The FA Cup is back for its 141st year. A total of 637 teams began qualifying in August, but just 32 are left in the fourth round.
This is only the second round where Premier League and Championship clubs have been involved, but some top teams have already made an early exit. That doesn’t include holders Leicester City, who defeated Chelsea in May win the trophy for the very first time.
It’s worth noting that there are no replays throughout this season’s FA Cup, meaning ties will go to extra time and then penalties if level after 90 minutes. With Man City well clear in the Premier League, the FA Cup is a great opportunity for other top sides to win some silverware.
Here’s how to watch all the action, including if you’re outside the UK.
Who’s playing in the FA Cup this weekend?
FA Cup fourth-round weekend is always an exciting time, with a total of 16 games taking place across three days. Here are all the ties being broadcast live on UK TV:
Fri 4 Feb
- Man Utd vs Middlesbrough – KO 20.00 – ITV
Sat 5 Feb
- Chelsea vs Plymouth – KO 12.30 – BBC Red Button/online
- Kidderminster vs West Ham – KO 12.30 – BBC One
- Cambridge vs Luton – KO 17.30 – BBC Red Button/online
- Tottenham vs Brighton – KO 20.00 – ITV4
Sun 6 Feb
- Liverpool vs Cardiff – KO 12.00 – ITV
- Nottingham Forest vs Leicester – KO 16.00 – BBC One
- Bournemouth vs Boreham Wood – KO 18.30 – ITV4
The draw for the fourth round will take place live on ITV before the Liverpool vs Cardiff match – that’s sometime between 11.15am and 12pm UK time. For more information, there’s a handy guide to all fixtures and results on the .
Where to watch the FA Cup in the UK
The FA Cup is exclusively broadcast on free-to-air channels in the UK this season, after BT Sport’s contract game to an end.
As a result, TV rights will be shared between the BBC and ITV this season.The two broadcasters will share the top picks for each round and show one semi-final match, with both channels showing the final on 14 May 2022.
Both are free to watch, provided you have a TV licence. This currently costs , and is a requirement if you watch any live TV or use . Once that’s sorted, just navigate to BBC One on your TV or head to iPlayer to start streaming.
Not in the UK? Not a problem
Watching the FA Cup in the UK is easy, but you can still watch the BBC and ITV from abroad using a VPN.
This allows you to connect to encrypted servers and appear in another country, complete with a new IP address that can’t be traced back to you. That makes it a good option to protect your privacy, too.
A particularly good option is NordVPN, which you can look at here. Simply installing on your computer, phone or tablet will allow you to watch the matches if you’re outside the UK. For more great options, check our our best VPN chart.
Learn more in our separate guides on how to watch BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub from abroad.
Want more football? Here’s how to watch the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League and Carabao Cup.
