February 7th 2025.
This season, the FA Cup has undergone some significant changes. As we head into the fourth round, Manchester United will be hosting Leicester City at Old Trafford. This match will mark the continuation of the controversial modifications to the world's oldest cup competition.
Last month, Ruben Amorim's team had the advantage of the decision to eliminate replays in the third round. They ended up beating Arsenal in a thrilling FA Cup tie at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a penalty shoot-out. On the other hand, Tamworth, a non-league team, missed out on the opportunity of a lucrative replay at Tottenham's 62,850-seater stadium. They lost to Ange Postecoglou's side in extra time.
As we look forward to the upcoming weekend, here's everything you need to know about the fourth round of the FA Cup. Do the games in this round go to extra time and penalties, or do they have replays? Well, starting from the 2024/25 season, replays will no longer be a part of the FA Cup, starting from the first round itself. If the scores are tied at the end of regular time, the match will continue with an additional 30 minutes of extra time. If there's still no winner, then the game will be decided by a penalty shoot-out.
Last month, Arsenal was knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round by Manchester United, thanks to a penalty shoot-out. But why were replays scrapped in the first place? Well, the decision was made in April last year when the Football Association agreed to a new scheduling deal with the Premier League. This deal is valid for the next six years and will see the top-flight providing grassroots football with an extra £33 million in funding per season. The primary reason for the elimination of replays was the expansion of European competitions, with Champions League and Europa League games now taking place in January. The aim was to ease congestion for teams playing in Europe and in the EFL, as well as to support player welfare. However, this move has been met with criticism from clubs outside of the Premier League.
For smaller teams, replays have always been a chance to boost their finances and, in some cases, secure their survival. While the FA has agreed to provide extra payments to compensate for this loss, the affected clubs claim that they were not consulted before the change was made. "The agreement which now sees the abolition of replays from the competition format was agreed solely between the Premier League and FA," said the English Football League in a statement last year. "This latest agreement between the Premier League and the FA, in the absence of financial reform, is just a further example of how the EFL and its Clubs are being marginalized in favor of others further up the pyramid and that only serves to threaten the future of the English game."
Recently, BBC host Gary Lineker expressed his support for scrapping extra time in the FA Cup as well. He suggested that if replays are no longer a part of the competition, then extra time should also be removed. This would benefit lower league teams who have managed to earn a draw against tougher opponents. In the third round last month, Tamworth, a National League side, held Tottenham to a goalless draw after 90 minutes. However, Postecoglou's team went on to score three goals in extra time, avoiding a penalty shoot-out. "I think if they're going to take away replays, they should take away extra time because it really favors the strong teams," Lineker stated.
The FA is planning to review the FA Cup once again at the end of the season. However, it's highly unlikely that replays will be reintroduced. It seems like the future of the FA Cup will involve more penalty shoot-outs and fewer opportunities for smaller teams to make a name for themselves.
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