The FA Cup returns in 2024 with some huge clashes including Arsenal hosting Liverpool and the Tyne-Wear Derby. Our soccer expert previews the best of the third round ties, sharing betting tips.

 

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Tottenham vs Burnley (Friday 20:00 UTC)

A Premier League tie-off commences our Cup preview, with Spurs facing off against the Clarets. The teams have had markedly different seasons, with the London club contesting for a top-four spot and the Lancashire team battling for survival in the Premier League.

This will be their first encounter since September, and Spurs prevailed that day marching to victory 5-2 over their hosts at Turf Moor. Son Heung-min scored a hat-trick in that match, though he will be missing from this fixture due to international duty this Saturday in a friendly against Iraq. The match will be a warm-up game ahead of the AFC Asian Cup commencing next week in Qatar, so the South Korean attacking midfielder could be potentially absent well into February.

Spurs ended 2023 on a high with a 3-1 home victory over high-flying Bournemouth in the Premier League on New Year's Eve. On the scoresheet unsurprisingly was the aforementioned Son, and Senegalese Pape Matar Sarr, who has shone this season. They'll miss his participation here as he attends the Africa Cup of Nations commencing next week. Both Teams to Score? Yes at 1.625.

At the start of 2023, the Clarets were astride the Championship and on track for a runaway campaign in near-perfect fashion. However, as seems to be the way for many an aspiring club out of the second tier they find themselves slogging through a vicious relegation affray. The situation becomes all the starker as they have lost 15 of their opening 20 games this season Manager Vincent Kompany will have to rally his team here to breach the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium defences with the most likely names to score being forwards Zeki Amdouni and Lyle Foster. Burnley Handicap - Match +1.5 at 1.74.

The Clarets have a solid match here in the Cup, however as their opponents will be marginally depleted due to international competition duties the margins are shortened. Though still remote they have a much better chance of providing an upset, however the likely result is to Spurs.

1x2 1.442 5.20 6.56

 

Sunderland vs Newcastle United (Saturday 12:45 UTC)

The Stadium of Light will host a prolific Tyne-Wear Derby between Sunderland and Newcastle United and their first encounter since 2016. That 2016/17 season saw a greatly different landscape to the one today with the hosts finishing bottom of the Premier League table, while Newcastle finished top of the Championship. Times have changed with different ownership for the Magpies sparking a new golden era of football in Newcastle, though they have floundered lately, finishing 2023 in 9th place with 29 points and well out of the running for anything other than European qualification.

The Black Cats are doubtful for direct promotion to the Premier now with 40 points in 6th place, 25 behind leaders Leicester City, though optimism remains of a route through the play-offs. They'll be motivation for the away side in the fact that not since 2011 have Newcastle overcome Sunderland in any competition, going winless in startling nine-straight matches since.

Michael Beale's Sunderland commenced the new year with a 2-0 New Year's Day victory over Preston North End, with goals from veteran midfielder Alex Pritchard and Ukrainian Nazariy Rusyn cementing a solid 90 minutes of play. A lot of the talk around the club lately though has been about English U19 midfielder Jobe Bellingham, who has had a great season thus far piquing interest across the footballing world.

There is hope that the young 18-year-old Sunderland midfielder can grow to become his sibling’s equal, as after joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund Jude has 22 direct goal contributions in as many games across all competitions since moving to the Spanish giant's six months ago. Chelsea, Tottenham and a host of others, Los Blancos themselves included are all said to be interested in his younger brother's signature. Sunderland To Score? Yes at 1.429.

Newcastle's dreams of adding some much-wanted silverware to their trophy cabinet came to an abrupt end in the Champions League after they finished bottom of Group F, albeit there was stiff competition in the form of PSG, Dortmund and Milan. Hope for qualification into Europe's topflight once more has severely diminished after a string of poor form in domestic affairs. However, the route to the Continent is still open via an FA Cup win or by domestic league placement into the Europa League or Conference. The side ended 2023 with three successive losses in all competitions - including EFL Cup elimination at the hands of Chelsea.

Eddie Howe will have to lean heavily on forwards Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak to breach any forthcoming opposition defences, especially in the wake of several key omissions across the squad through injury including Kieren Trippier, Callum Wilson, Harvey Barnes and Nick Pope to name a few. First Team to Score - Newcastle at 1.595.

With home advantage, good form and emerging talent on side Sunderland has an excellent opportunity here to defeat their old rivals once more. However, it is well expected that The Magpies are due to find their footing as they concentrate on two of the four competitions open to them and will go into the game as favourites despite their depleted ranks.

1x2 4.30 4.21 1.746

 

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Arsenal vs Liverpool (Sunday 16:30 UTC)

Our final match review for the third round is probably the most prolific with rivals for the title Arsenal and Liverpool battling it out. Fans will be on for what is sure to be a superb bout of football this Sunday afternoon at the Emirates, with a place in the fourth round all to play for. Both Reds finished 2023 on a differing note with The Gunners falling afoul to Fulham away in a close-fought 2-1 loss. Meanwhile, Klopp's men extended their lead at the top of the Premier League after an electric 4-2 win over Newcastle United.

Arsenal seems to be in the midst of a poor run of form with only one point garnered from the last three games. Humbled at home by fellow Londoners West Ham a few days before fumbling at Craven Cottage. The portents seemed to be good straight into the first half with Bukayo Saka scoring in the fifth minute with an unorthodox finish. Contributing to and scoring a total of 21 goals across all competitions, he has been critical in manager Mikel Arteta's ambitions for the club.

However, we could well have expected him to hit the net more than six times in England's top-flight for his 19 appearances in that division. Marco Silva's Fulham didn't seem too daunted by the early concession, as they surged against the goal box when the opportunity was provided especially from set pieces and were rewarded with strikes from Raul Jimenez and Bobby Decordova-Reid.

Squandering points at the end of the year mean Arsenal have now been shunted down to a precarious fourth position and the deluge appears much worse when considering they have only accomplished a single win from their last five league games. 2024 brings fresh opportunities at home and abroad, however, they will have to find significant gusto if they any hope to advance past Porto to reach the Champions League quarterfinals. Arsenal To Score? 1st Half - Yes at 1.729.

Liverpool entered the dressing room at halftime on New Year's Day in a goalless draw, mainly due to Magpies goalkeeper Martin Dubravka denying Mohamed Salah from the penalty spot. The second half was a delight for anyone watching as six goals were scored in total, indeed the striker grabbed a brace alongside goals from Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo. The Egyptian international now has 14 goals to his league tally, he and Man City striker Erling Haaland are now in joint pole position, with the Norwegian being injured allowing Salah to close the gap. Prominently though he'll be sorely missed by the Kopite faithful, as he too is called up for international duty for the weeks to come.

Liverpool could be on for a superb season and will be on a quest to add another FA Cup to the trophy cabinet, though they have struggled in their last three encounters with their future opponents as they’ve been unable to beat the Gunners once, with December's hectic 1-1 Anfield draw being the latest affair. Dominik Szoboszlai will be the only other prominent omission from the squad after he staggered off the field in the Newcastle game with a hamstring injury, though with Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Gakpo and Núñez all anticipated to play the side will have a lot of feathers still in their cap. Correct Score 2-2 at 13.86.

We're on for a great match of football in the capitol here, as two rivals for the Premier League face off to determine who will reach the next round. With a few significant omissions for the away side, it’ll be interesting to see how the game tilts. However, as the home side seems to be amidst a wobble in form, it'll be sure to be a close-run thing.

1x2 1.943 3.93 3.66

 

Full list of FA Cup Third Round fixtures 

Friday  5th January

Brentford vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (19:15)

Fulham vs Rotherham United (19:30)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Burnley (20:00)

 

Saturday 6th January

AFC Wimbledon vs Ipswich Town (12:30)

Millwall vs Leicester City (12:30)

Coventry City vs Oxford United (12:30)

Maidstone United vs Stevenage (12:30)

Sunderland vs Newcastle United (12:45)

Stoke City vs Brighton & Hove Albion (15:00)

Norwich City vs Bristol Rovers (15:00)

Southampton vs Walsall (15:00)

Watford vs Chesterfield (15:00)

Blackburn Rovers vs Cambridge United (15:00)

Gillingham vs Sheffield United (15:00)

Queens Park Rangers vs AFC Bournemouth (15:00)

Plymouth Argyle vs Sutton United (15:00)

Newport County vs Eastleigh (15:00)

Hull City vs Birmingham City (15:00)

Sheffield Wednesday vs Cardiff City (17:30)

Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa (17:30)

Swansea City vs Morecambe (17:30)

Chelsea vs Preston North End (17:30)

 

Sunday 7th January

Luton Town vs Bolton Wanderers (14:00)

Shrewsbury Town vs Wrexham AFC (14:00)

West Ham United vs Bristol City (14:00)

West Bromwich Albion vs Aldershot Town (14:00)

Peterborough United vs Leeds United AFC (14:00)

Nottingham Forest vs Blackpool (14:00)

Manchester City vs Huddersfield Town (14:00)

Arsenal vs Liverpool (16:30)

 

Monday 8th January

Wigan Athletic vs Manchester United (20:15)

 

**Odds are subject to change. Odds accurate as of 14:00 UTC Friday 5th January**

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