Hold onto your hats, football fans! The FA Cup third-round draw is in, and it's already serving up some spicy matchups! Today's draw has thrown up some thrilling encounters, and one in particular has caught everyone's attention.
Tottenham Hotspur will be facing a true test of their mettle at home against Aston Villa. This clash is shaping up to be a real nail-biter, especially considering it's happening so early in the competition. The match is scheduled for the weekend of January 10, 2026.
Now, let's be honest, winning the FA Cup means you've got to be ready to battle it out with the best. But drawing a team like Aston Villa in the third round? That's a tough pill to swallow. You'd typically expect to face a lower-league team at this stage, so this feels like a particularly unlucky draw for Spurs. Villa, after a rocky start to the season, has been on fire under Unai Emery, currently sitting in third place after a recent victory against Arsenal.
Could this be the biggest match of the round? I'd say so! Other exciting pairings include Everton hosting Sunderland, Newcastle taking on Bournemouth, and Manchester United facing Brighton. Arsenal will travel to Portsmouth, while Ryan Mason's West Brom will face Swansea City away from home.
For those of you who love to follow the FA Cup, here’s the full draw:
- Wolves vs. Shrewsbury
- Doncaster Rovers vs. Southampton
- Tottenham Hotspur vs. Aston Villa
- Port Vale vs. Fleetwood Town
- Preston vs. Wigan
- Ipswich Town vs. Blackpool
- Wrexham vs. Nottingham Forest
- Charlton vs. Chelsea
- Manchester City vs. Exeter
- West Ham vs. QPR
- Sheffield Wednesday vs. Brentford
- Fulham vs. Middlesbrough
- Everton vs. Sunderland
- Liverpool vs. Barnsley
- Burnley vs. Millwall
- Norwich vs. Walsall
- Portsmouth vs. Arsenal
- Derby vs. Leeds
- Swansea vs. West Bromwich Albion
- Salford vs. Swindon Town
- Boreham Wood vs. Brackley/Burton
- Grimsby vs. Weston-Super-Mare
- Hull City vs. Blackburn
- Newcastle vs. Bournemouth
- MK Dons vs. Oxford
- Cheltenham vs. Leicester
- Cambridge vs. Birmingham
- Bristol City vs. Watford
- Stoke vs. Coventry City
- Macclesfield vs. Crystal Palace
- Manchester United vs. Brighton
What do you think of the draw? Which match are you most excited to see? Let's discuss in the comments!
