Mark OgdenJan 8, 2026, 03:53 AM ET
The English FA Cup third round kicks off Friday, and it remains one of the most anticipated dates on the calendar -- a weekend when non-league part-timers get the chance to realize the dream of playing -- and beating -- professional clubs, including the biggest teams in the Premier League.
It can be a weekend the top clubs dread given the risk of becoming the victim of a giant-killing, but it is the first step on the road to Wembley for the teams hoping to win the competition this season.
All of the action can be streamed live in the U.S. on the ESPN App, but which games are the ones you cannot miss?
Here are the best matchups of the third round.
Wrexham vs. Nottingham Forest (Friday, 2:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. GMT)
It's a classic FA Cup clash between a team pushing for promotion from the EFL Championship (Wrexham) against a side battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League (Forest).
Wrexham's dream of an unprecedented fourth successive promotion is still alive, after a four-game winning streak moved them to within one point of the playoffs, so they will be confident they can upset Forest. Although Forest eased their relegation fears with a 2-1 win at West Ham United on Tuesday, Sean Dyche's side could rest several players for this game due to league and Europa League commitments. Wrexham might even be favorites.
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Manchester United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. GMT)
Manchester United are in a state of flux after Monday's dismissal of head coach Ruben Amorim. It remains to be seen whether interim coach Darren Fletcher will remain in charge for this game, or if another interim -- potentially Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Michael Carrick -- is installed in time for this tie.
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Whoever is in charge, United need to win. Having crashed out of the Carabao Cup with a humiliating second-round defeat at Grimsby, the FA Cup offers the only other route to success. The club cannot afford to exit another competition at the first hurdle. All the pressure will be on United rather than Brighton, who have won on three of their last four visits to Old Trafford.
Macclesfield vs. Crystal Palace (Saturday, 7:15 a.m. ET / 12:15 p.m. GMT)
Palace won their first-ever major honor by beating Manchester City in last season's FA Cup final, but Oliver Glasner's side has been handed a very risky tie to launch the defense of its crown. Palace will be playing away to non-league Macclesfield -- the lowest-ranked team left in the competition.
The Silkmen play in the National League North, the sixth tier of the English pyramid, and will face Palace at their tiny Moss Rose ground, which has an artificial surface. No side from the sixth tier has ever beaten a Premier League team and 115 places separate the two clubs in the pyramid, so Palace should win easy ... shouldn't they?
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Tottenham Hotspur vs. Aston Villa (Saturday, 12:45 p.m. ET / 5:45 p.m. GMT)
This is the heavyweight tie of the third round. Both Premier League clubs have a big FA Cup history, but both are also experiencing lengthy trophy droughts in the competition: Eight-time winners Spurs haven't lifted the cup since 1991, while the last of Villa's seven FA Cup wins came in 1957.
But this tie is all about the here and now. Villa have become one of the best teams in the country under Unai Emery and aiming to win a first major trophy since 1996, while Spurs desperately need to win to ease the pressure on struggling head coach Thomas Frank.
Grimsby Town vs. Weston-super-Mare (Saturday, 12:45 p.m. ET / 5:45 p.m. GMT)
Back in August, League Two side Grimsby pulled off a sensational Carabao Cup shock against Manchester United at Blundell Park, but they are now firmly in the role of favorites vs. minnows Weston-Super-Mare.
The Seagulls are flying high in the second spot of the sixth-tier National League South and have made it to the third round with wins over fellow non-leaguers Aldershot and Chelmsford. Meanwhile, Grimsby have tumbled down League Two since their historic win against United and are now struggling in midtable, so this one could end in a big shock.
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Charlton Athletic vs. Chelsea (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. GMT)
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior will officially start his reign in charge with this tricky London derby away to Championship side Charlton.
Under former Southampton manager Nathan Jones, Charlton won promotion from League One last season, but they have won just once in their past 11 games. This should be a straightforward tie for Chelsea, but with the FIFA Club World Cup champions set to start a new era after Enzo Maresca's exit as coach, the home side could take advantage of uncertainty within the Blues' camp and notch a memorable upset.
Portsmouth vs. Arsenal (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. GMT)
On paper, this is a good tie for Arsenal, with the Premier League leaders traveling to a side that's just one place above the Championship relegation zone. But Fratton Park is one of the most atmospheric and traditional grounds in the country, and Mikel Arteta's players will face a culture shock when they step out at a stadium that opened in 1899.
All logic points to a Gunners win, but this promises to be an awkward game for Arsenal.
Liverpool vs. Barnsley (Monday, 2:45 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. GMT)
An easy home win for the Premier League champions? Perhaps, but Barnsley have won on their last two visits to Anfield, so Arne Slot's side should take nothing for granted against the League One team.
Barnsley won at Liverpool in their sole Premier League campaign (1997-98) and they beat the Reds on home turf again in an FA Cup fifth-round tie in February 2008.
Liverpool are struggling to rediscover last season's title-winning form, so while this should be straightforward, don't be surprised if it turns out to be a nervy night at Anfield on Monday.
