FA Cup third round: All you need to know

Football writer Ben Bloom picks the talking points to look out for as Premier League clubs kick off their FA Cup campaigns.

More than five months after the competition began with August’s extra preliminary round, the FA Cup is featuring Premier League and EFL Championship clubs for the first time this season, with a series of intriguing third-round fixtures.

The 44 teams from English football's top two tiers were in the third-round draw with 20 remaining entrants from League One, League Two and the National League. And, for the first time ever, all the ties at this stage are being decided on the day, without any replays.

So, who will prevail between the two most successful clubs in the competition's history? Will we see any giant killings as five Premier League sides face teams from three or four tiers below them? And could we see a rare on-pitch instance of father versus son?

PL clubs' FA Cup ties (all times GMT)

9 Jan Everton 2-0 Peterborough United
9 Jan Fulham 4-1 Watford
10 Jan Aston Villa v West Ham United, 20:00
11 Jan Bristol City v Wolverhampton Wanderers, 12:00
11 Jan Liverpool v Accrington Stanley, 12:15
11 Jan Leicester City v Queens Park Rangers, 14:00
11 Jan AFC Bournemouth v West Bromwich Albion, 15:00
11 Jan Brentford v Plymouth Argyle, 15:00
11 Jan Chelsea v Morecambe, 15:00
11 Jan Newcastle United v Bromley, 15:00
11 Jan Norwich City v Brighton & Hove Albion, 15:00
11 Jan Nottingham Forest v Luton Town, 15:00
11 Jan Manchester City v Salford City, 17:45
12 Jan Tamworth v Tottenham Hotspur, 12:30
12 Jan Arsenal v Manchester United, 15:00
12 Jan Crystal Palace v Stockport County, 15:00
12 Jan Ipswich Town v Bristol Rovers, 15:00
12 Jan Southampton v Swansea City, 16:30

All-Premier League ties

The most glamorous fixture of the round pits the record 14-time FA Cup winners Arsenal against the current holders, 13-time winners and record 22-time finalists Man Utd.

Mikel Arteta’s side have not progressed beyond the fourth round since they last won the competition in 2020 and were knocked out in the third round last year, when they were defeated 2-0 at home by Liverpool.

Man Utd, meanwhile, have contested the last two FA Cup finals, both against Man City. The Red Devils avenged their 2-1 defeat in 2023 when emerging victorious by the same scoreline last year.

The only other all-Premier League tie is a battle of the claret and blues, with Unai Emery's Aston Villa hosting West Ham, who will be playing their first match under new head coach Graham Potter.

It is a decade since Villa last progressed beyond the fourth round - they reached the final in 2015, losing to Arsenal - but West Ham made it as far as the quarter-finals last season.

When Villa visited the Hammers on the opening weekend of the 2024/25 Premier League season, they triumphed 2-1 with Jhon Duran (pictured above right) scoring the winner.

Premier League v League Two

The third-round draw produced a host of mouthwatering David versus Goliath battles, with a number of Premier League heavyweights tasked with avoiding the banana skin of losing to sides who are several tiers below them.

Man City have reached the final four in all of the past six seasons, lifting the trophy twice. They take on a Salford City side intrinsically linked with their near-neighbours Man Utd.

Salford were taken over in 2014 by a consortium that included Man Utd's ‘Class of 92’ alumni Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and David Beckham, and have since climbed out of the non-league ranks to the heights of League Two. This is the first time they have reached the FA Cup third round.

Salford are one of four teams from League Two who are facing top-flight opposition.

After gaining promotion to the fourth tier at the end of last season, Bromley will travel to Newcastle for their first ever FA Cup third-round tie.

Meanwhile, Accrington Stanley and Morecambe will take a break from their struggles in the bottom half of League Two when they visit Premier League leaders Liverpool and fourth-placed Chelsea respectively.

Non-league dreamers

Just two non-league sides remain in the competition after battling their way through qualifying. Tamworth, the lowest-ranked team still in the FA Cup, have been given a dream tie at home to Spurs.

The National League side currently sit 16th in England’s fifth tier, having gained back-to-back promotions over the past two seasons.

Tamworth beat two clubs from League One - Huddersfield Town and Burton Albion - to reach the third round, where they now take on eight-time FA Cup winners Spurs, who have not made the final since lifting the cup in 1991.

The other National League side left in the competition, Dagenham & Redbridge, will travel to Championship club Millwall, finalists in 2004.

Other ties featuring Premier League clubs

The latter stages of the FA Cup have been dominated by the biggest Premier League sides in recent years, with Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea being habitual finalists.

However, Leicester were triumphant in 2020/21, Wigan Athletic won the FA Cup in 2012/13 and Portsmouth lifted the trophy in 2007/08.

A number of Premier League clubs will begin their bids to follow in their footsteps when they take on lower-league opposition in the third round.

Top-flight strugglers Southampton face a tricky test at home to Swansea City, while high-flying Nottingham Forest and AFC Bournemouth welcome Luton Town and West Bromwich Albion respectively.

You can view all the third-round fixtures in our draw story from 2 December.