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Liverpool will receive just 5,168 tickets for their FA Cup fifth round tie with Arsenal on February 16 - despite being entitled to 9,000.

FA Cup rules state that visiting teams have the right to apply for 15% of tickets for all ties prior to the semi-finals.

Therefore, the Reds would have been entitled to 9,000 tickets for next Sunday's game.

And Liverpool did indeed request their full allocation.

However, their request was rejected by Arsenal, following the advice of the London club's Safety Advisory Group.

The group, made up of representatives from the club, local authority, police and transport, say the decision to reduce Liverpool's allocation is down to fears over safety issues, chiefly supporters standing in the upper tiers of the stadium.

A similar issue arose with Arsenal in the third round, when Tottenham Hotspur's request for their full 9,000 away allocation was turned down.

Spirit of Shankly, the Liverpool supporters' union, said it was “disappointed” with Arsenal's decision, and said it intends to write to both clubs for a more detailed explanation.

A statement on the SOS website said it was “absurd” that a football club could “designate an area as being available to away supporters yet then raise fears over potential safety issues.”