FA Cup in the limelight as Premier League teams enter the fray

ENGLAND’S FA Cup – the oldest national football competition in the world – takes centre stage this weekend, as the 20 English Premier League (EPL) clubs enter the tournament in the third round.

The FA Cup’s history dates all the way back to 1871, and with teams from as many as nine different divisions squaring off, there is always the potential for some giant-killing acts.

Think non-league Sutton’s famous 2-1 win over the defending champions Coventry City in 1989, the “Crazy Gang” of Wimbledon’s improbable 1-0 victory over the mighty Liverpool in the final the year before that, and Wigan Athletic’s incredible 1-0 success over Manchester City in the 2013 final.

By the time this column is out on Saturday morning, four of the 32 matches in the third round would have already been played. There are still many big fixtures to look out for, and here is BT Weekend’s pick of the bunch.

Sunderland vs Newcastle (Saturday, 8.45 pm kickoff, Singapore time) There were audible gasps in the audience when the draw for the third round was made on Dec 3, as Newcastle and Sunderland – two fierce rivals in the North-east of England – were paired together.

It’s the first Tyne-Wear derby since 2016, and the Stadium of Light will be packed to the rafters for what should be a hot-blooded encounter. Newcastle make the short trip across town in torrid form having lost seven of their last eight matches in all competitions, the most recent being a 4-2 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on New Year’s Day.

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The Black Cats (Sunderland’s nickname), currently sixth in the second division, will be buoyed by the fact that Newcastle haven’t won an away game since November. Sunderland have actually won four of the last five Tyne-Wear derbies, and that proud record will give them a much needed psychological boost against an opponent that is still grappling with a long injury list.

Arsenal vs Liverpool (Monday, 12.30 am) Arsenal endured quite a dismal festive season as they went from being top of the EPL table on Christmas Day to fourth just a week later after losing their last two league games. 

The Gunners could scarcely have asked for a tougher FA Cup third round tie, with the new EPL leaders Liverpool visiting the Emirates Stadium.

These two teams are familiar with each other having faced off just before Christmas at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw.

An early goal from Gabriel Magalhaes was later cancelled out by a stunning strike from Mohamed Salah. Liverpool will miss Salah’s services as the Egyptian has departed to play in this month’s Africa Cup of Nations.

With an intense run of fixtures coming up in the next few weeks, it will be interesting to see the lineups that managers Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp will field in the FA Cup. The likes of Cody Gakpo, Harvey Elliott, Jorginho and Emile Smith Rowe could get some game time.

No matter who is on the pitch, matches involving Arsenal and Liverpool have traditionally been feisty battles. With a place in the FA Cup fourth round on the line, expect the two clubs to give it their all from start to finish.

Wigan vs Manchester United (Tuesday, 4.15 am) Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag may not publicly admit it, but he knows his team are deep in a crisis and can ill-afford another debilitating defeat. The Dutchman takes his players on a short 40 km journey to the DW Stadium for what, at first glance, appears to be a pretty tricky fixture against Wigan Athletic.

The Red Devils, runners-up in this competition last season, can’t seem to string a couple of wins together at the moment. Their inability to score goals on a consistent basis, especially from the strikers, is a big worry for ten Hag.

Wigan, struggling in 17th place in the third tier of English football, won the FA Cup in 2013 after shocking Manchester City with a stoppage time goal. Wigan manager Shaun Maloney was in that Wigan side that day, whipping in the corner for Ben Watson to head home the winner.

How Maloney – who scored against Manchester United in the 2011/12 season when Alex Ferguson was still in charge – would love to see a repeat. The beleaguered Ten Hag, meanwhile, can ill-afford another morale-sapping loss.