Liverpool face United in heavyweight tie

European champions Liverpool were drawn to play Manchester United, the most successful team in the history of the FA Cup, in the fifth round yesterday.

The tie will take place at Anfield on the weekend of Feb. 18-19 and is their third meeting in the FA Cup in a decade following United's 1-0 win in the 1996 cup final and United's 2-1 fourth round win in 1998-99.

United, who have won the FA Cup a record 11 times, beat Liverpool 1-0 in the Premier League at Old Trafford last week with a last-minute goal from Rio Ferdinand.

"We played against United some days ago and people saw we are two teams that are very close," Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said.

"We were playing away then, but now are at home and that is going to give us an advantage. It is a difficult game for us, but if you are to win trophies you have to play and beat the best teams."

Favourites Chelsea will play third division Colchester United if they beat Everton in their fourth-round replay at Stamford Bridge next week.

Chelsea have never met Colchester in the FA Cup but Everton beat them 5-0 in the 1971 quarter-final after Colchester had famously knocked out Don Revie's Leeds United 3-2 in the previous round.

Colchester manager Phil Parkinson said: "That's a great draw for us and will give our young players a chance to test themselves against Premier League players. It's also probably worth around a million pounds to the club."

Third division Brentford's reward for beating Premier League Sunderland 2-1 is a short trip across London to more Premier League opposition, Charlton Athletic.

The clubs, whose grounds are 12 miles apart, last met in a league match in the old Third Division 25 years ago, and last met in the FA Cup in the fourth round in 1996 with Charlton winning 3-2.

Bolton Wanderers, who knocked holders Arsenal out on Saturday, will meet West Ham, a repeat of the first FA Cup final played at Wembley Stadium when it opened in 1923.

The new Wembley has a 70 per cent chance of staging this year's final on May 13, constructors said yesterday. If it is not ready, the final will be played in Cardiff.

Bolton knocked West Ham out of the League Cup earlier this season and also won 2-1 at Upton Park in the league in August.

In other matches, Newcastle United will play second division Southampton, a match that will take Alan Shearer back to his first professional club, while Aston Villa will face Manchester City, their first meeting in the FA Cup since City won a fourth round tie 1-0 in 1995.

Birmingham or Reading will play Stoke and either Coventry or Middlesbrough will play Crystal Palace or Preston North End.