FA Cup third round draw: Arsenal host Liverpool; Tyne-Wear derby
- A devilish FA Cup third round draw threw up a glut of intriguing ties to be played next January
- Sunderland and Newcastle meet in the first Tyne-Wear derby since 2016
- Arsenal host Liverpool in one of several all-Premier League ties
The always hotly anticipated draw for the FA Cup third round has been made as Premier League and Championship clubs elbow their way into football's oldest cup competition.
Eternal northern rivals Sunderland and Newcastle United were drawn against one another in one of the standout fixtures of the third round. The pair convene at the Stadium of Light for the first Tyne-Wear derby since 2016. Newcastle may be in the division above Championship Sunderland but they have not beaten their neighbours since 2011.
Premier League leaders Arsenal host Liverpool in a clash of top-flight giants. The pair boast 22 FA Cup trophies between them. Reigning FA Cup holders Manchester City avoided the drama to earn a home tie against Championship strugglers Huddersfield Town.
Manchester United were beaten by their city rivals in last summer's showpiece, falling behind to the fastest FA Cup final goal in history. Erik ten Hag's side will try to hold out for longer than 13 seconds when they travel to Wigan Athletic in the third round.
FA Cup third round draw in full
- Luton Town vs Bolton Wanderers
- Shrewsbury Town vs Wrexham or Yeovil Town
- Arsenal vs Liverpool
- Stoke City vs Brighton
- Norwich City vs Crewe Alexandra or Bristol Rovers
- West Ham United vs Bristol City
- Tottenham Hotspur vs Burnley
- Fulham vs Rotherham United
- West Bromwich Albion vs Aldershot Town or Stockport County
- Southampton vs Alfreton Town or Walsall
- AFC Wimbledon or Ramsgate vs Ipswich Town
- Peterborough United vs Leeds United
- Millwall vs Leicester City
- Watford vs Chesterfield or Leyton Orient
- Sunderland vs Newcastle United
- Sheffield Wednesday vs Cardiff City
- Crystal Palace vs Everton
- Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa
- Nottingham Forest vs Blackpool or Forest Green Rovers
- Wigan Athletic vs Manchester United
- Manchester City vs Huddersfield Town
- Blackburn Rovers vs Cambridge United
- Gillingham vs Sheffield United
- Swansea City vs Morecambe
- Chelsea vs Preston North End
- Queens Park Rangers vs Bournemouth
- Coventry City vs Oxford United
- Brentford vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Plymouth Argyle vs Sutton United
- Maidstone United vs Stevenage or Port Vale
- Newport County or Barnet vs Eastleigh or Reading
- Hull City vs Birmingham City
When is the FA Cup third round?
Unsurprisingly for a competition which dates back to 1871 - decades before crossbars were even introduced to the sport - the FA Cup is a stickler for tradition.
Adhering to past precedent, the third round will take place on the first weekend of the new year, with ties scheduled for the weekend beginning on Saturday, 6 January 2024.
Are there replays in the 2023/24 FA Cup third round?
The footballing calendar is packed to bursting point as it is, with the game's governing bodies intent on cramming even more matches into the schedule. The FA cracked open some space in the calendar by scrapping replays from the fifth round onwards ahead of the 2017/18 campaign.
However, if a third-round tie is level after 90 minutes, it will still go to a replay at the home ground of the away team for the initial tie. If the two sides cannot be separated in the replay, 30 minutes of extra time and, if the deadlock cannot be broken, a penalty shootout will be contested.
There is increasing talk of removing this tradition from the competition as part of reforms before a new cycle of TV scheduling which begins in 2025/26. But nothing has been decided just yet.
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