Can Grimsby Town become latest giant slayers? – Sportsnet.ca

Wrexham AFC’s Cinderella runs in the FA Cup is over, but English football’s most prestigious tournament moves on with the promise of some more notable stories to tell.

The fifth round of the FA Cup, which runs from February 28 to March 1, features eight games in total, including Premier League side Southampton hosting little Grimsby Town, who compete in the English fourth division.

Here’s what you need to know about the FA Cup fifth round.

Single elimination format

The eight round five games are all single-elimination games and not two-legged home-away games. If a team loses, it is eliminated.

In previous rounds, if a game was tied after 90 minutes of regulation time, a replay was scheduled for a later date to determine who advanced.

But there are no replays in this round. If a game is tied after 90 minutes, it goes into overtime and then (if necessary) penalties to determine the winner. The eight winners advance to the quarterfinals, which kick off on March 18th.

Stoke City v Brighton & Hove Albion

Second division side Stoke City host Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion at the Bet365 Stadium on Tuesday (2:15pm ET) for only the second FA Cup meeting between the two clubs. Stoke defeated Brighton 1-0 in the fifth round during the 2010/11 tournament to reach the FA Cup final for the first time in their history.

Despite being in a higher league at the moment, Brighton have not had much success against Stoke over the years. The Seagulls are winless (loss eight) against the Potters in their last 10 games in all competitions since they recorded a 1-0 win in 2001.

Keep an eye on Scotland striker Jacob Brown, who has scored three goals in his last four FA Cup games for Stoke.

Leicester City vs Blackburn Rovers

Another clash between teams in different divisions takes place when Premier League side Leicester City host second division side Blackburn Rovers at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday (2:30pm ET).

These clubs last met in the FA Cup during the 2004/05 tournament when Paul Dickov scored 1-0 in the quarter-finals. Leicester have a penchant for winning their FA Cup fifth round games, having won their last three by 0-1 home victories in 2018, 2020 and 2021. Blackburn have not reached the fifth round since there was a 1 : Has suffered 2 home defeats in 2018 to Manchester United.

Blackburn would be wise to keep a close eye on Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigerian striker has scored Leicester’s crucial goals in victories in the third and fourth rounds this season and has 17 FA Cup goals under his belt since 2016 – more than any other player during that period.

Fulham vs Leeds United

It’s all Premier League affair on Tuesday (2:45pm ET) when Leeds United pay a visit to Craven Cottage for their first-ever FA Cup meeting against Fulham.

Incredibly, seven different players have scored for Leeds in the current FA Cup, including Dominican full-back Junior Firpo, who scored the winning goal against third-tier Accrington Stanley in the fourth round.

But Leeds have had a tough time against Premier League clubs over the years, suffering shutout losses in each of their last five FA Cup games against top opponents.

Fulham clinched a 3-2 win over Leeds at Elland Road in the Premier League earlier this season.

Bristol City vs Manchester City

Second division side Bristol City will have their hands full with Premier League side Manchester at Ashton Gate Stadium on Tuesday (3pm ET) if recent history is any indication.

Man City have won each of their last 12 FA Cup competitions against clubs from lower divisions by a aggregate score of 42-8. The Blues have also won 10 straight road games in the FA Cup, a run dating back to 2019.

Bristol City, on the other hand, have been eliminated in 13 of their last 14 matches in the fifth round of the FA Cup – their last win at this stage of the competition came during the 1973/74 tournament.

This will be the first-ever FA Cup game between the two sides but they met in the semi-finals of the 2017-18 League Cup when Manchester City won both games.

Southampton vs Grimsby Town

All eyes will be on Tier Four’s Grimsby Town, the lowest-ranked side remaining in this season’s FA Cup, when they defeat Southampton away at St Mary’s Stadium on Wednesday (2:15pm ET) from the play premier league.

Grimsby Town have already beaten four higher-tier teams in this year’s competition. But any chance of another giant being killed seems unlikely considering Southampton have lost just one of their 32 FA Cup games against a lower division club. The Saints have also reached the Quarterfinals in the last two seasons.

Grimsby Town previously reached the fifth round in 1995-96 when they lost to Chelsea.

Burnley v Fleetwood Town

The only FA Cup fifth round matchup not involving a Premier League team comes when second tier side Burnley host third tier side Fleetwood Town at Turf Moor on Wednesday (2:30pm ET).

The fifth round has been a major obstacle for Burnley over the years – the Clarets have lost every one of their last six games in the fifth round and have not advanced to the quarter-finals since the 2002/03 season. By contrast, this is Fleetwood Town’s first fifth-round appearance since the club’s formation in 1908.

Burnley have scored six times in this year’s FA Cup, with Manuel Benson, Nathan Tella and Anass Zaroury each scoring braces.

Wednesday’s game is the first meeting in a competition between the clubs.

Manchester United vs West Ham United

Manchester United host West Ham United on Wednesday (2:45pm ET) at Old Trafford in one of just two Premier League-only games in the fifth round.

The Red Devils and the Hammers are familiar dancing partners in the FA Cup as this week’s game marks the sides’ 12th meeting in the competition. United won the last game of the fifth round of the 2020-21 tournament 1-0. West Ham’s last win came in 2001 thanks to a goal from Paolo Di Canio.

Old Trafford has served as a stronghold in the FA Cup over the years. Man United have won 13 of their last 15 home games (with two draws) – the last away side to beat Man United in the tournament was Arsenal in 2015.

Incredibly, Manchester United have come a long way in their last 12 fifth round games since losing 1-0 to Liverpool in 2005/06.

Sheffield United vs Tottenham Hotspur

Second division side Sheffield United, who knocked Wrexham AFC out of the tournament via a fourth-round replay, face a much tougher assessment when they host Tottenham at Bramall Lane on Wednesday (2:55pm ET).

Tottenham are aiming to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2017/18, having lost in the fifth round in each of the three previous seasons.

Son Heung-min was Spurs’ FA Cup regular. The South Korea international has recorded 14 goals and 11 assists in 27 FA Cup appearances since his debut in the competition in 2016.

Wednesday sees the first FA Cup clash between the clubs since Sheffield celebrated 3-0 in the fourth round of the 1957/58 tournament.

John Molinaro is one of Canada’s leading football journalists and has been covering the game for multiple media outlets including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media for over 20 years. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of TFC Republic, a website devoted extensively to Toronto FC and Canadian football. TFC Republic can be found Here.