Even in a world where it competes for attention with an ever-growing panoply of club competitions, where relative prize money and fixture lists push it down the list of coaches’ priorities, there is something special about the Cup FA. No competition in English sport, perhaps not even football, has the notion of giant-killing as ingrained in its being as the grand duke of football.
Everyone will say that surprises were better in their day, but no matter the year, this competition continues to give surprises. As such, you can safely assume that none of the five games we’ve selected as potential surprises will be where the drama will occur, but you’ve already clicked. You could also continue reading:
1. Everton v Peterborough
This list could have had more than one team hovering at the top of the League One relegation zone, the type that could really do without a deep cup run, please and thank you. Unfortunately for Darren Ferguson, he chose the worst possible time to run into Everton. Without any overwhelming reason, They have fired their coach a few hours before the third round match.. Somewhere around the 17th most talented team in the Premier League sits in 16th place, Sean Dyche looks well prepared to do what he has done since the former owners turned to him: keep the Toffees in the Premier League. League without room for maneuver and then without money to strengthen.
Taking their place for Thursday’s third round tie are the duo of under-18 head coach Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman. They made a great fullback duo in 2013, and as a thought experiment, it would be great to see how that translated in the dugout. Meanwhile, giving those two a few minutes to prepare for a cup tie suggests their priorities might lie elsewhere. That means a distinct possibility of Goodison Park’s latest FA Cup tie ending in humiliation. That could have happened with Dyche anyway, given his priority would have been Premier League security. He probably would have been a better bet to pull it off than Jose Mourinho, but that’s perhaps a piece for another time.
2. Leeds United v Harrogate Town
Rarely in its 144 years of competition has the FA Cup produced a tie that guarantees those “oooohs” in the studio that make the third round the television institution it is. For the first time, Harrogate Town, with only five seasons of playing in the Football League proper in one of the biggest games in their history, travel 20 miles south to the great metropolis, mighty Leeds, for a competitive match against the three-time English champions and winners of this trophy 53 years ago.
It would be a massive task for Harrogate under any circumstances, let alone when they are staring at the Football League relegation zone and Leeds well positioned to escape in the other direction, topping the Championship table with 20 games to go. Then again, the stars have a curious way of lining up for the third round of the FA Cup. Can’t you see the “big, strong, physical lad” Harrogate has signed on loan from Huddersfield, 18-year-old defender Eko Solomon, holding his own as the Sulpherites cling to their lead? Illan Meslier always feels guilty, doesn’t he? The team is owned and managed by a father and son duo, it all feels a lot like the FA Cup doesn’t it? Something is happening here.
3. Hull City v Doncaster Rovers
Yes, Yorkshire are being treated well this weekend when it comes to potential upsets. The narrative may not be as rich as it is in the battle between the region’s capital and its neighboring spa town, but the prospects of a shock result will be much greater when Doncaster arrive at the MKM Stadium the following day. Grant McCann’s side have faltered a bit of late but still sit seventh in a congested League Two and have the second-best goal difference in the division behind runaway leaders Walsall.
Hull, meanwhile, are beginning to emerge from the free fall they found themselves in under Tim Walter, with his successor Ruben Selles picking up points in three of their last five Championship games, including a thrilling comeback to draw 3-3. with leader Leeds. On the other hand, those good recent results only serve to highlight what the priority should be for a team in the Tigers’ position, goals scored being the only thing separating them from Portsmouth in the position above the relegation zone. Expect to see a very weakened XI from the hosts. That could give Doncaster all the opportunities they need.
4. Arsenal against Manchester United
Is this a bit of a dig? Yes, yes it is. But here’s the thing: at full speed, Arsenal are better enough than Manchester United to count as a major upset if they lose at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Not Wrexham in 1992 or Shrewsbury Town in 2003, I admit. Something out of the ordinary, anyway.
How close will Arsenal be to peak performance? Even if the chances keep coming, like they did against Newcastle, they look like a player missing his obviously world-class striker. If Bukayo Saka had been on the field on Tuesday night, they probably would have created more chances, particularly in those last desperate attempts. They probably would have scored more too.
Tuesday’s defeat will have exhausted Arsenal. Meanwhile, United have had a week to build on their best performance during Rubén Amorim’s tenure, the 2-2 draw against Liverpool. That means a week to refine the back three, a precious commodity at this stage of any season, time to regain form and for some of those on the sidelines to regain the affection of their boss. Furthermore, it is time to remember the tape of their 2-0 defeat at the Emirates a month ago and resolve the set-piece defense.
“Could be [a good thing that we played there not long ago]if we do it well,” Rasmus Hojlund told the club’s media. “I think we have to be precise on set pieces, they have been very good at that and scored twice last time. So yeah, very focused there. “I just try to keep improving and do what the coach says and I think we’ll be fine.”
5. Tamworth v Tottenham
Look, these are the surprises that almost never happen. The world’s media is flocking to a football backwater in the hope that this time the really good Premier League team will make a mistake. You probably have to go back a decade to when Bradford knocked out Chelsea in the fourth round at Stamford Bridge for the ultimate titan slaughter.
Even in a year in which the draw has thrown up many possibilities, few seem convincing. Chelsea’s B team will find Morecambe as big a challenge as their Conference League opponents. Expect the result to be the same. Liverpool have the depth to comfortably overtake Accrington Stanley and will feel they have something to prove after Wednesday’s defeat to Tottenham. Pep Guardiola tends to take the FA Cup more seriously than you might think.
However, if there was a game you would invest your belief in magic in, it would be Tamworth Vs. Tottenham. It would be gloriously elegant to follow one of the best performances of Ange Postecoglou’s tenure with what would presumably have to be the worst. It would also be a remarkable triumph for the type of English city that rarely receives attention, let alone a football team that two years ago was in the seventh tier of the English pyramid. It is a team of bricklayers and teachers against experienced internationals, even taking into account the probable rotation by the Tottenham manager. These stories tend not to end the way most want, but you never know.
FA Cup schedule
All Eastern times and all games available on ESPN+
Thursday January 9
Sheffield United v Cardiff City, 2pm
Fulham against Watford, 2:45 p.m.
Everton against Peterborough, 2:45 p.m.
Friday, January 10
Wycombe v Portsmouth, 2.45pm
Aston Villa v West Ham United, 3:00 p.m.
Saturday January 11
Bristol City v Wolverhampton Wanderers, 7am
Middlesbrough v Blackburn Rovers, 7am
Birmingham City v Lincoln City, 7am
Liverpool v Accrington Stanley, 7:15am
Leicester City vs QPR, 9am
Nottingham Forest v Luton Town, 10am
Brentford v Plymouth Argyle, 10am
Chelsea v Morecambe, 10am
Bournemouth v West Brom, 10am
Norwich City vs Brighton, 10am
Preston North End v Charlton, 10am
Reading vs Burnley, 10am
Exeter City v Oxford United, 10am
Sunderland v Stoke City, 10am
Leeds United v Harrogate Town, 12:45 p.m.
Manchester City v Salford City, 12:45 p.m.
Leyton Orient v Derby County, 1:00 p.m.
Coventry City v Sheffield Wednesday, 1:00 p.m.
Mansfield Town v Wigan Athletic, 1:00 p.m.
Sunday January 12
Hull City v Doncaster Rovers, 7am
Tamworth vs. Tottenham, 7:30 am
Newcastle United vs Bromley, 10am
Ipswich Town v Bristol Rovers, 10am
Arsenal-Manchester United, 10:00 am
Crystal Palace vs. Stockport Unleashed, 10am
Southampton vs Swansea, 11:30 am
Monday, January 13
Millwall v Dagenham and Redbridge, 2.30pm
