FA Cup 2025-26 Quarter Finals Preview – FA Cup Factfile
Seven former FA Cup winners and a former Semi-Finalist looking to make FA Cup history make up the eight clubs involved in this season’s Quarter Finals, six from the Premier League, one from the Championship and one from the third tier.
Port Vale are the first club from the third tier to reach the last eight of the competition since Wigan Athletic eight years ago, and it’s a further four years since a third tier club reached the Semi-Finals. If Port Vale were to win at Premier League Chelsea they would set a new competition record of the Valiants becoming the first ever club to reach the Semi-Finals twice as a third tier club.
And if Vale were to win their Quarter Final tie one-nil then the club would set another competition record by becoming the first club to win five successive FA Cup ties by the same one-nil scoreline.
Manchester City are appearing in the Quarter Finals for the eighth successive season, now just one shy of the competition record. The Citizens host Liverpool in the most common tie of the round having won their first two encounters in the competition but having lost the last four.
Southampton versus Arsenal is the only Quarter Final tie to have been a Cup Final in the past, and whilst the Gunners won that game and the first four FA Cup meetings between the two clubs, the Saints were victorious the last time the sides met in the competition.
West Ham United and Leeds United play on Sunday evening with both clubs looking to reach the Semi-Finals for the first time in a long while, the Hammers in 20 years and Leeds United in almost 40 years!
Phil Annets (@FACupFactfile)
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To follow are the tie-by-tie previews listed in order of when they are scheduled to kick off.
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Saturday 4th April 2026 12.45pm
Manchester City vs Liverpool FC (on TNT)
The most common tie of this season’s Quarter Finals with Liverpool ahead by four wins to two in past Cup meetings having won through on each of the last four occasions, most recently in the 2022 Semi-Finals. Manchester City are competing in their eighth consecutive FA Cup Quarter Final having been successful in each of the previous seven, setting a competition record in the process.
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Saturday 4th April 2026 5.15pm
Chelsea FC vs Port Vale (on BBC 1)
This will be their first meeting in the FA Cup and Port Vale’s first FA Cup Quarter Final for 72 years. Chelsea are appearing in the last eight of the competition for the 23rd time in the last 35 seasons, making the last four 77% of the time.
Despite having played two games more in this season’s competition than the other remaining clubs, Port Vale have conceded the fewest number of goals of the octet, being breached just once way back in the 1st Round by eighth tier Maldon & Tiptree.
Since then, the Valiants have equalled the competition record of four successive one-nil victories in the competition, being the first club to achieve that feat with all four games played at home in the ‘Proper’ Rounds’. The club is also looking to become the first one ever to twice reach the Semi-Finals as a third tier side.
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Saturday 4th April 2026 8.0pm
Southampton FC vs Arsenal FC (on BBC 1)
The only Quarter Final tie to have been a Cup Final in the past with Arsenal lifting the Cup in 2003 in the only Final to have been played indoors, and the first Final to see the introduction of a substitute goalkeeper. Arsenal actually won the first four FA Cup meetings between the two clubs, but Southampton were victorious in their last encounter in the competition five years ago. The Saints are looking to extend their own FA Cup record and reach the Semi-Finals for the ninth time as a non-top-flight side since the Football League began.
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Sunday 5th April 2026 4.30pm
West Ham United vs Leeds United (on TNT)
West Ham United are ahead by two wins to one in past FA Cup games against Leeds United. Both clubs are looking to reach the last four for the first time in a while, the Hammers for the first time in 20 years and Leeds United for the first time in 39 years. Leeds United are competing in the FA Cup for the 100th time this season and lifted the Trophy for the only time so far during the competition’s centenary season.
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