- ESPN to broadcast Liverpool v Brighton, Chelsea v Birmingham City and Crawley Town v Stoke City
- Fourth Round replay between Sheffield Wednesday and Blackpool will also be shown live
ESPN has announced the three FA Cup Fifth Round matches it will broadcast exclusively live. The games, which take place over Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th February, all feature Barclays Premier League sides taking on lower league opposition. ESPN will feature Chelsea v Birmingham, Liverpool v Brighton, and Crawley Town v Stoke.
In addition, ESPN will bring fans live coverage of the Fourth Round Replay between Sheffield Wednesday and Blackpool at 7.45pm on Tuesday 7th February.
Commencing its FA Cup Fifth Round coverage, ESPN will be live from Stamford Bridge on Saturday 18th February as Chelsea take on Birmingham at 11.30am. Six-time winners Chelsea made it through to the Fifth Round with victories over Portsmouth and QPR. Manager Andre Villas-Boas will be keen for his side to maintain their high standards in the competition – Chelsea have lifted the cup in three of the last five seasons. Chelsea’s opponents Birmingham have never won the FA Cup but have twice finished runners-up and tasted cup success when they took home last season’s Carling Cup. They come into the tie having vanquished local rivals Wolves before a comfortable 4-0 win over Sheffield United. The game is set to be an intriguing match-up – neither side has conceded a goal so far in the competition.
On Sunday ESPN features a double header, starting with Crawley Town v Stoke City at midday. Home side Crawley, the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, made it through to the same stage of the competition last year, before being knocked out by Manchester United 1-0. The npower League Two outfit have claimed two Championship scalps in the competition so far, beating Bristol City and Hull City. However, Stoke City were FA Cup finalists last season – their best-ever performance in the competition – and have secured victories over Gillingham and Derby to make it through to this stage.
At 3:45pm on Sunday, Liverpool welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Anfield to round off ESPN’s Fifth Round coverage. Kenny Dalglish’s men are bidding to make the final for the first time since 2006, when Liverpool won their seventh FA Cup. Their path to the Fifth Round has seen them dispatch Oldham 5-1 before a dramatic late winner took them past Manchester United 2-1 in the Fourth Round. Opponents Brighton have already claimed one Premier League scalp, beating Newcastle United in the Fourth Round. The club’s best FA Cup performance came when it made the Final in 1983, a run which saw them beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Fifth Round.
LIVE AND EXCLUSIVE ON ESPN
- FA Cup Fourth Round Replays on ESPN (on-air time listed)
Tuesday 7th February at 7.30pm
FA Cup Live – Fourth Round Replay – Sheffield Wednesday v Blackpool
A late equalizer from Blackpool’s Kevin Phillips sent this tie to a replay. Blackpool are in the Fourth Round for the first time since 2006/7 – following a win over Fleetwood Town in the Third Round. They face a tough test against Wednesday, who have only lost once at home all season.
- FA Cup Fifth Round on ESPN (on-air times listed)
Saturday 18th February at 11.30am
FA Cup Live – Fifth Round – Chelsea v Birmingham City
Chelsea sit fourth in the Barclays Premier League and have only lost once in the last 13 games. But in-form Birmingham, who tasted cup success last year winning the Carling Cup, are comfortably in the npower Championship playoff places. The sides’ last FA Cup meeting was in January 2005, when Chelsea secured a 2-0 win.
Sunday 19th February at 11.30am
FA Cup Live – Fifth Round – Crawley Town v Stoke City
This game brings together two of the biggest success stories of last season’s FA Cup as both sides went the furthest they ever had in the competition. Crawley made it through to the Fifth Round, while Stoke reached the Final. Tony Pulis’ men should be favourites, but Crawley have already beaten two Championship sides to make it through so far and are riding high in npower League Two.
Sunday 19th February at 3.45pm
FA Cup Live – Fifth Round – Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion
Liverpool will go into the game on a high after a morale boosting victory over North West rivals Manchester United in the Fourth Round. They are closing on a top four finish in the league, and, have made it through to the final of the League Cup. Gus Poyet’s Brighton secured an impressive fourth round win, beating Newcastle. They sit just outside the playoffs in the npower Championship.
