FA Cup draw LIVE: Arsenal host Liverpool as Man United and Premier League clubs learn third round opponents
Premier League leaders Arsenal will host Liverpool and Sunderland face rivals Newcastle in the FA Cup third round
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Louise Thomas
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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.
The Premier League giants are meeting for the first time in the competition since Arsenal won a fifth-round tie 2-1 in 2014. The Gunners have come out on top in their last three FA Cup clashes, with Liverpool’s last victory back in the final of 2001.
The other standout tie of the draw saw Championship side Sunderland paired with neighbours Newcastle, who will travel to the Stadium of Light over the weekend of January 6 and 7. It will be a first meeting between the North East giants since they were both in the Premier League in 2015/16, while they have not played each other in the FA Cup since 1956.
There were several other all Premier League ties, with Tottenham hosting Burnley, Everton travelling to Crystal Palace and Brentford facing Wolves.
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Arsenal host Liverpool and Newcastle face FA Cup derby clash at Sunderland
The Premier League giants will meet at the Emirates Stadium while Sunderland host neighbours Newcastle.
FA Cup third-round draw
Chelsea v Preston North End
QPR v Bournemouth
Coventry City v Oxford United
Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Plymouth Argyle v Sutton United
Maidstone United v Stevenage/Port Vale
Newport County/Barnet v Eastleigh/Reading
Hull City v Birmingham
FA Cup third-round draw
Crystal Palace v Everton
Middlesbrough v Aston Villa
Nottingham Forest v Blackpool/Forest Green Rovers
Wigan Athletic v Manchester United
Manchester City v Huddersfield Town
Blackburn Rovers v Cambridge United
Gillingham v Sheffield United
Swansea City v Morecambe
FA Cup third-round draw
West Bromwich Albion v Aldershot or Stockport County
Southampton v Alfreton Town or Walsall
AFC Wimbledon/Ramsgate v Ipswich Town
Peterborough United v Leeds United
Millwall v Leicester City
Watford v Chesterfield/Leyton Orient
Sunderland v Newcastle United
Sheffield Wednesday v Cardiff City
FA Cup third-round draw
Luton Town v Bolton Wanderers
Shrewsbury Town v Wrexham/Yeovil Town
Arsenal v Liverpool
Stoke City v Brighton and Hove Albion
Norwich City v Crewe/Bristol Rovers
West Ham v Bristol City
Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley
Fulham v Rotherham United
FA Cup third-round draw
So that is all the big games looked at now. A reminder that the third round is scheduled for the weekend of Saturday, 6 January.
Let’s take a look at the full draw one more time then...
FA Cup third-round draw - notable fixtures
Sunderland vs Newcastle
And THE big one is without doubt Sunderland vs Newcastle which will see the two fierce north-east rivals lock horns for the first time since 2016. Since then Sunderland have been down to League One but are now on the up with Tony Mowbray in the Championship.
Eddie Howe’s Magpies are also a very different Newcastle proposition to that of 2016, with new ownership and a new-look team.
What a cracker that promises to be...
FA Cup third-round draw - notable fixtures
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
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
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.
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