FA Cup Third Round Preview: Manchester United Faces Brighton And Liverpool Welcomes Barnsley

‎Football’s relentless calendar has once again produced a whirlwind of storylines and tactical shifts as the FA Cup third round unfolds.

‎With league form wobbling for giants like Manchester City, Chelsea, and Newcastle, several compelling narratives are already shaping the start of 2026.

‎New identity emerging at Manchester United

‎On paper, Manchester United’s draw at Burnley looked like the same tired story soft goals conceded, missed chances, and points dropped to a relegation struggler. But beneath the surface, Darren Fletcher’s first game as interim coach hinted at a philosophical reset.

‎Fletcher immediately abandoned Ruben Amorim’s rigid 3-4-2-1 shape in favour of a more intuitive 4-2-3-1, a formation that restored balance and clarity.

‎Bruno Fernandes thrived closer to the opposition box; Patrick Dorgu looked far more comfortable on his natural flank; and, for the first time in weeks, Benjamin Šeško received meaningful service.

‎United even pushed ambitiously for a late winner, buoyed by the bright introduction of 18-year-old prodigy Shea Lacey. Brighton will offer a sterner test, but there are early signs that United are once again trying to play like United.

‎Manchester United faces Brighton

‎Manchester United and Brighton meet once again in the FA Cup, with history heavily favouring the Red Devils.

‎United have faced Brighton six times in the competition and emerged victorious on every occasion, including their dramatic 2022–23 semi-final win on penalties.

‎Brighton, however, arrive with confidence from recent league trips to Old Trafford, winning three of their last four Premier League visits, even if they did fall 4-2 there earlier this season.

‎United’s record in the third round is formidable, having been eliminated at this stage just twice in their last 40 attempts. Brighton’s own form in early FA Cup rounds is similarly impressive, progressing from 14 of their last 16 third-round ties.

‎One player to watch is Matheus Cunha, who has scored in each of his last four FA Cup appearances during his time with Wolves.

‎Only four Premier League players have ever managed five in a row, putting him on the verge of joining an elite group.

‎Macclesfield’s FA Cup moment

‎Macclesfield’s third-round tie against Crystal Palace isn’t just a football match it’s a celebration of rebirth.

‎Supporters queued “old-school style” for tickets, a nod to the club’s storied past. The old Macclesfield Town faced top-flight opponents in their 1980s and early 2000s heyday, but the phoenix club founded in 2020 is on the brink of something even bigger.

‎The switch to a 4G pitch helped reconnect the team with the local community, while former owner Rob Smethurst, who stepped aside in October, played a pivotal role in stabilising the club after near extinction.

‎Though currently 14th in National League North, Saturday’s FA Cup tie could be a watershed moment demonstrating how far the club has come.

‎Macclesfield faces the Defending Champion Crystal Palace

‎Macclesfield FC’s remarkable FA Cup journey continues as they enter uncharted territory, competing in the competition proper for the first time in their history. The Silkmen are aiming to emulate Harlow Town, who were the last side to reach the fourth round in their debut campaign back in 1979-80.

‎Crystal Palace, meanwhile, face a familiar kind of challenge. Their last FA Cup meeting with a non-League club came in 2014-15, when they swept aside Dover Athletic 4-0, and they’ve won six straight ties against non-League opposition since a shock defeat to Yeovil Town in 1963-64.

‎As current FA Cup holders for the first time ever, Palace enter this tie with history on their side, 12 of the past 13 holders have safely made it through the third round, with only Arsenal stumbling in 2017-18.

‎This matchup also marks the first meeting between the reigning champions and a non-League team since 2004-05, when Manchester United required a replay to edge past Exeter.

‎Notably, the last holders to be knocked out by a non-League club were Wolves in 1908-09 and the team that beat them was none other than Crystal Palace.

‎Macclesfield will again look to Daniel Elliott, who has been one of the standout performers across the first two rounds.

‎He leads all players in shots (17) and shots on target (13), while only Burton Albion’s Tyrese Shade has scored more goals than his four so far in the competition.

‎Manchester City wait anxiously for Rodri’s full return

‎Three straight draws and only two goals scored have left Manchester City looking strangely mortal. While Arsenal surge, Pep Guardiola finds himself in rare territory, searching for answers.

‎City are expected to heavily rotate against Exeter, but one player who should feature is Rodri, whose influence is irreplaceable.

‎Guardiola can reinvent entire systems, but his midfield lynchpin remains the team’s metronome combining technical elegance, tactical fouling, defensive intelligence, and leadership.

‎City’s defensive frailty without him underscores their dependence. If they are to rescue their season, Rodri’s return to peak condition is non-negotiable.

‎Manchester City faces Exeter City

‎Manchester City face Exeter City in a historic first-ever meeting, and the numbers strongly favour the Premier League champions.

‎City have won their last five games against English opposition they were facing for the first time, with a dominant aggregate score of 23–2.

‎Exeter, meanwhile, carries an unenviable record into the tie. They’ve been knocked out in each of their last ten FA Cup clashes with top-flight teams, last pulling off an upset back in the 1980-81 season when they eliminated Leicester City.

‎City’s home form in the FA Cup is equally daunting. Since a 2–0 defeat to Middlesbrough in 2015, they have won 15 straight home matches in the competition, scoring an incredible 65 goals.

‎Only Liverpool, with 16 consecutive home wins between 1939 and 1955, has a longer run among league clubs, while the all-time record stands at 17 by Clapham Rovers in the 19th century.

‎Exeter will hope to draw confidence from last season’s 3–1 victory over Oxford United in the third round, though they haven’t reached the fourth round in back-to-back campaigns since the early 1950s.

‎Adding to their challenge, City’s Phil Foden has been a consistent tormentor of lower-league sides, contributing 26 goals in 20 domestic cup starts against such opposition winning every one of those matches.

‎All eyes are on Liam Rosenior as Chelsea gamble big

‎Chelsea’s controversial move to appoint Liam Rosenior from Strasbourg, another club under the same ownership umbrella, has dominated headlines. Ethical questions remain, but soon attention will shift to the pitch, where Rosenior inherits a talented but chaotic squad.

‎His tasks are daunting, establishing a clear formation, identifying which players truly fit his system, and reigniting Cole Palmer, whose form has dipped without a reliable central striker to support him.

‎More experienced managers have failed to bring cohesion to this expensive, mismatched group. Rosenior’s vision and bravery will be tested immediately.

‎Chelsea faces Charlton

‎Chelsea’s FA Cup trip to Charlton brings back a fixture not seen since February 2007, when the Blues claimed a 1–0 Premier League win.

‎History sits firmly on Chelsea’s side, Charlton have lost eight of their last 11 meetings with their London rivals, and the Blues have beaten them 3–0 in both of their previous FA Cup clashes, in 1963 and 1995.

‎Charlton’s struggles in the competition continue to loom large, with the Addicks failing to make it past the third round in each of their last five attempts. Chelsea, meanwhile, enter with an intimidating record, having progressed from 61 of their last 63 FA Cup ties against lower-league opposition, including the last 22 straight.

‎One player to watch is João Pedro, who has been in electric form in recent FA Cup outings. Across his last four starts in the competition during spells with Watford and Brighton, he has been directly involved in seven goals, scoring six and assisting one.

‎Portsmouth trip could spark Arsenal starlet Nwaneri

‎Ethan Nwaneri, once a Champions League record-breaker and Premier League regular, has found himself on the fringes this season. Despite nine goals last year, the 18-year-old has barely featured since early December.

‎Chelsea attempted to lure him away last summer, but Arsenal fought hard to keep him, signing him to a lucrative five-year deal. Bournemouth now wants him on loan, yet Mikel Arteta is reluctant to let him leave amid a growing injury list.

‎Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Portsmouth feels like the perfect moment to reintroduce him to senior action.

‎Arsenal faces Portsmouth

‎Portsmouth’s task against Arsenal comes with a heavy dose of history.

‎They haven’t beaten the Gunners in any competition since a remarkable 5–4 win back in March 1958, going 22 games without victory since then their second-longest winless run against any club.

‎Arsenal, meanwhile, boasts a perfect record in FA Cup meetings between the sides, progressing in all four previous ties (1931–32, 1970–71, 2003–04, and 2019–20).

‎Portsmouth’s recent form in the competition offers little encouragement either, having lost their last three third-round ties and their last five FA Cup clashes against Premier League opposition since famously beating Spurs in the 2010 semi-final.

‎For Arsenal, the recent Cup story hasn’t been much brighter. They’ve been knocked out at the third-round stage in each of the past two seasons and haven’t endured a longer run of early exits since the late 1930s and 40s.

‎Since lifting the trophy under Mikel Arteta in 2020, they’ve failed to make it past the fourth round, falling early in all five subsequent campaigns.

‎Thiaw under strain as Newcastle stretched thin

‎Malick Thiaw has been one of Newcastle’s best defensive performers since signing from Milan, but his first half against Everton was a nightmare. Dominated by Dominic Calvert-Lewin and visibly fatigued, he was subbed at halftime.

‎Injuries to Fabian Schär and Dan Burn mean he will likely start against Bournemouth, despite the physical and mental toll. His decision to apologise publicly signals how seriously he took the poor performance.

‎Newcastle wants a deep FA Cup run, but with the squad stretched across multiple competitions, strategic sacrifice may be unavoidable.

‎Newcastle faces Bournemouth

‎Newcastle and Bournemouth meet again in the FA Cup with a bit of history between them.

‎The sides have faced each other twice before in the competition, sharing one win apiece. Newcastle won 2-0 back in the 1972–73 third round, while Bournemouth advanced after a replay in 1991–92.

‎Recent form favours the Cherries, who are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Newcastle since a League Cup loss in December 2022.

‎The Magpies, meanwhile, have struggled at this stage of the FA Cup, losing their last four third-round ties against Premier League opposition and last progressing against a top-flight side in 2011–12.

‎Bournemouth also arrives with strong cup momentum, having won their last four FA Cup away matches, the best run in their history, including victories at Burnley and Everton.

‎For Eddie Howe, the numbers offer little comfort, he has lost six of his last nine home FA Cup ties across spells with Bournemouth and Newcastle.

‎All signs point to a tight, tense encounter, with Bournemouth’s recent edge contrasting with Newcastle’s search for a spark in the competition.

‎Slot’s Liverpool must take the FA Cup seriously

‎Arne Slot believes Liverpool can still make this season “special” despite their faltering title defence. With the Champions League and FA Cup still in play, he cannot afford another miscalculation such as the wholesale changes that led to October’s Carabao Cup humiliation against Crystal Palace.

‎Barnsley, slumping near the bottom of League One, should not require heavy rotation especially in front of a restless Anfield crowd.

‎Slot insists the FA Cup matters. Now he must prove it with his team selection.

‎Liverpool faces a must-win match against Barnsley

‎Liverpool and Barnsley renew their FA Cup story with a clash steeped in contrasting histories.

‎The Reds famously lost their last FA Cup meeting with the Tykes in the 2007–08 fifth round, but have otherwise dominated the fixture, progressing in four earlier ties dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

‎Barnsley, however, arrive with a quirky record on their side, having won their last two visits to Anfield in the Premier League in 1997 and that memorable FA Cup upset in 2008. No team currently boasts a longer ongoing winning run away to Liverpool.

‎Liverpool’s recent FA Cup form is formidable. They’ve advanced from 13 of their last 14 third-round ties and haven’t been knocked out at this stage by a lower-league side since 2010, when Reading sent them packing.

‎Their home record is even stronger, with eight wins and a draw in their past nine Anfield FA Cup games, their only home defeats since 2018 coming against teams starting with “W.”

‎Barnsley, by contrast, have struggled against Premier League opposition in the competition, losing their last six ties since their stunning run that saw them eliminate Chelsea in 2008.

‎All signs point to Liverpool as the favourites in the narrative, but the FA Cup has never been short of surprises, and Barnsley’s unique Anfield streak adds an intriguing twist to the narrative.