Top games to watch in 3rd Round

In the third round proper of the FA Cup, teams from the Premier League and Championship enter the fray. They join the 20 teams still alive from the preliminary rounds and the first and second rounds. This season, just three teams are still alive hailing from outside the top four divisions. The lowest of those is Maidstone United in the sixth tier. Maidstone hosts Stevenage from League One on January 6.

Those stories make the FA Cup what it is. Last season, it was Wrexham who went on a magical run in the competition as it reached the fourth round. Maidstone, Eastleigh, and Chesterfield have sights set on matching that this season.

Yet, this year’s edition of the FA Cup sets up massive fixtures in the third round. Based on the nature of the knockout tournament, major clubs will fall in this round. In total, there are four games involving two Premier League sides. None of those is bigger than the contest between Arsenal and Liverpool. These two clubs are atop the Premier League table, with the Reds of Liverpool holding a slight advantage in the league table.

That game is among five that are worth a look. For American audiences, every game in the FA Cup is available on ESPN+. The streaming service carries live coverage of each game from Thursday, Jan. 4 to Monday, Jan. 8. Later in the competition, it is likely ESPN will put some of the games on its TV channels, as it did with the aforementioned Wrexham run last season. However, that was in the fourth round.

Our Pick:
Includes: Bundesliga, LaLiga, FA Cup, & More

Sign Up

 

Top games in the FA Cup 2023/24 third round

Crystal Palace vs Everton — Thursday, Jan. 4, 3 PM ET

The first of the inter-Premier League games in the third round of the FA Cup comes from two teams struggling for form. After Everton won four games in a row, Everton has lost its last three league games. The 10-point deduction for breaches of financial fair play is creeping up on the Toffees.

Roy Hodgson saved…

Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/fa-cup-preview-top-games-to-watch-in-3rd-round-20240103-WST-481017.html

Author : Kyle Fansler

Publish date : 2024-01-03 18:43:08

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.