FA Cup: Holders Arsenal To Face Manchester United In Last Eight

FA Cup holders Arsenal will travel to Manchester United in the quarter-finals on 7 or 8 March.

United confirmed their place in the last eight after coming from behind to win 3-1 at Preston North End.

The quarter-final tie at Old Trafford will be broadcast live on BBC One.

Liverpool host Blackburn, League One giant-killers Bradford City face Reading, while West Midlands rivals Aston Villa and West Brom meet at Villa Park.

Marouane Fellaini, who scored Manchester United's second goal against Preston, is relishing the quarter-final tie against the Gunners. “It will be a good game, a great game. Against Arsenal is always a great game,” the Belgian told BBC Sport.

Arsenal and United met in the 2004-05 FA Cup final in Cardiff with the Gunners winning 5-4 on penalties after a goalless draw.

Liverpool's last-eight draw will give Steven Gerrard hope of reaching Wembley in his final season at the Reds, although they will have to overcome a Blackburn side who have knocked out Premier League opposition in Swansea and Stoke already this season.

League One side Bradford are into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1976, and will be confident of progressing further against Reading after beating Premier League sides Chelsea and Sunderland in the previous rounds.

Bradford chairman Mark Lawn told Sky Sports News: “Ninety minutes from Wembley, both sides will realise, and they will both be going for it. I think we'll sell out here again, hopefully it will be bouncing and we'll push through.”

The quarter-final draw was made by England boss Roy Hodgson and Brian Finney, son of Preston legend Tom Finney, at Deepdale on Monday before the Preston-Manchester United game.

BBC SPORTS