FA Cup third round: Arsenal and Liverpool in big Premier League clash

Arsenal will face Liverpool in the FA Cup third round. It is the first knockout round in which Premier League clubs participate. 

The Premier League giants have won a combined 22 FA Cup titles. Arsenal last won the cup in the first ever final held behind closed doors in 2020, beating Chelsea 2-1 to secure their 14th FA Cup. 

Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties in 2022 after a 0-0 draw, the first goalless draw in an FA Cup final in 17 years. 

Derby days

The draw, which was held this afternoon, also set up a Tyne-Wear derby between Newcastle United and Sunderland.

Much has changed since they last played each other in the 2015/16 Premier League season. 

It was Sunderland who survived the drop in that year after their 3-0 win against Everton on the final weekend, meaning rivals Newcastle were relegated under Spanish manager Rafael Benitez, 

But in the years after, Sunderland fell to the third tier of English football while Newcastle bounced back to the Premier League. 

Sunderland now play in the Championship and Newcastle are in the Champions League after receiving a substantial cash injection from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign Private Investment Fund. 

FA Cup standouts

Other standout ties include a short trip for Manchester United as they face one-time winners Wigan, and home draws for Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, who face Burnley and Preston North End respectively. 

Seven-time winners Manchester City drew Huddersfield, who are currently hovering around the Championship’s relegation zone. The match will be played at the Etihad.

The FA Cup third round will see more all-Premier League ties with Brentford drawing Wolves and Crystal Palace hosting Everton.

The third round will be played between 5 and 8 January with the rest of the second round being completed this weekend.