FA Cup Third Round Fixtures To Look Out For

The Third Round of the FA Cup takes place this weekend, and the top two tiers have been added into the mix to make for some exciting ties. The matches actually start tonight, on a Thursday, to keep the action going for longer and for more teams to get their time in the limelight.

A Thursday Start

There are three FA Cup matches on tonight but that could fall to just two with the icy conditions and heavy snow that we have had recently. Everton are trying all that they can to make sure that their match against Peterborough United goes ahead and there is no more snow forecast for before the match kicks off so it should be alright. Peterborough have made it clear that they are unhappy about the match being played on a Thursday because of the travel for fans, so a late postponement could cause a lot of trouble.

Ashley Young could be set to make history tonight when Everton face Peterborough.

The 39-year old and his 18-year old son, Tyler, are aiming to become the first father-son duo in FA Cup history to play against each other. 👥 pic.twitter.com/CET71aW61r

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) January 9, 2025

The first game to get kicked off tonight is an all Championship affair as Sheffield United host Cardiff City. These two sides are at opposite ends of the Championship table however league form tends to not matter in a cup tie. This match is a repeat of the 1925 FA Cup final in which Sheffield United won 1-0, though I doubt any of their fans remember it.

David vs Goliath

On Saturday there are three massive games, in terms of difference in league position. The first of these takes place in Liverpool as the Reds host League Two side Accrington Stanley. This is the first time the two have met in any competition and the fourth time that Accrington have met Premier League opposition in the FA Cup. They have lost on all three previous occasions, most recently against Leeds in 2022/23.

Eight-time winners Chelsea play at 3pm on Saturday against struggling Morecambe who sit two points off the bottom of League Two. The sides have met once before in the third round of the FA Cup as Chelsea won 4-0 in 2021. It has been seven years since Chelsea last lifted the FA Cup so you’d think that it was about time that they won it and with the squad that they currently have, I don’t see why not.

Chelsea training ahead of our fa cup game against Morecambe pic.twitter.com/rhgAS4428V

— Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea (@ChelseaMaresca1) January 6, 2025

The last David vs Goliath match on Saturday is between Premier League Champions Manchester City and local side Salford City, who are currently third in League Two and looking for promotion. Given Manchester CIty’s form this season, you wouldn’t put it past them to lose this match, but I think that that is rather unrealistic. I expect Gary Neville will be watching this game with great interest.

The Last Two Non-League Sides

There are only two non-league sides left in the FA Cup at this stage. Tamworth have played in the third round on three previous occasions, losing all of them. They face Tottenham on Sunday at home, should the weather hold up, and will be looking to hand Spurs their first defeat to a non-league team since the 1914/15 season when they were beaten by Norwich City.

The last FA Cup game of the third round is an all London affair as Millwall host Dagenham and Redbridge. The last time these two faced each other was also in the third round of the FA Cup when Millwall won 5-0 in the second leg after a dull 0-0 draw. The non-league side will be hoping to avoid a repeat and want to make it into the fourth round draw for the first time since 2003.

Arsenal’s Luck

Arsenal also face Manchester United on Saturday, making it the third season in a row that they face a ‘big six’ side in either the Third or Fourth round. Last year it was Liverpool and the year before it was Manchester City. The last time the Gunners made it past the fourth round, they won the whole competition, beating Chelsea in the final in 2020. They haven’t had a run this poor in the FA Cup since the 1800s.