Breaking: A major FA rule change could impact matches involving Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, and West Ham…read more
The FA Cup, one of England’s most revered football competitions, is set to resume in January with the third round, featuring a host of London clubs. The draw, which took place earlier this month, has pitted some of the Premier League’s biggest names against lower-league opposition, as well as each other. Among the headline ties is the clash between Arsenal and Manchester United, two of the country’s most successful clubs, at the Emirates Stadium.
Other London clubs involved in the third round include Millwall, who will host Dagenham and Redbridge in the final game of the round, Tottenham Hotspur, who travel to Tamworth, and Chelsea, who welcome Morecambe to Stamford Bridge. West Ham, meanwhile, have been handed an all-Premier League tie against Aston Villa, while Fulham take on Watford in one of the opening games of the round.
In a significant development, the Football Association has announced that VAR (Video Assistant Referees) will not be used in any of the third-round matches. The decision, which has been made to ensure a “consistent refereeing approach for all clubs,” means that VAR will only be introduced from the fifth round onwards. The technology, which is not available at all stadiums, has previously only been used in round three if the relevant infrastructure is in place.
The FA’s decision has been explained in a statement, which reads: “Video Assistant Referees (VAR) will only be used in the 2024-25 Emirates FA Cup from the Fifth Round onwards. It has been agreed that VAR will be utilised for every match in the Fifth Round of the competition through to the Final at Wembley Stadium, and will not be in operation for the Third and Fourth Rounds.”
The decision is likely to be welcomed by many fans, who have expressed concerns about the impact of VAR on the game. However, it may also lead to controversy, particularly in cases where refereeing decisions are disputed.
For Arsenal, the tie against Manchester United represents a significant challenge. The Gunners’ boss, Mikel Arteta, has acknowledged the difficulty of the draw, but remains confident that his team can progress. “That’s the thing about draws, you can get anybody,” he said. “We play at home, it’s going to be a big match again, and it’s a little bit of the story of the last few seasons that in the third or fourth round, we are playing big opponents. But we want to do what we have done historically at this club, and in the end, you have to beat the big teams to win it.”
The third-round FA Cup draw in full is as follows:
– Southampton v Swansea
– Arsenal v Manchester United
– Exeter v Oxford
– Leyton Orient v Derby
– Reading v Burnley
– Aston Villa v West Ham
– Norwich v Brighton
– Manchester City v Salford City
– Millwall v Dagenham & Redbridge
– Liverpool v Accrington Stanley
– Bristol City v Wolves
– Preston v Charlton
– Chelsea v Morecambe
– Middlesbrough v Blackburn
– Bournemouth v West Brom
– Mansfield v Wigan Athletic
– Tamworth v Tottenham
– Hull v Doncaster
– Sunderland v Stoke
– Leicester v QPR
– Brentford v Plymouth
– Coventry v Sheffield Wednesday
– Newcastle v Bromley
– Everton v Peterborough
– Wycombe v Portsmouth
– Birmingham v Lincoln City
– Leeds United v Harrogate
– Nottingham Forest v Luton
The third round of the FA Cup is set to take place from January 9 to January 13, with 32 ties scheduled to be played over the course of five days.
