New Delhi: The FA Cup’s third round is one of the most waited periods in English football. One of the oldest competitions in the world returns for its 146th edition where 20 Premier League teams and 24 Championship clubs enter the competition and join 20 lower-league and non-league clubs who have come through last month’s second round.
Over the course of five days, games are played from Thursday, January 9th to Monday, January 13th next week. Manchester United are currently the defending champions chasing their 14th title to equal Arsenal as the most successful club in the history of the competition.
Your double FA Cup weekend starts here! 🏆🏆
🎨 @B3x_Graphics pic.twitter.com/3mzecGddwU
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 9, 2025
Matches to look out for in the FA Cup third round
One of the exciting aspects of the FA Cup is of course that the lower-league teams could either draw or cause an upset for big teams from the Premier League. League two team Accrington Stanley will meet for the time with Liverpool, though the original team had lost in 1955-56 to the Reds. Stanley will travel to Anfield to meet the Premier League table toppers.
Both non-league teams are still alive in the competition as Tamworth, the lowest-ranked side in the cup, host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday after they won the penalty shootout against League One club Burton Albion. National League outfit Dagenham and Redbridge will face Millwall in the last game of the third round on Monday.
At Etihad Stadium, Manchester City will host neighbours Salford City on Saturday and it will be an exciting clash as Salford are owned by former Manchester United players Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville and Gary Neville. In an all-Premier League clash on Sunday, defending champions Manchester United will face Arsenal. The other fixture featuring the top-tier teams is Friday’s game when Aston Villa and West Ham face each other.
FA Cup 2024-25 third-round games (Timings in IST)
Thursday, January 9th 2025
| Sheffield United vs Cardiff City | 7:00 PM |
| Everton vs Peterborough United | 7:45 PM |
| Fulham vs Watford | 7:45 PM |
Friday, January 10th 2025
| Wycombe Wanderers vs Portsmouth | 7:45 PM |
| Aston Villa vs West Ham | 8:00 PM |
Saturday, January 11th 2025
| Bristol City vs Wolves | 12:00 |
| Middlesbrough vs Blackburn Rovers | 12:00 |
| Birmingham City vs Lincoln City | 12:00 |
| Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley | 12:15 |
| Leicester City vs Queens Park Rangers | 2:00 |
| Exeter City vs Oxford United | 3:00 |
| Reading vs Burnley | 3:00 |
| Norwich City vs Brighton | 3:00 |
| Preston North End vs Charlton Athletic | 3:00 |
| Chelsea vs Morecambe | 3:00 |
| Bournemouth vs West Brom | 3:00 |
| Sunderland vs Stoke City | 3:00 |
| Brentford vs Plymouth Argyle | 3:00 |
| Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town | 3:00 |
| Manchester City vs Salford City | 5:45 |
| Leeds United vs Harrogate Town | 5:45 |
| Leyton Orient vs Derby County | 6:00 |
| Mansfield Town vs Wigan Athletic | 6:00 |
| Coventry City vs Sheffield Wednesday | 6:00 |
Sunday, January 12th 2025
| Hull City vs Doncaster Rovers | 12:00 |
| Tamworth vs Tottenham | 12:30 |
| Arsenal vs Manchester United | 3:00 |
| Newcastle United vs Bromley | 3:00 |
| Ipswich Town vs Bristol Rovers | 3:00 |
| Crystal Palace vs Stockport County | 3:00 |
| Southampton vs Swansea City | 4:30 |
Monday, January 13th 2025
| Millwall vs Dagenham & Redbridge | 7:30 |
Where to watch FA Cup 2024-25 third-round games in India?
Fans in India can watch he FA Cup 2024-25 live on Sony Sports Network. The live streaming of games will also be available for watch on the Sony Liv app and website.
As FA Cup 2024-25 third round begins, here’s a look at the fixtures that are set to take place over the next five days with top teams of English football facing the lower-league and non-league teams. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
