Manchester United and Arsenal have been drawn against each other in the FA Cup fifth round.

The two sides have been doing battle at the top of the Barclays Premier League for much of the season and their meeting at Old Trafford means at least one of the remaining six top-flight sides will drop out before the next stage.

Holders Chelsea have been drawn against Coca-Cola League One side Huddersfield at Stamford Bridge, while Liverpool have a home draw with Barnsley.

The other two Premier League sides have both been handed trips to second-tier opposition, with Middlesbrough travelling to Manchester City's conquerors Sheffield United and Portsmouth visiting Preston, who hammered Derby in the fourth round.

The draw is completed by Coventry versus West Brom, Cardiff against Wolves and Southampton's visit to the bottom-ranked team in the draw, Bristol Rovers.

Former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Frank Stapleton has predicted a freeflowing "spectacle" when the sides meet.

But despite insisting the focus would be on entertainment when the Premier League's top two meet at Old Trafford, the former Ireland international insists the FA must appoint a "strong" official to keep a lid on proceedings.

Stapleton played over 200 games for both sides and is preparing himself for a thrilling encounter when the fifth round takes place on the weekend of February 16-17.

"The big rivalry is there but both teams want to entertain and to score goals.

"People felt after the weekend's games that two of the big four might meet and that's what has come out," he told Sky Sports News.

"The quality of the players means we're all looking forward to it.

"Both clubs are very aware of their responsibility to the game and the spectacle it is going to be, shown around the world.

"I think they've stepped over the mark on a couple of occasions and it's up to them (the players) and to the FA to put a strong referee in there.

"Who is going to win it is another question."

But although it is sure to be a keenly-fought match, Stapleton believes the staging of the match at Old Trafford could swing it the way of Sir Alex Ferguson's side, who have now drawn top-flight opposition in each of the last 10 FA Cup draws.

"It's a great competition as we know and you just feel when you get to this stage of the draw and you get a big team you want a home draw - that's a big advantage."

Huddersfield boss Andy Ritchie is refusing to rule out his side causing another upset against Chelsea in a year where only six top-flight sides remain, with that number certain to be down to at least five when the Red Devils host Arsenal.

He said: "Going to one of the top four in the country and pitting our wits against a lot of very, very good players will be great.

"We'll go down there and nobody expects us to win so we can play with freedom. You never know, it's the cup isn't it?"

Town striker Andy Booth is also refusing to rule off a giant-killing.

"With the FA Cup, especially this year, you never know how it is going to go," he added.

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp, whose side face Preston, said: "It could have been a good deal worse. It's a decent draw against a club with great history and I'm looking forward to going up there maybe meeting people like Tom Finney."

Coventry were winners in 1987 and manager Iain Dowie believes his team are capable of beating the Coca-Cola Championship high-fliers West Brom for the second time this season following their 4-2 triumph in December.

"We have to ensure we put in the kind of level of performance that we did at The Hawthorns to try and progress to the quarter-finals," Dowie told the club's official website.

"I think the fact that West Brom are such big local rivals will add a lot of spice to the fixture."

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