FA Cup fourth round draw: Arsenal, Chelsea & Man City handed favourable ties as Macclesfield host another Premier League club

Macclesfield manager John Rooney said beforehand that he wanted another Premier League team when the fourth round draw was made. And while the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool were all paired with other teams, the visit of Brentford is certainly not to be sniffed at. The Bees currently sit fifth in the Premier League, with well over 100 places between them and Macclesfield, who compete in the sixth-tier National League North, in the league pyramid.

One of the standout ties of the round sees new Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior take the Blues to face Hull City, the club he represented 161 times as a player and later managed for 78 games. Chelsea beat Championship opposition in Charlton Athletic in Rosenior’s first match in charge and will again be strong favourites to progress against the Tigers.

Arsenal were given an even more comfortable fourth round tie, drawn at home to 2013 winners Wigan Athletic, who now compete in League One.

Manchester City put 10 goals past League One's Exeter over the weekend and will now face even lower-ranked opposition in the next round. Pep Guardiola’s side will host either Salford City or Swindon Town at the Etihad Stadium, who must still play their third round game on January 20.

Liverpool's fate if they get past Barnsley on Monday night is a visit from Brighton, conquerors of Manchester United in the third round.

Wrexham will fancy their chances of progressing in an all-Championship tie against Ipswich Town, while there is remarkably only one guaranteed all-Premier League clash: Aston Villa vs Newcastle United.

The biggest chance of a major upset could come as Grimsby Town, who have already beaten Manchester United in the Carabao Cup ths season, host a woeful Wolves team.

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Overall there are 16 ties to be played in the fourth round.

Liverpool or Barnsley vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Stoke City vs Fulham

Oxford United vs Sunderland

Southampton vs Leicester City

Wrexham vs Ipswich Town

Arsenal vs Wigan Athletic

Hull City vs Chelsea

Burton Albion vs West Ham United

Burnley vs Mansfield Town

Norwich City vs West Bromwich Albion

Port Vale vs Bristol City

Grimsby Town vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Aston Villa vs Newcastle United

Manchester City vs Salford City or Swindon Town

Macclesfield FC vs Brentford

Birmingham City vs Leeds United

All 16 ties at this stage of the competition are intended to be played from Friday, February 13 to Monday, February 16, speading the games over an entire long weekend. Even though it will be Valentine's Day, there is sure to be no love lost with a place in the fifth round at stake.

Every winner in the fourth round will pocket £127,000 in prize money. While that it a drop in the ocean for Premier League clubs, it would be an enormous sum of money for Macclesfield. The Silkmen have already amassed a significant fund this season after entering in the qualifying rounds, with the third-round victory over Crystal Palace taking their overall earnings to almost £270,000 already.