league Macclesfield, Tottenham take on Aston Villa, Manchester United welcome Brighton

FA Cup third round draw: Holders Crystal Palace host non-league Macclesfield, Tottenham take on Aston Villa, Manchester United welcome Brighton

The Emirates FA Cup 2025/26 third-round draw threw up some mouth-watering ties, including Aston Villa v Tottenham and Macclesfield v Crystal Palace. All 64 clubs, including entrants from the Premier League and Championship, learned their fate as TNT Sports broadcast the draw live from St James Park, home of Brackley Town. The 32 third-round clashes will be played on the weekend of January 10.

The draw for the third round of the Emirates FA Cup has been made and all 64 remaining clubs have learned their fates.

Of the 32 ties, all to be shown on the weekend of January 10, 2026, four will see Premier League clubs facing off against each other.

Tottenham Hotspur welcome Aston Villa, Everton host Sunderland, Eddie Howe's Newcastle United entertain Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion will travel to Manchester United in a replay of the 1983 final.

"That [Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa] is a brilliant tie. That is the one that stands out more than anything," commented Ally McCoist on TNT Sports immediately after the draw.

At the other end of the English pyramid, a trip to fifth-tier Boreham Wood is the prize for Burton Albion, who knocked out non-league Brackley Town on Monday evening, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

The lowest-ranked side left in the competition, Macclesfield, have been gifted a home tie against holders Crystal Palace, while fellow sixth-tier club Weston-super-Mare travel to League Two Grimsby Town.

"The one that jumps out for me there is Macclesfield v Crystal Palace," said Darren Fletcher. "When you think about the journey Macclesfield have been on under Robbie Savage for a period of time, now it's John Rooney, they get the holders.

"You look at this from the lower team's perspective, but [Palace manager] Oliver Glasner is going to know that he's got it all on in that game."

Elsewhere, Manchester City have been handed home advantage in their clash with Exeter City, and Liverpool will host Barnsley, who will hope to repeat their heroics from 2008 when they knocked out The Reds at Anfield in the fifth round.

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There are London derbies for Charlton Athletic and Chelsea, as well as for West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers.

And record 14-time winners Arsenal will make the journey to the south coast to face Portsmouth.

All third-round games played outside of the 15:00 Saturday blackout window will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Third round draw

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Shrewsbury Town

Doncaster Rovers v Southampton

Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa

Port Vale v Fleetwood Town

Preston North End v Wigan Athletic

Ipswich Town v Blackpool

Wrexham v Nottingham Forest

Charlton Athletic v Chelsea

Manchester City v Exeter City

West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers

Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford

Fulham v Middlesbrough

Everton v Sunderland

Liverpool v Barnsley

Burnley v Millwall

Norwich City v Walsall

Portsmouth v Arsenal

Derby County v Leeds United

Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion

Salford City v Swindon Town

Boreham Wood v Burton Albion

Grimsby Town v Weston-super-Mare

Hull City v Blackburn Rovers

Newcastle United v Bournemouth

MK Dons v Oxford United

Cheltenham Town v Leicester City

Cambridge United v Birmingham City

Bristol City v Watford

Stoke City v Coventry City

Macclesfield v Crystal Palace

Manchester United v Brighton & Hove Albion

Sheffield United v Mansfield Town

Watch the 2025/26 Emirates FA Cup on TNT Sports and discovery+

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