Manchester United, Manchester City, and Bournemouth Secure Wins as FA Cup Fourth Round Kicks Off

New Delhi: The FA Cup fourth round got underway with an exciting start as Manchester United progressed to the next stage thanks to a late winner, while Manchester City secured a comfortable victory after a strong second half against Leyton Orient.

Saturday’s action saw six FA Cup fixtures played simultaneously, featuring Premier League and Championship clashes. Among the standout fixtures, Coventry faced relegation-threatened Ipswich Town, Everton battled Bournemouth, and Fulham locked horns with Wigan Athletic.

Coventry City 1-4 Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town got off to a flying start with George Hirst converting a penalty just two minutes into the game. However, Coventry quickly equalized six minutes later through Joel Latibeaudiere's header, assisted by Jack Rudoni.

The visitors regained control when Jack Clarke netted a stunning right-footed shot from inside the box, assisted by Hirst. Clarke then doubled Ipswich’s lead in the 37th minute after an assist from Nathan Broadhead, taking them into halftime with a 3-1 advantage.

In the second half, Jaden Philogene-Bidace sealed the win for Ipswich with a close-range effort in the 74th minute, ensuring their first FA Cup fifth-round appearance since 2007.

Stoke City 3-3 Cardiff City (Cardiff Wins on Penalties)

Cardiff struck early, with Rubin Colwill scoring a long-range screamer into the top right corner, assisted by Anwar El-Ghazi. Yousef Salech doubled Cardiff’s lead after Joel Bagan’s pass, leaving Stoke on the back foot.

Just before halftime, Lewis Koumas pulled one back for Stoke, converting a through ball from Wouter Burger.

Stoke came out strong in the second half, and Koumas netted his second goal a minute after the restart, assisted by Josh Wilson-Esbrand. In the 57th minute, Stoke earned a penalty, which Lewis Baker coolly converted, giving them a 3-2 lead.

However, Colwill equalized for Cardiff in the 68th minute, forcing the game into extra time and then penalties. In the shootout, Cardiff held their nerve and won 4-2, progressing to the next round.

Everton 0-2 Bournemouth

The clash between two Premier League sides saw Bournemouth overpower Everton with a commanding 2-0 victory.

Everton, unbeaten since mid-January, were stunned when Antoine Semenyo converted a penalty with a right-footed shot in the first half. Daniel Jebbison extended Bournemouth’s lead, scoring from the center of the goal 20 minutes later.

Despite a spirited second-half effort, Everton failed to find the back of the net, marking a disappointing end to their FA Cup campaign at Goodison Park. The Toffees, five-time FA Cup winners, lacked sharpness, missing several clear chances.

Wigan Athletic 1-2 Fulham

Rodrigo Muniz was Fulham’s hero, scoring both goals to push his side into the fifth round.

Muniz broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, finishing a measured cross from Ryan Sessegnon. Fulham dominated possession, putting constant pressure on Wigan’s defense.

Early in the second half, Johnny Smith equalized for Wigan with a stunning long-range effort, assisted by Babajide Adeeko. However, Muniz restored Fulham’s lead with a clinical finish off an Andreas Pereira through ball, sealing the win for the London side.

Southampton 0-1 Burnley

In a Premier League vs Championship battle, third-placed Burnley edged past bottom-placed Southampton in a narrow 1-0 win.

Southampton’s attack has struggled all season, and it showed again in this fixture. Ryan Manning came close to scoring twice, but Burnley goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky pulled off crucial saves to maintain a clean sheet.

Marcus Edwards, Burnley’s winter signing from Sporting CP, netted the winner, capitalizing on a close-range chance to secure victory for the visitors.

Preston 0-0 Wycombe (Preston Wins on Penalties)

Preston and Wycombe battled to a goalless draw over 90 minutes and extra time, with both teams failing to convert key chances.

The match eventually went to a penalty shootout, where Preston’s goalkeeper Freddie Woodman emerged as the hero. He made two crucial saves, denying Dan Udoh and Adam Reach, helping Preston secure a 4-2 win in the shootout.

With this victory, Preston advanced to the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in 10 years.

What’s Next in the FA Cup?

The FA Cup fourth round continues, with more high-stakes clashes set to take place. Teams are now eyeing a spot in the quarterfinals, and the upcoming fixtures will determine which clubs keep their dream of FA Cup glory alive.