By The Independent (Sports) | Created at 2025-01-12 08:27:51 | Updated at 2025-01-12 11:54:02
3 hours ago
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The FA Cup third round is underway as Premier League and Championship sides enter the competition for the first time, with 32 ties being played over the weekend.
Cardiff, Fulham and Everton were the first teams to book their spot on Thursday night, before Aston Villa beat West Ham to deliver defeat to Graham Potter in his first game in charge of the Hammers and League One Wycombe also upset Championship Portsmouth on Friday night.
Liverpool comfortably beat Accrington Stanley and Chelsea did likewise against Morecambe but Brentford were upset by the Championship’s bottom club, managerless Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon, while before the pick of the third rounders takes place on Sunday as Manchester United face Arsenal at the Emirates.
And despite the fact that there is one more match on Monday, plus a handful of postponed matches happening on Tuesday, the draw for the fourth round will take place on Sunday evening, so fans will soon find out their opponents for the fourth round games in February.
Here’s everything you need to know about the draw for the next round:
When is the draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup?
The FA Cup draw for the fourth round will take place after the conclusion of Arsenal vs Manchester United on Sunday, 12 January.
That match kicks off at 3pm, so the draw should be getting started shortly after 5pm GMT depending on whether or not extra-time is needed in that tie.
How can I watch the FA Cup draw?
The draw will be live on BBC One, with subscribers able to watch online on BBC iPlayer too. Viewers in the UK can also watch the draw the official Emirates FA Cup social media channels.
If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
When do the fourth round ties take place?
There will be 32 teams remaining in the fourth round, and the ties will be played over the weekend of 8 February.
The subsequent rounds will take place on the weekends of 1 March (fifth round), 29 March (quarter-final) and 26 April (semi-final).
The final takes place at Wembley on Saturday, 17 May.
What are the ball numbers for the draw?
1 Southampton or Swansea City
2 Arsenal or Manchester United
3 Exeter City
4 Leyton Orient or Derby County
5 Burnley
6 Aston Villa
7 Brighton & Hove Albion
8 Manchester City
9 Millwall or Dagenham & Redbridge
10 Liverpool
11 Wolves
12 Preston North End or Charlton Athletic
13 Chelsea
14 Blackburn Rovers
15 Bournemouth
16 Mansfield Town or Wigan Athletic
17 Tamworth or Tottenham Hotspur
18 Hull City or Doncaster Rovers
19 Stoke City
20 Leicester City
21 Plymouth Argyle
22 Coventry City
23 Newcastle United or Bromley
24 Everton
25 Wycombe Wanderers
26 Birmingham City
27 Leeds United
28 Nottingham Forest
29 Cardiff City
30 Ipswich Town or Bristol Rovers
31 Fulham
32 Crystal Palace or Stockport County
