FA Cup third round: 10 things to look out for this weekend
FA CUP THIRD ROUND: Huddersfield manager Darren Moore, Chesterfieldâs Tom Naylor, Aldershotâs Josh Stokes.
Ange Postecoglou did not want to say who would captain Tottenham in Friday nightâs tie against Burnley. The usual choice, Son Heung-min, is away on Asian Cup duty while the vice-captains, Cristian Romero and James Maddison, are injured. Yet to Postecoglou, it will not be âreally that significantâ because the pecking order is established and the stopgap will be exactly that. It was striking to hear how gutted the manager was over Sonâs absence â within the context of wishing him well with South Korea. Postecoglou lavished praise on a âgenerationalâ talent and âoutstanding leader,â adding: âIf you name a team of the year at the moment, heâs in it.â Son, he said, would be a âsignificant absence ⊠a big loss.â Ben Davies is the most senior candidate to step in but, as Postecoglou stressed, every player must step up.
Stevenage have built their success under Steve Evans on underdog status, on upsetting better-resourced opponents in League Two and now League One with their industrious, muscular football. The boot is on the other foot for Steve Evansâs side on Saturday, however, when they visit a Maidstone team three divisions below them. George Elokobiâs National League South promotion contenders are the lowest-placed side still in the Cup and have claimed one Football League scalp, Barrow, in the second round. Unfortunately for the Stones the scorer of their stunning winner that day, Bivesh Gurung, will be absent against Stevenage. The 22-year-old midfielder is suspended after receiving his second red card of the season in the 5-1 defeat at Worthing last month. Maidstone have stumbled in recent weeks, but so have Stevenage. There is history here too. Stones upset a then League Two Stevenage side in the first round of the Cup 10 years ago. This game offers Elokobiâs team a free hit.
Michael Beale watched Liverpool beat Newcastle on television last Monday night and felt a surge of optimism. âYou think: âWe could do some of those things on Saturday,ââ said Sunderlandâs manager. âAnd then you realise you donât have Mo Salah.â Bealeâs audience laughed sympathetically but he does possess a fine winger in Jack Clarke and his potential duel with Newcastleâs Kieran Trippier could prove a key subplot as the Stadium of Light hosts the first Tyne-Wear derby since 2016. Although Newcastle have not beaten their local rivals since 2011 and arrive on Wearside after a record seven defeats in eight games since 7 December, Eddie Howeâs Premier League squad cost more than ÂŁ500m while Bealeâs was put together for nearer ÂŁ20m. Moreover, although Sunderland remain hopeful of winning promotion via this seasonâs Championship playoffs, theirs is the youngest squad in the second tier while Howeâs streetwise side are bankrolled by the gargantuan wealth of Saudi majority owners. As Beale put it, a âvery intriguingâ third round tie awaits.
With the usual practice of Championship clubs to play understrength teams, Watford are likely to do the same. Chesterfield, leaders of the National League and featuring talent proven in the higher divisions such as Tom Naylor, Michael Jacobs and Will Grigg, are a serious proposition. Credit must go to the Hornets for making an occasion of what looks a treacherous tie. The Spireites will take 4,000 fans to Vicarage Road, the hottest ticket in the Derbyshire town, and Watford have reduced ticket prices to ÂŁ10 in the hope of attracting a large crowd. ValĂ©rien IsmaĂ«l, the Hornetsâ manager, is within touching distance of a playoff place. His continuing presence represents rock-steady stability compared with the past two seasons, each featuring three different Watford managers. But losing to Paul Cookâs free-scoring team, who have claimed two League One scalps already, would be no surprise. Would that damage IsmaĂ«lâs standing? Thatâs the risk he faces in his selection.
Gillinghamâs dismissal of Neil Harris as manager in October was seen by some as hasty, and League Two results under his replacement, Stephen Clemence, have been patchy for a club that looked a decent shout for a top-seven place at the start of the campaign. But the Gills go into their tie against Sheffield United having won two in a row without conceding and with the second-round upset of the League One side Charlton under their belts. This, then, will be a test for the Premier Leagueâs bottom club, who may well be tempted to rotate their squad for the trip to Priestfield. Chris Wilderâs side do have a fortnight off after this, though, and have an opportunity here to release the handbrake, and the tension of their league toils, and boost their confidence against League Twoâs lowest scorers.
January is upon us and naturally there is plenty of speculation about Chelseaâs spending plans. Will they sign a striker? ÂŁ100m on Ivan Toney? A mega bid for Victor Osimhen? An emotive reunion with AtlĂ©tico Madrid goal machine Ălvaro Morata? Maybe they do nothing. Nicolas Jackson is erratic but has shown potential. Christopher Nkunku is back from injury. And now could be the time for Armando Broja to step up. With Jackson off at the Africa Cup of Nations this is an opportunity for Broja to build momentum. He has had to be patient since sustaining a serious knee injury last season. The youngster is a handful, though, and will be desperate to impress when Chelsea host Preston. He needs to show Mauricio Pochettino that a new striker is not required. There is a lot to like about Brojaâs game â he is quick, powerful and an imposing presence â but he needs more goals.
Beating Swindon 7-4 in the first round and then League Twoâs dominant force, Stockport, Aldershot have made an eye-catching run to the third round. An international TV audience will see Tommy Widdringtonâs team visit the Hawthorns on Sunday to face West Brom, who are in a playoff position in the Championship but a significant distance away from the automatic promotion places. Having ended their Christmas schedule with a tired defeat by Swansea, there is bound to be rest and rotation within the Baggies squad. A New Yearâs Day win at Woking was Aldershotâs first victory since Stockport. The Shots will be without Haji Mnoga, their on-loan Portsmouth full-back who is with Tanzania for the Africa Cup of Nations, but more than 4,600 tickets have been sold to away supporters.
For Manchester City and Huddersfield fans of a certain age, this fixture conjures warm/horrific memories of Cityâs 10-1 Division Two shellacking of the Terriers at Maine Road in 1987, when both sides played at different grounds and in different stratospheres from those in which they now operate. The recent picture is scarcely more encouraging for Huddersfield, having suffered a 6-1 defeat in 2018-19, their Premier League relegation season, and a 5-1 Cup going-over in 2017. So, this should be another stroll for a probably rotated City against a side battling the drop from the Championship. That struggle against relegation is the main focus for Darren Moore, who replaced Neil Warnock in September, and saw his side hammered 4-1 at Leicester in their most recent league outing. Moore praised his side for keeping going after defeat at the King Power on New Yearâs Day and Huddersfield can draw strength from that quality as they run out at the Etihad.
A spot of shadow boxing on a Sunday afternoon? At first glance that might be the expectation when Arsenal host Liverpool, particularly given the title contenders do battle at the Emirates Stadium in a potentially season-defining match a month from now. But both sides have reason to take the match seriously and it may hold particular significance for Mikel Arteta, who would like his side to click back into gear after three top-flight defeats in five. Going into a fortnightâs break on the back foot would be far from ideal and Arteta can be expected to wheel out most of his flagging big guns in the hope of a needed confidence boost. JĂŒrgen Klopp must balance the third roundâs demands with those of next Wednesdayâs League Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham but Liverpool have plenty at stake. With Mohamed Salah lost to Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations, a situation unlikely to change before the teams next meet, this would be a good time to show they can recalibrate and overcome a direct rival without their talisman.
This tie has been selected for the final televised slot of the third round because itâs a potential trap against League One opposition for Manchester United, but enough of the cynicism. It is a deserved reward for the 2013 winners after years of torment and recognition for the outstanding job that Shaun Maloney is doing as Wigan manager. Maloney has taken a club that was close to going out of business last summer and began the season on minus eight points to a respectable 17th in the table, seven points above the relegation zone, all while under a transfer embargo. Wigan would be 10th but for the deductions incurred under their previous owners. More than 20,000 Latics fans have bought tickets as the Cup captivates the town again. Wigan have beaten United only once in their history. The goalscorer that day? Maloney.
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