2024/25 FA Cup predictions: Third round

For many, the third round of the FA Cup is the most exciting weekend in the English football calendar.

This is the stage of the world’s oldest football competition, where the two best divisions of the pyramid arrive. A breeding ground for surprises, fans sitting in trees overlooking the stadium and a constant reminder of the magical qualities of the FA Cup.

For the first time in the competition’s 153-year history, all 32 games will finish on the same day they begin after replays are scrapped.

With the unpredictability of penalty shootouts added to the mix of a tournament that prides itself on unexpected results, here it is 90 minutes Best estimate the results for the third round this year.

Championship rivals Sheffield United And Cardiff city meet at Bramall Lane just weeks after the Blades’ 2-0 win in the Welsh capital. Kieffer Moore scored twice in that triumph in December, sending Cardiff into the relegation zone. The Bluebirds remain below the dotted line, 20 places behind promotion-chasers Sheffield United, who are favorites again at home.

Sean Dyche has a reputation for prioritizing league football over domestic cup duties but usually helps his team progress past the third round. Everton Last year they were eliminated in the fourth round, but are expected to progress beyond the third division Peterborough United on Thursday evening.

Fulham are the favorites in the home game against the second division in the third round Watfordbut the Cottagers have not beaten their upcoming opponents since they faced each other at this stage of the same competition in 2005. Edwin van der Sar was in goal for the west London club that day.

Wycombe WanderersThe red-hot form may have slowed somewhat in recent weeks, but the third-tier club could see off the Championship side Portsmouth on Friday evening. Despite playing in a higher division (this season), Pompey have only won one of their 13 away games in the 2024/25 season.

Aston Villa host West Ham United in an all-Premier League affair that’s all burgundy and blue. Even after a change of coach at the east London team, Villa’s promotion is expected.

There will be 19 games in a six-hour window on Saturday afternoon. While Liverpool And Chelsea will probably make light work of the fourth tier fighters Accrington Stanley And Morecambe or there could be some surprises.

Premier League fighters Wolverhampton Wanderers I have a hard journey to the homeland of a Bristol city The team, unbeaten since Christmas, and relegation rivals Leicester City host a strong team Queens Park Rangers.

Salford City will strive for glory on their journey in the standout game of the day Manchester City‘s Etihad Stadium at 17:45 GMT. The second division club, which includes a group of former Manchester United players, has won its last six games without conceding a goal, a far more impressive record than that of its hosts.

Pep Guardiola’s side have failed to impress in any of their consecutive wins and could well concede chances in the transition phase on Saturday evening. Whether Salford can maintain its frugality in neighboring Manchester is a completely different question.

arsenal‘s top back game with cup holders Manchester United may get the most attention, but Tottenham Hotspur‘s trip to non-league Tamworth has what it takes to be an FA Cup classic for the ages. Spurs seem to emerge from every game with fewer fit defenders and more pressure on coach Ange Postecoglou.

Success in the cup competitions is crucial for the Australian coach, whose side are naturally favorites against the up-and-coming talent of the National League. But the intangible glory of the FA Cup inevitably claims an almighty scalp every year. Could the 4,000-capacity Lamb Ground be the venue for this season’s surprise result? Probably not.

Newcastle United are – apparently – hardly in danger of succumbing to this ignominious fate. Eddie Howe’s in-form Royal team host the fourth division Bromley fresh from an efficient 2-0 win over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final, their seventh win in a row.

Not only do the Gunners have to contend with the FA Cup ball, but they also host a Manchester United side no longer plagued by fears and anxiety. If United produce the same spirited performance that led Liverpool to a 2-2 draw at Anfield last weekend, Ruben Amorim’s side could be in a position to avoid a second defeat at the Emirates in a month.

In the event of a draw, 30 minutes of extra time will be played before the final resort of a penalty shootout – which may have to be used to separate these two Premier League giants.

Midfield Championship outfit Millwall Complete the third round by hosting the fifth league Dagenham & Redbridge on Monday evening. Alex Neil has yet to win a game since taking over at the Lions at the end of 2024 but will have the luxury of a ten-day break to prepare for the visit of a side who also changed managers over the holidays.

Ben Strevens was succeeded by his assistant Lewis Young, who at the age of 35 lives up to his name. However, Young will be aware of Millwall’s strong FA Cup record. The London team have made it to the FA Cup semi-finals twice in the 21st century, losing the 2004 final to the Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium.

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