Arsenal’s FA Cup defence starts with repeat of Wembley final
HOLDERS Arsenal face a repeat of May’s Wembley final after yesterday’s FA Cup draw paired Arsene Wenger’s side with Hull City in the third round.
The Gunners famously ended their nine-year trophy drought as Wenger claimed his fifth FA Cup win to lie just one behind George Ramsay, who lifted six while in charge of Aston Villa.
Arsenal’s clash with Hull is one of four all Premier League ties, three of which feature London clubs, as Tottenham face Burnley at Turf Moor and Sam Allardyce’s Premier League high-flyers West Ham visit the blue half of Merseyside and Everton.
Seven-time winners Chelsea will host Watford – who sit sixth in the Championship – at Stamford Bridge, while reigning Premier League champions Manchester City also entertain second-tier opposition in the shape of Sheffield Wednesday.
Manchester United have won the FA Cup just once since the turn of the century and face a potential giant-killing having being drawn away to either Accrington Stanley or Yeovil, with that clash set to be determined on 16 December.
Liverpool are in the same boat as Louis van Gaal’s charges as the Reds face an away trip to AFC Wimbledon, while Crystal Palace head to Conference outfit Dover Athletic, who knocked out Cheltenham Town in round two.
QPR have already suffered one cup upset this term in the Capital One Cup at the hands of Burton Albion and will run that particular gauntlet again against last year’s semi-finalists Sheffield United.
Other ties see Charlton host Blackburn, Millwall take on Bradford City, Fulham come up against Wolves and Brentford play Brighton.
FA CUP THIRD ROUND DRAW
■ Arsenal v Hull City
■ Southampton v Ipswich Town
■ Stoke City v Wrexham
■ Charlton v Blackburn
■ Dover Athletc v Crystal Palace
■ AFC Wimbledon v Liverpool
■ Man City v Sheffield Wed
■ Aldershot/Rochdale v N Forest
■ West Brom v Gateshead
■ Blyth Spartans v Birmingham
■ Aston Villa v Blackpool
■ Rotherham v Bournemouth
■ Huddersfield v Reading
■ Oxford/Tranmere v Swansea
■ Cardiff v Colchester
■ Bolton v Wigan Athletic
■ Sunderland v Leeds United
■ Burnley v Tottenham
■ Millwall v Bradford City
■ Derby v Southport
■ Brentford v Brighton
■ Fulham v Wolves
■ Leicester City v Newcastle
■ Scunthorpe/Worcester v Chesterfield
■ Everton v West Ham
■ Cambridge/Mansfield v Bury/Luton Town
■ Chelsea v Watford
■ Barnsley/Chester v Middlesboro
■ QPR v Sheffield United
■ Accrington/Yeovil v Man Utd
■ Preston v Norwich City
■ Doncaster v Bristol City
Ties to be played 3-6 January