FA Cup 4th round draw simulated: Arsenal could get…

FA Cup 4th round draw simulated: Arsenal could get Liverpool as Chelsea are handed Man City tie

It's FA Cup weekend!

Manchester City got the ball rolling in round three on Friday night as they made light work of Swindon Town to become the first team to book their place in the fourth round.

In the 24 hours or so since City's comfortable win, the current Premier League leaders have been joined in round four by 21 other teams including Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Brentford, Boreham Wood, Everton, Cambridge United - conquerors of Newcastle United - and holders Leicester City.

Nine of the remaining 10 third-round ties will take place on Sunday with the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Liverpool all in action.

Of the aforementioned London trio, the Hammers certainly have the hardest fixture - at least on paper - as they face fellow Premier League outfit in Leeds United whilst the Gunners visit Championship side Nottingham Forest and Spurs are at home to League One Morecambe.

And by the time the fourth-round draw takes place, all but two third-round ties will have been completed.

The draw is set to take place on Sunday, January 9 and will be broadcast live on ITV after the West Ham vs Leeds game at around 16:50 GMT which means Arsenal will discover their potential fourth-round opponents before kick-off at the City Ground.

This also applies to Manchester United and Aston Villa as they square off at Old Trafford on Monday night.

Unlike draws for European competitions, there is no seeding for the FA Cup, meaning anyone can be pitted against anyone, raising the prospect of some very exciting and intriguing ties.

So who could the London sides get if they are all victorious in the respective third-round ties?

We used a knockout stage simulator to determine who might get who in the draw, and the results were fascinating.

Should Arsenal overcome Forest they could be paired with Liverpool in round four should Jurgen Klopp's side make it past Shrewsbury Town and that game would take place at the Emirates Stadium.

Given the two sides still have a Carabao Cup semi-final tie to settle, it brings about the scenario where the Reds will have a major say with regards to the Gunners' hopes of lifting a domestic trophy this season.

Another potentially huge tie in round four could come at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea's reward for beating Chesterfield in this simulation is a mouthwatering tie against Man City.

Elsewhere Spurs could face the winners of the Wolves vs Sheffield United tie if they beat Morecambe, whilst Man United or Aston Villa could face a trip to Peterborough United.