Home > FA Cup draw smiles on Chelsea, while Manchester United face Reading
by Reuters on 29 January 2007
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By Trevor Huggins
Leaders Manchester United will host Premiership rivals Reading, while champions Chelsea will be at home to lower-league rivals Norwich City or Blackpool in the FA Cup fifth round.
Monday's draw lined up two other all-Premier League ties, with either Arsenal or Bolton Wanderers meeting Blackburn Rovers and Fulham hosting Tottenham Hotspur in a London derby.
The draw was kind to Middlesbrough, who first have to settle a home replay against Division One (third division) Bristol City, with a tie awaiting at home to Championship (second division) promotion chasers West Bromwich Albion.
Premiership Watford will similarly be favourites against Ipswich Town from the Championship, as will Manchester City for their north-west derby trip to Championship high-fliers Preston North End.
At least one Championship side will reach the quarter-finals after Plymouth Argyle were drawn against Derby County. The ties will be played on the weekend of February 17-18.
Manchester United will come up against a former Old Trafford favourite in Reading manager Steve Coppell, who was a winger at Old Trafford from 1975-83 and helped them win the FA Cup in 1977.
Both their league meetings this season have been close-run affairs, with United edging it 3-2 at home last month but having to settle for a 1-1 draw at Reading in September.
Chelsea, already through to next month's Carling Cup final, have enjoyed more cup fortune after a hopelessly one-sided 3-0 win over Division One side Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Drawn at home again, they will face either Norwich, who are languishing in 17th place in the Championship, or a Blackpool side who are below Forest in the third tier.
Blackburn will also have to wait to discover their opponents after Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Bolton on Sunday at the Emirates. Sam Allardyce's side, who trounced Arsenal 3-1 at the Reebok Stadium in the Premiership game two months ago and have won four of their last five home games against Arsene Wenger's side, will clearly fancy their chances in the replay on February 14.
The final is due to be played at the new Wembley Stadium on May 19.
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