FA Cup draw LIVE: Arsenal host Liverpool as Man United and Premier League clubs learn third round opponents
The FA Cup reaches the third round proper in January as clubs from the Premier League and Championship enter the competition.
And two enormous matches are guaranteed for viewers, with Arsenal hosting Liverpool the pick of the bunch. The Gunners finished runners-up to Man City in the Premier League last season, while the Reds are the only club to stop City winning the league in the past six years. Both are flying at the top of the table again this campaign.
Elsewhere, a huge north-east derby is in store as Sunderland host Newcastle United, while all-Premier League ties include Crystal Palace against Everton and Brentford vs Wolves.
See the full draw and all the live reaction in the blog and get the latest odds and tips for the trophy here.
FA Cup third-round draw
FA Cup third round draw is due to start just before 1pm GMT, ahead of Eastleigh vs Reading
The third round will have 64 teams, with holders Manchester City and Premier League sides entering the competition
How the magic of the FA Cup third round draw changed Marine AFC forever
Premier League leaders Arsenal to host Liverpool in FA Cup third round
Sunderland to host north east rivals Newcastle; Wigan vs Manchester United
FA Cup third-round draw - notable fixtures
13:41 , Ben Fleming
Arsenal vs Liverpool
The big two games to finish. First up is a Premier League top-of-the-table clash between Arsenal and Liverpool. These two last clashed in the FA Cup back in 2014 when Arsenal won 2-1 in the fifth round.
They also faced off in the 1971 and 2001 finals, with Arsenal winning the former and Liverpool the latter.
FA Cup third-round draw - notable fixtures
13:34 , Ben Fleming
Maidstone United vs Stevenage or Port Vale
Newport County or Barnet vs Eastleigh or Reading
And a couple more to finish. It might not be the sexiest draw for non-league Maidstone United but a home game against League One’s Stevenage or Port Vale will have to do. Perhaps another chance for a shock win?
Eastleigh vs Reading has just got underway and the winner of that game will face the winner of Newport County vs Barnet which is heading for a replay.
FA Cup third-round draw - notable fixtures
13:27 , Ben Fleming
Nottingham Forest vs Blackpool or Forest Green Rovers
Wigan Athletic vs Manchester United
Gillingham vs Sheffield United
Some more good chances for third and fourth-tier sides on offer here. Gillingham will face Sheffield United who have just been thrashed 5-0 by Burnley earlier this weekend.
Wigan will host Manchester United, while Forest Green Rovers of League Two could set up a visit to Forest should they get past League One Blackpool.
FA Cup third-round draw - notable fixtures
13:21 , Ben Fleming
Southampton vs Alfreton Town or Walsall
AFC Wimbledon or Ramsgate vs Ipswich Town
Watford vs Chesterfield or Leyton Orient
Three more chances for non-league sides to claim Championship third-round opposition. Alfreton Town, Ramsgate and Chesterfield still have their respective second-round ties to negotiate but there’s some good third-round fixtures on offer should they make it there.
FA Cup third-round draw - notable fixtures
13:15 , Ben Fleming
Luton Town vs Bolton Wanderers
Tottenham vs Burnley
West Brom vs Aldershot Town or Stockport County
A great chance for high-flying Bolton of League One to claim the scalp of a Premier League side in the third round. Burnley got their first home win of the season this weekend and will look to cause an upset against fellow Premier League side Tottenham.
And finally, a great chance for the winner of Aldershot Town vs Stockport County, with a visit to Championship West Brom.
FA Cup third-round draw
13:11 , Ben Fleming
And that is your lot.
The two standout fixtures are certainly Arsenal vs Liverpool and Sunderland vs Newcastle. The latter will be the first Tyne-Wear derby since 2016!
Let’s take a look through, though, and pick out some more...
FA Cup third-round draw
13:08 , Ben Fleming
Hull City vs Birmingham
FA Cup third-round draw
13:08 , Ben Fleming
Newport County or Barnet vs Eastleigh or Reading
FA Cup third-round draw
13:08 , Ben Fleming
Maidstone United vs Stevenage or Port Vale
FA Cup third-round draw
13:07 , Ben Fleming
Plymouth Argyle vs Sutton United
FA Cup third-round draw
13:07 , Ben Fleming
Brentford vs Wolves
FA Cup third-round draw
13:07 , Ben Fleming
Coventry City vs Oxford United
FA Cup third-round draw
13:06 , Ben Fleming
Queens Park Rangers vs Bournemouth
FA Cup third-round draw
13:06 , Ben Fleming
Chelsea vs Preston North End
FA Cup third-round draw
13:06 , Ben Fleming
Swansea City vs Morecambe
FA Cup third-round draw
13:05 , Ben Fleming
Gillingham vs Sheffield United
FA Cup third-round draw
13:05 , Ben Fleming
Blackburn Rovers vs Cambridge United
FA Cup third-round draw
13:05 , Ben Fleming
Manchester City vs Huddersfield Town
FA Cup third-round draw
13:05 , Ben Fleming
Wigan Athletic vs Manchester United
FA Cup third-round draw
13:04 , Ben Fleming
Nottingham Forest vs Blackpool or Forest Green Rovers
FA Cup third-round draw
13:04 , Ben Fleming
Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa
FA Cup third-round draw
13:03 , Ben Fleming
Crystal Palace vs Everton
FA Cup third-round draw
13:03 , Ben Fleming
Sheffield Wednesday vs Cardiff City
FA Cup third-round draw
13:03 , Ben Fleming
Sunderland vs Newcastle United
FA Cup third-round draw
13:03 , Ben Fleming
Watford vs Chesterfield or Leyton Orient
FA Cup third-round draw
13:02 , Ben Fleming
Millwall vs Leicester City
FA Cup third-round draw
13:02 , Ben Fleming
Peterborough United vs Leeds United
FA Cup third-round draw
13:01 , Ben Fleming
AFC Wimbledon or Ramsgate vs Ipswich Town
FA Cup third-round draw
13:01 , Ben Fleming
Southampton vs Alfreton Town or Walsall
FA Cup third-round draw
13:01 , Ben Fleming
West Brom vs Aldershot Town or Stockport County
FA Cup third-round draw
13:01 , Ben Fleming
Fulham vs Rotherham United
FA Cup third-round draw
13:00 , Ben Fleming
Tottenham vs Burnley
FA Cup third-round draw
13:00 , Ben Fleming
West Ham vs Bristol City
FA Cup third-round draw
13:00 , Ben Fleming
Norwich City vs Crewe Alexandra or Bristol Rovers
FA Cup third-round draw
12:59 , Ben Fleming
Stoke City vs Brighton
FA Cup third-round draw
12:59 , Ben Fleming
Arsenal vs Liverpool
FA Cup third-round draw
12:59 , Ben Fleming
Shrewsbury Town vs Wrexham or Yeovil Town
FA Cup third-round draw
12:58 , Ben Fleming
First out of the hat is Luton Town
And they’ll be playing...Bolton Wanderers
FA Cup third-round draw
12:57 , Ben Fleming
We’re moments away from the draw now, with Arsenal defender Jen Beattie and former Everton FA Cup winner Trevor Steven in charge of the balls.
FA Cup third-round draw
12:50 , Ben Fleming
Here are some numbers to look out for:
Number 2: Arsenal
Number 11: Chelsea
Number 21: Liverpool
Number 23: Manchester City
Number 24: Manchester United
Number 45: Maidstone United
Number 49: Aldershot Town or Stockport County
Number 50: Alfreton Town or Walsall
Number 64: AFC Wimbledon or Ramsgate
FA Cup third-round draw
12:40 , Ben Fleming
We are fast approaching the FA Cup third-round draw, so here’s a reminder of some more information about the draw and how to watch it:
The draw for the third round proper of the 2023/24 FA Cup will be held at about 1pm GMT on Sunday 3 December. The proceedings will be conducted in advance of the second round tie between Eastleigh and Reading, which kicks off at 1.30pm.
What time is the FA Cup third round draw?
FA Cup third round draw - second round fixtures
12:30 , Ben Fleming
We’ve still got plenty of FA Cup action on today. After the draw, Eastleigh will take on Reading with the non-league side hoping to shock the former Premier League outfit. Also on today is:
Aldershot vs Stockport
Chesterfield vs Leyton Orient
Wrexham vs Yeovil
Then on Monday, there’s another chance for a giant killing as eighth-tier Ramsgate travel to AFC Wimbledon.
The magic of the FA Cup third round draw and how Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham changed Marine AFC forever
12:20 , Ben Fleming
One of the biggest stories in recent years in the FA Cup third round was when Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham headed to face eighth-tier Marine AFC of Northern Premier League Division One North West.
Two years on from the famous day for the club, The Independent’s Lawrence Ostlere spoke to some of those involved about their memories:
How the magical FA Cup third round draw and Mourinho’s Spurs changed Marine forever
FA Cup third round draw - second round results
12:10 , Ben Fleming
And elsewhere, there were wins for Bolton, Cambridge, Oxford and Peterborough, with Stevenage and Port Vale’s tie heading for a replay.
Earlier on Friday, Shrewsbury beat Notts County 3-2, while Wigan saw off non-league York 1-0 away from home.
FA Cup third round draw - second round results
12:00 , Ben Fleming
Barnet where the other non-league side in action on Saturday, and they’ll have another chance to book their ticket in the third round after holding League Two’s Newport County to a 1-1 draw away from home.
Other impressive results saw two League Two sides upset League One opposition as Morecambe beat Wycombe 2-0 away from home, while Gillingham knocked out local rivals Charlton 2-0 at home.
FA Cup third round draw - second round results
11:50 , Ben Fleming
As we build up to the draw at 1pm, let’s take more of a look through yesterday’s results. The story f the day was undoubtedly sixth-tier Maidstone who beat League Two’s Barrow 2-1 at home to secure their place in the third round, becoming this year’s first non-league side to do so.
Alfreton v Walsall in FA Cup postponed minutes before kick-off
11:40 , Ben Fleming
Alfreton Town’s historic second-round FA Cup tie against Walsall has been postponed due to the weather, under 10 minutes before the game was due to kick off.
The fans were all gathered in the stadium, and the match was due to kick off at 12.30pm GMT, when the decision was made to postpone the match. It means both teams will be in Sunday’s third-round FA Cup draw.
Matt Sadler, Walsall manager, told the BBC: “As soon as I got here I thought ‘this game is going to be off’ I don’t know what anyone else thought.
Blackpool’s game with Forest Green Rovers and Crewe’s clash with Bristol Rovers were also postponed on a chilly Saturday.
Alfreton v Walsall in FA Cup postponed minutes before kick-off as cold snap bites
FA Cup third round draw - second round results
11:30 , Ben Fleming
Horsham were re-instated after Barnsley’s expulsion and played their second-round match on Saturday. It wasn’t to be for the seventh-tier side, however, who lost convincingly, 3-0 against League Two’s Sutton.
FA Cup third round draw
11:20 , Karl Matchett
Here is an interesting story from one of the earlier rounds in the competition:
Barnsley have been kicked out of the 2023/24 FA Cup after fielding an ineligible player in their first-round tie against Horsham.
The League One side overcame Horsham after a replay on 14 November, winning 3-0 after a brace from John McAtee and a Nicky Cadden strike.
But the FA said in a statement that the Professional Game Board Sub-Committee decided to remove Barnsley from the competition after a breach of FA Cup Rule 103 during the replay.
Barnsley kicked out of FA Cup over rule violation
FA Cup third-round draw
11:10 , Karl Matchett
Here are some numbers to look out for:
Number 2: Arsenal
Number 11: Chelsea
Number 21: Liverpool
Number 23: Manchester City
Number 24: Manchester United
Number 49: Aldershot Town or Stockport County
Number 50: Alfreton Town or Walsall
FA Cup third-round draw
11:02 , Karl Matchett
Here is some more information about the draw and how to watch it:
The draw for the third round proper of the 2023/24 FA Cup will be held at about 1pm GMT on Sunday 3 December. The proceedings will be conducted in advance of the second round tie between Eastleigh and Reading, which kicks off at 1.30pm.
When is the FA Cup third round draw?
When is the FA Cup third round draw and how to watch
Saturday 2 December 2023 20:45 , Jack Rathborn
The FA Cup reaches the third round proper as clubs from the Premier League and Championship enter the competition.
64 balls will be in the hat as English football’s most prestigious cup competition intensifies.
Manchester City are the defending champions after beating cross-town rivals Manchester United in an historic derby final at Wembley in June.
The club’s seventh FA Cup triumph was followed a week later by Champions League success as Pep Guardiola’s side secured a treble.
When is the FA Cup third round draw?
How the magic of the FA Cup third round draw changed Marine AFC forever
Saturday 2 December 2023 20:45 , Jack Rathborn
Marine’s 2021 FA Cup run was so far detached from reality that their manager, Neil Young, remembers every kick like a vivid dream. He can still see the last penalty of the shootout which shocked League Two Colchester United on their own patch in the first round, “one of my greatest memories in football”. He can still picture Niall Cummins’ dramatic 120th-minute winner against Havant & Waterlooville in the second round which sparked “bedlam,” even in an empty stadium in lockdown.
That result was their ninth knockout win of the competition and it put Marine AFC, a volunteer-led club playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North West, into the hat for the third round with some of the biggest teams in the world. It was only the second time an eighth-tier side had ever reached that stage of the FA Cup.
On the face of it, the third-round draw is a ludicrous enterprise. Here was a team made up of plumbers, teachers, factory workers and a car salesman, paid a total weekly wage of £750, with the possibility of being competitively matched against some of the best footballers on the planet.
How the magical FA Cup third round draw and Mourinho’s Spurs changed Marine forever
FA Cup third-round draw
Saturday 2 December 2023 11:35 , Sonia Twigg
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the FA Cup third-round draw.
There will be 64 teams in the pot waiting to find out their fate in a round that has become famous for match-ups where non-league teams can be playing teams far beyond their status, like the case of Marine AFC and Tottenham back in 2021.
