The FA Cup third round drawn has pitted eight Premier League teams against one another, but there was no blockbuster tie on offer when the 64 balls were drawn.
Fans of Brackley Town and Burton Albion, hoping for a major pay day after their Monday night clash concluded the second round, were left disappointed as they were given an away day at non-league Boreham Wood—a team who would also have had aspirations of a trip to one of the Premier League’s elite.
Instead, two of the major talking points of the draw revolve around four Premier League sides looking to regularly disrupt the establishment. Aston Villa, riding high under Unai Emery and certainly on the right trajectory, were handed a difficult-looking tie away at Tottenham Hotspur, who are looking to make their mark under new boss Thomas Frank.
There’s also a meeting between Eddie Howe’s current employers, Newcastle United, and the side he hoisted up to the Premier League many years ago, Bournemouth.
dark. FREE NEWSLETTER. New SI FC Newsletter Global Embed. Sign Up to Get Informed With SI FC
Arsenal and Chelsea are on the road, facing Portsmouth and Charlton Athletic respectively, while Manchester United have to fend off fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion if they are to make the fourth round. Manchester City entertain League One side Exeter City, while Liverpool welcome Barnsley to Anfield.
West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton are the only other three Premier League teams with FA Cup third round ties at home—the latter facing Sunderland in what could be a very entertaining clash.
Nottingham Forest travel to Hollywood-owned Wrexham, in a game that may steal the headlines if the Welsh side can cause an upset.
Complete List of FA Cup Winners. dark. Next. Full List of FA Cup winners
Date
Fixture
Friday, Dec. 5
Salford City 4–0 Leyton Orient
Saturday, Dec. 6
Accrington Stanley 2–2 (1–3 pens) Mansfield Town
Saturday, Dec. 6
Chelmsford City 0–2 Weston-super-Mare
Saturday, Dec. 6
Cheltenham Town 6–2 Buxton
Saturday, Dec. 6
Exeter City 4–0 Wycombe Wanderers
Saturday, Dec. 6
Fleetwood Town 2–2 (4–2 pens) Luton Town
Saturday, Dec. 6
Grimsby Town 4–0 Wealdstone
Saturday, Dec. 6
MK Dons 3–1 Oldham
Saturday, Dec. 6
Peterborough 0–1 Barnsley
Saturday, Dec. 6
Port Vale 1–0 Bristol Rovers
Saturday, Dec. 6
Stockport County 0–0 (4–5 pens) Cambridge United
Saturday, Dec. 6
Swindon Town 4–0 Bolton
Saturday, Dec. 6
Wigan 2–2 (4–3 pens) Barrow
Saturday, Dec. 6
Sutton United 1–2 Shrewsbury Town
Saturday, Dec. 6
Chesterfield 1–2 Doncaster Rovers
Sunday, Dec. 7
Slough Town 1–3 Macclesfield
Sunday, Dec. 7
Boreham Wood 3–0 Newport County
Sunday, Dec. 7
Gateshead 0–2 Walsall
Sunday, Dec. 7
Blackpool 4–1 Carlisle United
Monday, Dec. 8
Brackley Town vs. Burton Albion
Round
Weekend of (Saturday)
First Round Proper
Nov. 1, 2025
Second Round Proper
Dec. 6, 2025
Third Round Proper
Jan. 10, 2026
Fourth Round Proper
Feb. 14, 2026
Fifth Round Proper
March 7, 2026
Quarterfinals
April 4, 2026
Semifinals
April 25, 2026
Final
May 16, 2026
The third round is not yet underway but teams will already be dreaming of that perennially sun-soaked day at Wembley Stadium. The most optimistic fans can start ringing May 16, 2026 in red on next year’s calendars.
For the second season on the spin, the FA Cup final will be held before the last weekend of the Premier League campaign. Just as in 2025, no top-flight matches will be scheduled on that Saturday in May to give England’s historic cup competition full billing, with the penultimate round of fixtures shunted to Sunday before the campaign concludes on May 25, 2026.
Jean-Philippe Mateta helped Palace win the FA Cup. / IMAGO/Action Plus
Crystal Palace lifted the first major trophy in their history last summer, beating Manchester City 1–0 on a tear-stained day in south London. Just 35 days earlier, it was City who romped to 5–2 victory over the Eagles in the Premier League, cementing their status in the minds of many onlookers—but not Oliver Glasner.
The canny Palace manager had a message for Pep Guardiola after the match: “If we meet again you can’t play in this system because we will solve it.” He lived up to his word.
READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS AND GOSSIP
