the FA Cup fourth round guarantees a place in the last 16 of English football’s most prestigious cup competition—and there’s plenty of lower league opposition hoping to spring a surprise on Saturday.

Nine ties will take place across the country, pitting Burton Albion of League One against West Ham United in the day’s early game and Liverpool against Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion in the late slot.

There’s guaranteed to be drama, unexpected results and, let’s be honest, driving rain and wind, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Manchester City vs. Salford City

Manchester City put Salford to the sword in the third round last year. | Visionhaus/Getty Images, James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

• Date: Saturday, Feb. 14
• Time: 3 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT

Salford City were subject to a battering at the Etihad Stadium last season, and they’re ready to do it all over again this weekend.

Karl Robinson’s side came through a belting tie with Swindon Town to advance into the fourth round, while Manchester City, beaten finalists last time out, notched double digits in their harsh triumph over Exeter City.

The Cityzens are alive and kicking in the Premier League title race after last week’s dramatic turnaround at Anfield, but the domestic cups appear the best bets for Pep Guardiola to claim silverware in what could be his final season at the helm in Manchester.

City have advanced into the Carabao Cup final, and they’ll be expected to cruise into the fifth round on home soil.

Prediction: Man City 5–1 Salford

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Aston Villa vs. Newcastle United

Aston Villa have home advantage. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

• Date: Saturday, Feb. 14
• Time: 5:45 p.m. GMT / 2:45 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m. PT

There are a few all-Premier League affairs to get stuck into this weekend, but none look more enticing on paper than Newcastle United’s trip to Villa Park.

Okay, the meeting between these two in the West Midlands back in August was as drab as they come, but a switch in competition could facilitate a more care-free encounter. Aston Villa recently beat their upcoming opponents at St. James’ Park, but have since slipped out of title contention after suffering back-to-back defeats.

And while Newcastle have struggled on their travels this season, Eddie Howe’s side secured a much-needed away win in the week, as ex-Villan Jacob Ramsey notched his first goal involvement for the Magpies in a 2–1 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, bringing Thomas Frank’s wretched reign to an end.

Prediction: Aston Villa 3–2 Newcastle

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Liverpool vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton have won just once at Anfield in the Premier League era. | Visionhaus/Stephen Bardens/Getty Images

• Date: Saturday, Feb. 14
• Time: 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT

Fabian Hürzeler’s Brighton & Hove Albion are meandering towards a relegation scrap, but there’s currently enough of a buffer between themselves and the drop zone to not yet spark widespread panic.

The Seagulls were a penalty shootout away from their second FA Cup semi-final appearance in three seasons last time out, but they’ve got their work cut out if they’re to extend their domestic cup campaign in 2025–26.

Brighton were comfortably beaten by Liverpool in December, and they’ve won just twice at Anfield in 53 years.

On Saturday night, they’ll have to recall the spirit of ’83 when Jimmy Melia’s side stunned an all-conquering Reds outfit in the FA Cup fifth round at Anfield. The gap between the two teams isn’t so seismic this time around, and Brighton did win at another imperious amphitheatre, Old Trafford, to set up this tie.

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FA Cup 4th Round—Saturday Predictions

Elsewhere, West Ham and Burnley face lower league opposition—Burton Albion and Mansfield Town their respective tests—while Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion meet in an all-Championship clash.

Bristol City travel to Port Vale with a place in round five at stake, while on the south coast Southampton take on Leicester City days after completing a dramatic turnaround against the Foxes. 3–0 down at King Power Stadium, they astonishingly came from behind to win 4–3 in the Championship, plunging the 2021 FA Cup winners deeper into relegation trouble.

Date	Kick-Off Time	Fixture	Prediction
Saturday, Feb. 14	12:15 p.m. GMT / 7:15 a.m. ET	Burton Albion vs. West Ham United	0–2
Saturday, Feb. 14	3 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. ET	Burnley vs. Mansfield Town	3–1
Saturday, Feb. 14	3 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. ET	Man City vs. Salford City	5–1
Saturday, Feb. 14	3 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. ET	Norwich City vs. West Brom	2–0
Saturday, Feb. 14	3 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. ET	Port Vale vs. Bristol City	0–2
Saturday, Feb. 14	3 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. ET	Southampton vs. Leicester City	2–1
Saturday, Feb. 14	5:45 p.m. GMT / 12:45 p.m. ET	Aston Villa vs. Newcastle United	3–2
Saturday, Feb. 14	8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET	Liverpool vs. Brighton	2–1

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