FA Cup draw extends home runs for United and Chelsea

Fortune favoured the rich and powerful once more when the draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup was made yesterday, both Manchester United and Chelsea being handed home ties for the third time running in this season's competition.

After a weekend bereft of upsets, and much angst over empty seats, the Cup needed a draw that rewarded the remaining minnows and restored romance. In the event, Preston were the only non- Premiership club who came out at home to a top-flight team, Manchester City, while United were paired with Reading and Chelsea will receive the winners of the replay between Norwich City and Blackpool.

City, who last won significant silverware in 1976, will not relish the short journey to Deepdale to face one of the Championship promotion contenders in what all but the county-boundary pedants will view as a Lancashire derby. Preston's manager, Paul Simpson, used to play on the wing for City and hailed a "fantastic" draw.

"I've got wonderful memories of my time at City and we hope we get a full house for this tie," Simpson said. "It will be tough. I went to watch them play Sheffield Wednesday in their third-round replay and I thought they looked a good side."

Arguably the outstanding all-Premiership tie pits Fulham against Tottenham Hotspur, weeks after their keenly fought 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage. Reading's trip to Old Trafford will turn the focus on the visiting manager, Steve Coppell, a Cup winner with United 30 years ago. The game is also a rerun of a recent League fixture, United winning 3-2 late last month, and Coppell called it "the draw nobody wanted".

Arsenal and Bolton, who face a replay after Sunday's stalemate in north London, have the incentive of another home tie, against Blackburn Rovers.

Derby County's visit to Plymouth Argyle guarantees that one team from outside the elite division will contest the quarter-finals. In 1984, when Plymouth were in the Third Division, they won a Baseball Ground replay against Second Division Derby with a goal direct from a corner kick.

Two other ties, those in which Watford play host to Ipswich Town, and Middlesbrough or Bristol City tackle West Bromwich Albion, will encourage a measure of optimism among those who hark back two decades or more to when clubs such as Ipswich, Southampton, Coventry City and Wimbledon lifted the trophy.

FA Cup Fifth Round Draw

Chelsea v Blackpool or Norwich City

Watford v Ipswich Town

Preston North End v Manchester City

Plymouth Argyle v Derby County

Manchester Utd v Reading

Arsenal or Bolton v Blackburn Rovers

Bristol City or Middlesbrough v West

Bromwich Albion

Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur

Ties to be played over the weekend of 17 and 18 February