Home of football statistics and historyThe 2024/25 FA Cup has reached its third-round stage, with match-ups officially determined.
During a live draw hosted at Old Trafford, the home of defending champions Manchester United, the 64 remaining teams discovered their next opponents.
Football legends Mark Hughes and Dion Dublin announced the 32 pairings for matches scheduled for the new year, featuring high-profile clashes between Premier League heavyweights as the competition heats up.
The headlining match of the upcoming set of fixtures defined by the FA Cup third-round draw pits Man Utd against Arsenal in a mouth-watering tie at the Theatre of Dreams.
Before facing off in the FA Cup for the first time since January 2019, the eternal Premier League rivals will lock horns in a high-stakes league encounter on Wednesday.
New United manager Ruben Amorim has urged his charges to be ‘brave’ via Reuters as he bids to extend his unbeaten run since taking over from Erik ten Hag.
Meanwhile, United’s crosstown rivals Manchester City could see the FA Cup as a perfect opportunity to avoid a first trophyless season under Pep Guardiola.
Last weekend’s 2-0 rout at Liverpool effectively ruled the four-time consecutive Premier League champions out of the title race, condemning the Cityzens to a seventh straight winless outing.
That’s Guardiola’s longest streak without a win in his illustrious managerial career, not to mention six of those seven matches ended in defeat.
As the New York Times takes stock of Man City’s crisis, the downtrodden champions look forward to the FA Cup third round, where they’ll take on fourth-tier Salford City.
Here’s a glimpse of the standout FA Cup fixtures lined up for January.
Manchester United vs Arsenal
One of the two most successful clubs in FA Cup history will wave goodbye to the tournament in the early stage.
Indeed, Arsenal and Man Utd boast 27 titles combined and remain the only two teams to have hit double digits in the competition’s storied history.
United won their 13th title last season, beating Man City 2-1 in the grand final at Wembley Stadium.
Defending the crown would see the Red Devils equal Arsenal’s outright record in the oldest football cup competition.
However, they must overcome the record holders first.
Mikel Arteta’s side last featured in the FA Cup final four years ago, squeezing past Chelsea 2-1 en route to a record-breaking 14th title.
The Gunners couldn’t make it out of round four last season as Man City crushed their dreams.
With Liverpool already nine points off, Arsenal could put more energy to atone for last year’s disappointment and avoid another season without silverware.
Aston Villa vs West Ham United
Aston Villa’s fall from grace following a remarkable top-four finish in 2023/24 has been epic.
Winless in their last eight matches for the first time under Unai Emery, the Lions look up the creek without a paddle, languishing in the Premier League’s lower reaches.
With their trophy cabinet gathering dust, the seven-time FA Cup champions may shift their focus to reclaiming this prestigious title, a feat they haven’t accomplished since 1957.
Navigating a handsomely-looking third-round tie against West Ham United should be a routine task, even though this match-up looks evenly balanced on paper.
It’s still uncertain whether Julen Lopetegui will be in charge of the Irons by the time the two sides square off at Villa Park, especially following last night’s 3-1 thumping at Leicester City.
The Londoners have three FA Cup titles under their belt. However, their last triumph in this competition dates back to 1980.
FA Cup 2024/25 Third-Round Fixtures
- Southampton vs Swansea
- Arsenal vs Manchester United
- Exeter vs Oxford
- Leyton Orient vs Derby County
- Reading vs Burnley
- Aston Villa vs West Ham
- Norwich City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
- Manchester City vs Salford City
- Millwall vs Dagenham & Redbridge
- Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley
- Bristol City vs. Wolves
- Preston vs. Charlton
- Chelsea vs. Morecambe
- Middlesbrough vs. Blackburn
- Bournemouth vs. West Brom
- Mansfield Town vs. Wigan Athletic
- Tamworth vs. Tottenham Hotspur
- Hull vs. Doncaster
- Sunderland vs Stoke City
- Leicester City vs QPR
- Brentford vs Plymouth Argyle
- Coventry City vs Sheffield Wednesday
- Newcastle United vs Bromley
- Everton vs Peterborough
- Wycombe vs Portsmouth
- Birmingham City vs Lincoln City
- Leeds United vs Harrogate
- Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town
- Sheffield United vs Cardiff City
- Ipswich Town vs Bristol Rovers
- Fulham vs Watford
- Crystal Palace vs Stockport
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