FA Cup Preview: Premier League clubs join the action in third round

One of the world’s oldest sporting competitions resumes on Friday when the FA Cup kicks off its third round. 

First contested in 1872, English soccer’s top domestic tournament has been idle since Nov. 27, but now things will heat up in the third round, which runs from Jan. 6-9. 

Here’s what you need to know about the third round of the FA Cup. 

Single elimination format 

The 32 matches that make up the third round are all single elimination and not two-legged, home-and-away affairs.  

If a team loses, they’re eliminated. But if a game is tied after 90 minutes of regulation time, a replay match will be scheduled at a later date where extra time and penalty kicks (if necessary) will determine the winner. 

Premier League clubs set to enter the mix 

As is the tradition, the qualifying rounds and the first two proper rounds of the FA Cup exclusively featured teams from across England’s lower tiers.  

The third round is when all 20 Premier League clubs and all 24 sides from the Championship (second division) join the fray after receiving byes in the earlier rounds. 

The 44 teams from the top two divisions join the 20 winners from the second round, which include the three lowest-ranked clubs left in the competition: Boreham Wood, Chesterfield and Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham, who all compete in the National League (the fifth division). 

Manchester United vs. Everton kicks things off 

Things officially kick off on Friday (3 p.m. ET) when Manchester United welcomes Everton to Old Trafford in one of five all-Premier League matchups in the third round. 

This contest features two clubs in contrasting forms. While Manchester United is riding a five-game winning streak in all competitions and have climbed over Tottenham and Liverpool into a top-four spot in the Premier League, Everton is winless in seven outings and mired in the relegation zone. 

Manchester City vs. Chelsea highlights the third round 

Of the 32 matches that will take place in the third round, Sunday’s clash between Manchester City and Chelsea (11:30 a.m. ET) at the Etihad Stadium is the highest profile in that it pits two Premier League giants against each other. 

Between them, they’ve won the FA Cup on 14 occasions and 14 Premier League/first division titles, with Chelsea last hoisting the Cup in 2018 (before losing in three straight finals) and Man City winning it in 2019. Incredibly, only four of the last 16 FA Cup finals have not included one of Man City and Chelsea, which just goes to show you how serious they take this competition. 

This will be the second meeting in four days between the Premier League rivals, as Manchester City earned a 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday. Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish entered in the 60th minute as substitutes and combined for the only goal three minutes later, with Mahrez tapping in from close range after a perfect cross by Grealish. 

Liverpool seeks to repeat as FA Cup champions 

When Liverpool beat Chelsea in May in last season’s FA Cup final, it hoisted the trophy for the eighth time in its history after a 16-year dry spell. It also allowed Liverpool to add another piece of silverware to its collection, having won the EFL Cup earlier in the season, while it was also in contention in the Premier League. 

But Jurgen Klopp’s side finds itself in a much different position at the moment. Liverpool has already been eliminated from the EFL Cup and currently sits sixth in the Premier League, 16 points adrift of leaders Arsenal. 

The Reds did win the Community Shield and they are still alive in the UEFA Champions League. But it’s not an exaggeration to suggest that repeating as FA Cup holders represents Liverpool’s best chance of achieving glory this season. The Merseyside-based club begins the defence of its FA Cup in Saturday’s encounter against fellow Premier League outfit Wolves (3 p.m. ET) at Anfield. 

Other all-Premier League encounters in the third round include Saturday’s clashes between Crystal Palace and Southampton (7:30 a.m. ET) and Brentford vs. West Ham United (12:30 p.m. ET) 

Can Oxford slay Premier League giants Arsenal? 

One of the things that the FA Cup is known for is its massive upsets when teams from the lower tiers of English have knocked off first division clubs. 

If giant slayings are more your kind of thing rather than watching two Premier League clubs go at it, then you might want to pay attention to Monday’s meeting between Arsenal and Oxford United (3:00 p.m. ET) at Kassam Stadium. 

The Gunners are the best team in England at the moment, as they sit atop the Premier League standings with 14 wins from 17 games and only one loss. Oxford, on the other hand, is 14th in League One (England’s third division). 

On paper, this is a total mismatch. But you can’t help but wonder if Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta rests his regular starters and fields a “B team” in order to save his top players for the crowded Premier League fixtures that await them in the coming weeks. If so, could Oxford United pull off the upset and send the Gunners packing from the FA Cup? 

Canadian Ismaël Koné likely to debut for Watford 

Fresh off his appearance for Canada at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, midfielder Ismaël Koné completed a transfer move from MLS club CF Montreal to Watford of the English Championship in early December. 

Now the 20-year-old midfielder, who only turned pro last February, is set to make his debut for Watford and could see action for the Hornets in Saturday’s road game against fellow Championship side Reading (7:30 a.m. ET), which features Canadian teammate Junior Hoilett. 

Kone was the youngest member of John Herdman's World Cup team in Qatar. In total, he played in nine games in 2022 for the Canadian men while scoring his first international goal in November. He also netted four goals and tallied five assists in 32 appearances in his rookie campaign with CF Montreal.