FA Cup 3rd round: Merseyside derby plucked out in exciting draw
The 32 matchups for the FA Cup third round were drawn at Slough Town's Arbour Park on Monday, and offered some tantalising encounters to be played over the first weekend of January.
Liverpool hosting neighbour Everton at Anfield is undoubtedly the standout tie, but there are notable fixtures elsewhere in the draw.
Either Forest Green Rovers or Exeter City will enjoy a money-spinning day by entertaining West Bromwich Albion, while Fleetwood Town and Hereford's second-round replay on Dec. 12 will determine which side welcomes 2015-16 Premier League champion Leicester City.
Elsewhere in the third round, League One surprise package Shrewsbury Town will try to upset West Ham United at the New Meadow. There is also an opportunity for Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace to mature their rivalry in East Sussex.
Arsenal begins its FA Cup defence at Nottingham Forest.
Here is the draw in full:
- Ipswich Town vs. Sheffield United
- Watford vs. Bristol City
- Birmingham City vs. Burton Albion
- Liverpool vs. Everton
- Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Crystal Palace
- Aston Villa vs. Woking/Peterborough United
- Bournemouth vs. AFC Fylde/Wigan Athletic
- Coventry City vs. Stoke City
- Newport County vs. Leeds United
- Bolton Wanderers vs. Huddersfield Town
- Port Vale/Yeovil Town vs. Bradford City
- Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal
- Brentford vs. Notts County
- Queens Park Rangers vs. MK Dons
- Manchester United vs. Derby County
- Forest Green Rovers/Exeter City vs. West Bromwich Albion
- Doncaster Rovers vs. Rochdale
- Tottenham Hotspur vs. AFC Wimbledon
- Middlesbrough vs. Sunderland
- Fleetwood Town/Hereford vs. Leicester City
- Blackburn Rovers/Crewe Alexandra vs. Hull City
- Cardiff City vs. Mansfield Town
- Manchester City vs. Burnley
- Shrewsbury Town vs. West Ham United
- Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Swansea City
- Stevenage vs. Reading
- Newcastle United vs. Luton Town
- Millwall vs. Barnsley
- Fulham vs. Southampton
- Wycombe Wanderers vs. Preston North End
- Norwich City vs. Chelsea
- Gillingham/Carlisle United vs. Sheffield Wednesday
The matches will be played over the weekend of January 5-8, 2018.