Man Utd Face Premier League Nightmare as FA Cup Third Round Draw Delivers Brutal All-Top-Flight Clash

Manchester United are set to welcome Brighton & Hove Albion while Tottenham Hotspur will face Aston Villa in the standout fixtures of the FA Cup third round draw.

Ruben Amorim's United side will be looking to bounce back from their surprising Carabao Cup elimination by Grimsby Town with a victory at Old Trafford, though they'll be mindful of Brighton's strong recent performances in Manchester.

Villa's journey to north London against Spurs stands out as potentially the most captivating matchup in a draw that has created several challenging away fixtures for the Premier League's elite clubs.

Arsenal are set to visit Fratton Park against Championship opponents Portsmouth, while Chelsea will make the cross-London trip to face Charlton Athletic. Arne Slot's struggling Liverpool welcome League One side Barnsley to Anfield, and Manchester City host Exeter City at the Etihad Stadium.

Among other all-Premier League encounters, Everton will receive high-flying Sunderland at Goodison Park, and Newcastle United host Bournemouth at St James' Park in what's being dubbed the 'Eddie Howe derby'. Current holders Crystal Palace are drawn against non-league Macclesfield FC.

2025–26 FA Cup Third Round Draw

Ball Numbers for FA Cup Third Round Draw

1. AFC Bournemouth
2. Arsenal
3. Aston Villa
4. Birmingham City
5. Blackburn Rovers
6. Brentford
7. Brighton & Hove Albion
8. Bristol City
9. Burnley
10. Charlton Athletic
11. Chelsea
12. Coventry City
13. Crystal Palace
14. Derby County
15. Everton
16. Fulham
17. Hull City
18. Ipswich Town
19. Leeds United
20. Leicester City
21. Liverpool
22. Manchester City
23. Manchester United
24. Middlesbrough
25. Millwall
26. Newcastle United
27. Norwich City
28. Nottingham Forest
29. Oxford United
30. Portsmouth
31. Preston North End
32. Queens Park Rangers
33. Sheffield United
34. Sheffield Wednesday
35. Southampton
36. Stoke City
37. Sunderland
38. Swansea City
39. Tottenham Hotspur
40. Watford
41. West Bromwich Albion
42. West Ham United
43. Wolverhampton Wanderers
44. Wrexham
45. Macclesfield
46. Grimsby Town
47. Shrewsbury Town
48. Swindon Town
49. Weston Super Mare
50. Barnsley
51. Boreham Wood
52. Milton Keynes Dons
53. Wigan Athletic
54. Fleetwood Town
55. Salford City
56. Mansfield Town
57. Cambridge United
58. Brackley Town or Burton Albion
59. Blackpool
60. Walsall
61. Exeter City
62. Cheltenham Town
63. Doncaster Rovers
64. Port Vale

2025–26 FA Cup Round Dates