FA Cup third round draw: Every tie as Arsenal face Man Utd and other Premier League clubs find out fate
A total of 64 sides will found out their opponents for the next round, with all Championship and Premier League sides entering the draw
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Your support makes all the difference.The draw for the third round of the FA Cup has been made as the 20 Premier League sides learned their opponents for their opening fixtures in the oldest cup competition in football.
The 20 top-flight sides and all 24 Championship teams enter at this stage, joining the 20 clubs who made it through the second round this weekend, including the remaining non-league representatives Dagenham & Redbridge and Tamworth.
And Tamworth have earned themselves a plum tie, with Tottenham Hotspur bringing a touch of glamour to the Lamb Ground with Ange Postecoglou’s side drawn against the Staffordshire Club. The Daggers, meanwhile, make a short hop across east London to take on Milwall.
The pick of the all-Premier League ties is between Arsenal and Manchester United, a famous FA Cup rivalry, while Manchester City will take on Salford City - owned by the Class of ‘92. Ties will be played across the weekend of 11-12 January 2025.
Find our every third-round tie and reaction from the draw below:
FA Cup third round draw
Right, here we go. In the balls drop.
And the first tie out is..
Southampton vs Swansea City
FA Cup third round draw
Mark Hughes and Dion Dublin have their hands at the ready, the former clad in a rather fetching shacket and roll neck combo. The Homes Under the Hammer host alongside him has gone for a suit and t-shirt.
“I just love the competition,” Hughes beams. “It always seemed to figure highly throughout my career. The third round is special - I’ve waited 40 years to get an opportunity to do this.”
FA Cup third round draw
Right, it appears we may not be far away from the balls being swirled and plucked out one by one. 32 ties to be confirmed - it’s going to be fast, frenetic, fascinating procedural fun.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim on the magic of the FA Cup
“You have to know a bit about the history of Manchester United,” Amorim explains to the BBC. “One FA Cup maybe saved one of the best coaches in history in Alex Ferguson. And then you remember the win over Newcastle in the treble [season]. We want to continue that history.”
FA Cup third round draw
And the coverage is underway at Old Trafford, Kelly Somers continuing on presenting duties having shepherded the draws rather nicely since the start of the tournament proper. A couple of former Manchester United marksmen will be on drawing duties later in Dion Dublin and Mark Hughes.
Guiseley chief James Pickles: FA Cup replays scrapped to benefit four clubs
FA Cup replays have been scrapped for the benefit of four Premier League clubs, according to Guiseley general manager James Pickles.
The West Yorkshire outfit missed out on a second chance to face Stevenage in front of their own fans, having drawn 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes in their first round tie, and believe they could have earned up to an extra £50,000 had the replay been selected for live television coverage.
The Football Association announced in April that replays were being scrapped from this season’s first round onwards, which at the time generated concern among lower-league and non-league clubs over lost revenue.
The FA said replays were being dropped because of the expansion of UEFA’s club competitions and the pressure that placed on the domestic football calendar.
Guiseley chief James Pickles: FA Cup replays scrapped to benefit four clubs
The Football Association announced in April that replays were being scrapped from the first round proper this season.
Dagenham & Redbridge into third round for first time since 2015
Also hoping for a plum tie are Dagenham & Redbridge, who rather enjoyed a Saturday afternoon trip across London to Plough Lane as they dumped out Wimbledon. Goals from Notts County loanee Junior Morias and substitute Josh Rees proved enough for the Daggers - who would surely love an encounter with West Ham...
Tamworth stun Burton to earn third round berth
There are just two non-league clubs left in the competition, with the removal of replays at the behest of the bigger clubs causing a fair bit of frustration for some of those who might have been eyeing another drawing from the hat. National League side Tamworth, though, dramatically came through their second-round tie with local rivals Burton Albion, prevailing on penalties with goalkeeper Jas Singh the hero with a couple of sharp shootout saves.
FA Cup remaining round dates
In fact, while we are here, let’s mark your diaries for the remaining round dates for the entirety of the rest of the competition. Calendars at the ready...
Third Round Proper: Saturday 11 January 2025
Fourth Round Proper: Saturday 8 February 2025
Fifth Round Proper: Saturday 1 March 2025
Quarter Final: Saturday 29 March 2025
Semi Final - Saturday 26 April 2025
Final: Saturday 17 May 2025
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