Jamie Jackson 

FA Cup third round draw: Liverpool travel to Exeter, Leicester face Spurs

Liverpool will travel to Exeter, while table-topping Leicester visit White Hart Lane to play Tottenham and non-league Whitehawk could earn Everton tie if they defeat Dagenham
  
  

Jürgen Klopp
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp will get his first taste of FA Cup football at St James Park against Exeter. Photograph: Richard Lee/BPI/Rex Shutterstock

Exeter City, who are 11th in League Two, will host Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the pick of the FA Cup third round ties following a draw that also paired Tottenham Hotspur with the Premier League leaders, Leicester City, and non-league Salford City with the Championship’s Derby County should the Northern League Premier Division club beat Hartlepool in a second-round replay.

The third round, which will be played across the weekend of 8 to 11 January, also pits José Mourinho’s Chelsea, whose faltering Premier League title defence has so far featured eight defeats, against League Two Leyton Orient or Scunthorpe United at Stamford Bridge.

The Conference’s Eastleigh, the only non-league club confirmed in the third round, have a home tie against Bolton Wanderers, who are bottom of the Championship. Chris Todd, the Eastleigh manager, said: “We’ll be looking forward to the tie, it’s not too bad.”

Mark Jewell, the Eastleigh chief executive, said: “Everyone’s looking for the Arsenal away but it is good for the club taking on a Championship team. We did well in a previous round against Crewe [winning 1-0], a League One club, so let’s see if we can get into the fourth round.”

Arsenal, the holders for the past two years and 12-times winners of the Cup, welcome Sunderland to the Emirates Stadium in a repeat of Saturday’s Premier League meeting in north London, in which Arsène Wenger’s side managed an unconvincing 3-1 victory.

Whitehawk of the National League South have the incentive of a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton if they can beat Dagenham and Redbridge in their second round replay.

Steve King, the Whitehawk manager, who was present at the draw in Cardiff, said: “I wanted the Reds [Liverpool] but I got the Blues. It’s a tough, tough game and Dagenham are going to fancy their chances too. It’s a massive carrot for whoever wins through.”

Asked whether the prospect of facing Roberto Martínez’s side at what should be a packed Goodison will increase the pressure on his players or inspire them, King said: “I think it inspires. I think everybody is going to want to play in that game. It’s 50-50, the best team on the day to see who gets through [when playing Dagenham] but its going to be a tough game.”

Manchester United, whose tally of 11 Cup triumphs is second only to Arsenal’s but who have not won the trophy since 2004, take on Sheffield United. Their crosstown rivals, Manchester City, travel to Norwich City while struggling Swansea City face a potentially tricky trip to Oxford United, who are currently top of League Two.

Aston Villa, currently bottom of the Premier League after a harrowing season which has seen the side fail to win in the league since the opening day, run the risk of further misery after being drawn to face League Two side Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park.

“I’m really happy,” said the Wanderers manager, Gareth Ainsworth. “The boys deserve their chance to have a shot at Premier League opposition.”

Newport County, who play in League Two, have a home tie against the Championship’s Blackburn Rovers, the club having recently appointed Paul Lambert as the manager.

Gavin Foxall, the Newport chief executive, said: “We’re happy with that. Hopefully we’ll get a bumper crowd over Rodney Parade and we look forward to welcoming Blackburn.”

Third round draw in full

Arsenal v Sunderland

Birmingham v Bournemouth

Brentford v Chesterfield/Walsall

Bury v Bradford

Cardiff v Grimsby/Shrewsbury

Carlisle v Yeovil

Chelsea v Leyton Orient/Scunthorpe

Colchester v Charlton

Doncaster v Stoke

Eastleigh v Bolton

Everton v Dag & Red/Whitehawk

Exeter v Liverpool

Huddersfield v Reading

Hull v Brighton

Ipswich v Portsmouth

Leeds v Rotherham

Manchester Utd v Sheffield Utd

Middlesbrough v Burnley

Newport County v Blackburn

Northampton v MK Dons

Norwich v Manchester City

Nottingham Forest v QPR

Oxford Utd v Swansea

Peterborough v Preston

Salford City/Hartlepool v Derby

Southampton v Crystal Palace

Sheffield Wednesday v Fulham

Tottenham v Leicester

Watford v Newcastle

West Bromwich Albion v Bristol City

West Ham v Wolves

Wycombe v Aston Villa

Ties to be played between 8-11 January

 

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