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 LIVE
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Arsenal draw Manchester United in the FA Cup third round
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Non-league Tamworth host Tottenham Hotspur in plum tie
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Struggling Manchester City take on Salford City, owned by Gary Neville et al.
FA Cup third round draw – Harrogate Town face short trip to Leeds
19:29 , Harry Latham-Coyle
“It’s an amazing draw for us,” Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver says to the BBC after being drawn against fellow Yorkshire side Leeds United.
“We won’t need an overnight stop, which will please the boys. It will be a special experience. Just getting on the coach, making that short journey to a magnificent stadium in Elland Road with all that rich history. It’ll be a very memorable day for the club.”
FA Cup third round draw
19:25 , Harry Latham-Coyle
And that’s your lot!
Plenty of tasty ties to tuck our teeth into – Arsenal vs Manchester United, Tamworth vs Tottenham and Manchester City vs Salford City among them.
FA Cup third round draw
19:24 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Nottingham Forest vs Luton Town
Sheffield United vs Cardiff City
Ipswich vs Bristol Rovers
Fulham vs Watford
Crystal Palace vs Stockport County
FA Cup third round draw
19:23 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Newcastle vs Bromley
Everton vs Peterborough United
Wycombe Wanderers vs Portsmouth
Birmingham City vs Lincoln City
Leeds United vs Harrogate Town
FA Cup third round draw
19:21 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Hull vs Doncaster Rovers
Sunderland vs Stoke City
Leicester vs QPR
Brentford vs Plymouth Argyle
Coventry City vs Sheffield Wednesday
FA Cup third round draw
19:20 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Chelsea vs Morecambe
Middlesbrough vs Blackburn
Bournemouth vs West Brom
Mansfield vs Wigan
Tamworth vs Tottenham
A cracking tie for the non-league side
FA Cup third round draw
19:18 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Manchester City vs Salford City
Millwall vs Dagenham & Redbridge
Liverpool vs Accrington Stanley
Bristol City vs Wolves
Preston vs Charlton
FA Cup third round draw
19:17 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Exeter vs Oxford United
Leyton Orient vs Derby County
Reading vs Burnley
Aston Villa vs West Ham
Norwich City vs Brighton
FA Cup third round draw
19:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Tasty! Arsenal vs Manchester United
FA Cup third round draw
19:14 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Right, here we go. In the balls drop.
And the first tie out is..
Southampton vs Swansea City
FA Cup third round draw
19:13 , Harry Latham-Coyle
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
19:11 , Harry Latham-Coyle
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
19:05 , Harry Latham-Coyle
“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
19:03 , Harry Latham-Coyle
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
18:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
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
Dagenham & Redbridge into third round for first time since 2015
18:40 , Harry Latham-Coyle
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
18:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle
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
18:20 , Harry Latham-Coyle
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
When will the third round ties be played?
18:10 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The third round ties will be played between Friday 10 January 2025 and Monday 13 January 2025, the traditional New Year slot for the FA Cup.
FA Cup third-round draw ball numbers
18:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Here are the ball numbers you need to know tonight:
1. AFC Bournemouth
2. Arsenal
3. Aston Villa
4. Blackburn Rovers
5. Brentford
6. Brighton & Hove Albion
7. Bristol City
8. Burnley
9. Cardiff City
10. Chelsea
11. Coventry City
12. Crystal Palace
13. Derby County
14. Everton
15. Fulham
16. Hull City
17. Ipswich Town
18. Leeds United
19. Leicester City
20. Liverpool
21. Luton Town
22. Manchester City
23. Manchester United
24. Middlesbrough
25. Millwall
26. Newcastle United
27. Norwich City
28. Nottingham Forest
29. Oxford United
30. Plymouth Argyle
31. Portsmouth
32. Preston North End
33. Queens Park Rangers
34. Sheffield United
35. Sheffield Wednesday
36. Southampton
37. Stoke City
38. Sunderland
39. Swansea City
40. Tottenham Hotspur
41. Watford
42. West Bromwich Albion
43. West Ham United
44. Wolverhampton Wanderers
45. Salford City
46. Charlton Athletic
47. Exeter City
48. Leyton Orient
49. Bristol Rovers
50. Dagenham & Redbridge
51. Accrington Stanley
52. Lincoln City
53. Tamworth
54. Birmingham City
55. Mansfield Town
56. Peterborough United
57. Stockport County
58. Wycombe Wanderers
59. Morecambe
60. Bromley
61. Doncaster Rovers
62. Reading
63. Harrogate Town
64. Wigan Athletic
Ruud van Nistelrooy ‘astonished’ by managerial offers after Manchester United stint
17:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Former winners Leicester will start life under a former Manchester United star this week, with Ruud van Nistelrooy admitting today that he had been inundated by offers after an impressive caretaker stint at Old Trafford. Can he oversee a deep cup run in a competition he won as a player in 2004?
Ruud van Nistelrooy ‘astonished’ by managerial offers after Manchester United stint
Manchester United’s new star provides key to Ruben Amorim’s pressing machine
17:35 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Cup holders Manchester United are also enjoying something of a purple patch, embracing a pressing style under new boss Ruben Amorim – with Amad Diallo perhaps surprisingly to the fore…
Man Utd’s new star provides key to Ruben Amorim’s pressing machine
Star of Chelsea’s show, Cole Palmer has become an entertainment product in his own right
17:25 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Meanwhile, things are looking better and better for Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea. Lawrence Ostlere was at Stamford Bridge to watch the Cole Palmer show:
Cole Palmer has become an entertainment product in his own right
Why transformed Ryan Gravenberch embodies Liverpool 2.0 under Arne Slot
17:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
And Richard Jolly has picked out a reinvented Ryan Gravenberch for special praise after Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the table to nine points.
Why transformed Ryan Gravenberch embodies Liverpool 2.0 under Arne Slot
The secret to Arne Slot’s success separating Liverpool from their rivals
17:05 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Let’s start, though, with some reaction to yesterday’s action, and particularly events at Anfield as Liverpool took another significant step towards the title even at this early stage. Miguel Delaney explains why Arne Slot’s first few months in charge have been such a success:
The secret to Arne Slot’s success separating Liverpool from their rivals
FA Cup third round draw LIVE
14:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s LIVE coverage of the draw for the third round of the FA Cup. The competition is set to hot up with the arrival of the 44 clubs from the top two English tiers, with Premier League and Championship teams joining the 20 sides who progressed from the second round this weekend.
We’re expecting the draw to be made at some time around 7.15pm GMT – let’s get going.
