FA Cup: What upset awaits round 3 of the English FA Cup?

FA Cup 3rd round preview: Man Utd vs Brighton, Spurs vs Villa, Newcastle vs Bournemouth, Everton vs Sunderland; Arsenal 6-pt PL lead, upsets loom.

Reigning FA Cup champions Crystal Palace begins their title defense away at Macclesfield while loads of other fixtures promise entertainment this weekend. (Photo credit: GOAL)

The Premier League is taking a pause after a pulsating midweek round of games. Arsenal maintains a six-point advantage at the top of the log following a stalemate with Liverpool at the Emirates.

It’s FA Cup time; every club across English football divisions is involved in this competition, and we expect upsets right from this phase where the big boys join the train. There are pretty easy-looking fixtures at this stage, but this is the FA Cup; nothing is guaranteed.

The likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool have all been handed lower-tier clubs, but Manchester United will play against fellow Premier League side Brighton, Spurs and Villa will square up and Newcastle will entertain Bournemouth.

There are many interesting fixtures at this stage. Everton and Sunderland squaring up at the Hill Dickinson Stadium is one to watch. Both sides are doing well in the league and could add colour to their respective seasons with a strong FA Cup run; we keep our eyes on this one.

Champions Crystal Palace is on a winless run in the league; an away trip to third-tier side Macclesfield could offer them some joy as they begin their cup defense. While the club continues to wonder what happens to Marc Guehi in the current transfer window, winning on the pitch would be of great use to Oliver Glasner, who is also the subject of a potential transfer to Manchester United.

Wolves have picked two draws from their last three games, halting a run of eleven straight losses in the league; however, a home game against lower-tier club Shrewsbury Town could offer them their first win of the season. What a lift that would be for Wolves at this stage.

Newcastle and Bournemouth is another fixture that could excite the neutrals. Bournemouth picked up their first win in eleven games at home to Spurs in midweek but the real story is that of their sensational winger who has gone off to Manchester City. Howmidweek, will the Cherries cope without Antoine Semenyo?

Manchester City at home to Exeter will allow us to see some fringe players under Pep Guardiola take to the field to show what they can do, while Arsenal is expected to rest players against Portsmouth too. Liam Rosenior will take charge of Chelsea for the first time at Charlton; we keep an eye on that one too.

Tottenham Hotspur is in turmoil. From losing to Bournemouth late on to their captain’s harsh statement and their manager’s cheeky photo that went viral, they need a big result to silence critics; however, they face high-flying Unai Emery’s Aston Villa. This will be tough for Thomas Frank.