The FA Cup third round never loses its magic. Each season, the draw for this stage of the competition is met with much excitement and anticipation, as the 20 Premier League sides and 24 Championship teams enter the fray.
This year, it’s thrown up exactly what we want from an FA Cup weekend: local derbies across divisions, blockbuster ties and the ones we relish most – classic David versus Goliath match-ups.
Two non-league teams are still punching above their weight, and both meet mammoth opposition. Dagenham & Redbridge face second-tier Millwall at The Den, and with less than 15 miles between the two stadiums, it’s set to be lively.
Elsewhere, fellow National League club Tamworth welcome Spurs to The Lamb in one of the standout encounters. A minnow getting to test themselves against some of the world’s finest talent – it’s just about as big as it gets in the Staffordshire side’s 91-year history, and potentially a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for supporters and players to savour.
Of course, they would have laughed all the way to the bank had they been drawn to meet Tottenham in north London, but instead we get to see how Spurs’ stars fare on an artificial pitch in front of a febrile 5,000 crowd, hoping to roar their side on to a famous giant-killing.
The reason the FA Cup still holds its magic is because shocks can happen on any given day, no matter how huge the gap between the clubs.
That’s what Salford boss Karl Robinson will be stressing when his side meet Manchester City – a local derby with added bite thanks to Salford’s Class of ’92 connections. It’s the first time that the League Two Ammies have ever reached the third round, and they’ll be looking to take advantage of City’s recent troubles and cause a seismic upset.
The draw also threw up a handful of all-Premier League ties, not least holders Manchester United’s heavyweight clash against Arsenal at the Emirates. It may lack the romance of some of the other cross-division showdowns, but it does mean the tournament will lose one of the favourites at this stage. With the two most successful teams in FA Cup history going head-to-head so early, it could help one of the less-favoured outfits to go deep.
Other intriguing pairings include League Two strugglers Morecambe and Accrington Stanley travelling to Chelsea and Liverpool respectively, while there’s a Yorkshire derby between Leeds and Harrogate, League One Stockport take on top-flight Crystal Palace, and in what could be the final FA Cup match at Goodison Park, Everton host Peterborough in which we could see Ashley Young line up against 18-year-old son Tyler.
Unlike in previous campaigns, there will be no replays at this stage of competition, so all matches will be decided on the day. There is an understandable argument that scrapping them only favours teams further up the pyramid, as growing concerns over player welfare and an overloaded calendar continue to ramp up.
Despite that, many of the other beloved traditions remain. There will still be tinfoil cardboard cutouts of the trophy, people watching from rooftops and grown men crying in the crowd.
The FA Cup is without a doubt one of the best competitions to enjoy for supporters. Some of my best memories as a Brighton fan have come in this tournament, thanks to Albion’s recent success of reaching the semi-finals twice in four years. Sure, the Seagulls lost both narrowly to Man City and Man United, but those days out at Wembley with my family are experiences that will stay with me forever.
There has been only one underdog winner since Wigan’s last-gasp triumph in 2013. Leicester won their first FA Cup in 2021, having lost four previous finals, but the fact these magical moments happen so rarely makes them even more special.
What gives the FA Cup its lasting stardust is that the game’s oldest competition might be so difficult to win, but anything is possible. Just ask Leicester, Wigan or Portsmouth. It allows fans to believe that it could be their year.
At this stage, it sounds so simple. All it takes is four victories to reach a Wembley semi, five wins to make the final and six for silverware and history. That’s what every club in the third round is hoping for, to continue the journey and keep on dreaming.