Crystal Palace, the reigning FA Cup champions, will begin their title defense with an away match against sixth-tier Macclesfield in the third round of this season’s competition. Palace secured their first major trophy in the club’s history last season by defeating Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley, with Eberechi Eze scoring the decisive goal.
The draw has produced four all-Premier League fixtures. Tottenham will host Aston Villa, while Everton face Sunderland in the first-ever FA Cup tie played at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Newcastle United, managed by Eddie Howe, will take on Bournemouth, Howe’s former club. Manchester United will welcome Brighton to Old Trafford.
For Ruben Amorim’s team, the FA Cup represents a key opportunity to claim silverware, as they are not participating in any European tournaments and were eliminated from the Carabao Cup in the second round by Grimsby Town earlier this season.
Other notable third-round matches include Arsenal, now led by Eze, visiting Championship side Portsmouth. Liverpool, the Premier League champions, will host Barnsley from League One, while Chelsea travel to face Charlton Athletic, also of the Championship. Premier League runners-up Manchester City will play Exeter City, with sixth-tier Weston-super-Mare set to visit Grimsby.
This season introduces a change in format: unlike previous years, matches ending in a draw after 90 minutes will no longer be replayed. Instead, ties will proceed directly to extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout to determine the winner.