JOIN USUnited through to quarters
Manchester United survived a scare to beat League One Preston North End 3-1 in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday and set up a mouth-watering quarterfinal against Arsenal.
Scott Laird's deflected 47th minute strike gave third-tier Preston the scent of a huge upset but United regrouped and goals by Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Wayne Rooney sent the Premier League side through.
Preston manager Simon Grayson led Leeds United to a famous victory over Manchester United in an FA Cup third-round tie at Old Trafford in 2010 and his organised team worked tirelessly to give themselves a chance to emulate that feat.
They restricted United with disciplined defending and the visitors failed to trouble keeper Thorsten Stuckmann in the first half.
Laird's speculative strike, which burst through the grasp of United goalkeeper David de Gea, sent the home fans into a frenzy and Van Gaal's last realistic chance of winning silverware in his first season at United looked in jeopardy.
But the introduction of the livewire Ashley Young in place of ineffective striker Radamel Falcao revived the visitors and good work by the winger down the right set up the chance for Herrera to squeeze in a 65th-minute equaliser off the post.
Liverpool host Rovers
In the other quaterfianl ties, giant-killers Bradford City, who caused one of the biggest ever FA Cup upsets by beating Chelsea in the fourth round before seeing off Premier League Sunderland in the fifth, got the home tie their manager Phil Parkinson wished for.
The third-tier side will face Reading. The draw was also kind to Liverpool, who were paired with mid-table Championship side Blackburn Rovers.
Brendan Rodgers's side are in a rich vein of form after a sluggish start to the season and will be favourites to reach the semi-finals for the first time since they lost the 2012 final to Chelsea.
However, Blackburn have beaten Premier League Swansea City and Stoke City in the last two rounds after coming from behind in both matches.
New Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood will be looking for two victories in four days over local midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion as his side battle against relegation and seek a place in the last four.
Villa and West Brom, who contested three FA Cup finals between 1887 and 1895, will meet at Villa Park on March 3 in the Premier League before the Baggies make the short trip back there for the cup clash.