FA Cup third-round talking points: Chelsea face imperious Manchester City again, Emile Smith Rowe return boosts Arsenal’s attack | Football News

Our writers discuss this weekend’s FA Cup third-round prospects, as Chelsea clash with Man City for the second time this week, while Emile Smith Rowe provides a welcome boost to Arsenal’s attacking options.

Chelsea hoping for an Etihad upset, just days after another defeat to Man City

Kai Havertz adorned the matchday programme for Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Manchester City on Thursday and it was a reminder of his famous winner in Porto, which clinched his side the Champions League title in 2021. A lot has changed since that night – and this week’s defeat means Chelsea have now lost four on the spin to City without scoring since that final.

This time, the gap between the two sides at Stamford Bridge may have only been one goal but in terms of strength, quality, depth, fitness and form the difference is sizeable. And that makes Chelsea’s task of trying to break their losing run against City in the FA Cup this Sunday all the more difficult.

They’ve already been beaten at the Etihad in the Carabao Cup and their chances on Sunday were further hit by more additions to their injury list, with Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic forced off in the first half against City. Mason Mount had missed the fixture entirely after picking up a knock in training and while there is hope he could be back in time for the weekend, Graham Potter’s options look limited in comparison with what Pep Guardiola can call upon.

Jamie Carragher’s pre-match comments about Chelsea spending hundreds of millions of pounds and only ending up further away from where they want to be felt poignant. There certainly hasn’t been the kick-on from that Champions League success that their supporters would have hoped for.

So how do Chelsea reverse their latest defeat to Man City in the space of four days? They will have to keep Erling Haaland quiet again and bring their youthful energy and intensity in midfield once more – but Potter can’t magic up a more clinical attack and that looks to be where Chelsea’s progress could come unstuck again. They hit a post with Carney Chukwuemeka at Stamford Bridge but their struggles in the final third have become a chronic problem.

Perhaps Havertz can come up with a special moment to stun Man City once more, as he did in that Champions League final… They reached the FA Cup final last season but they may need something special to get past the third round this time.
Peter Smith

Emile Smith Rowe’s timely return adds depth for Arsenal

Mikel Arteta is expected to rotate heavily for his side’s meeting with Oxford United and supporters will have a particularly keen eye on the returning Emile Smith Rowe.

The 22-year-old’s playing time this season amounts to just 46 minutes having been forced to undergo groin surgery in September. He has not started a game since the 2-0 loss to Newcastle in May.

His presence has been missed, particularly recently, with Arteta lacking offensive options across his front line but most notably behind Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka in the wide positions.

Smith Rowe was a first-choice starter for much of last season, and it should be remembered that his contribution was a significant one, his total of 10 Premier League goals bettered only by Saka among Arsenal players.

The Gunners are expected to enter the transfer market to bolster their front line this January, with Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix their primary targets, but Smith Rowe, fit again at last, will be hoping to remind everyone against Oxford that Arsenal have another solution already in the midst.
Nick Wright

Could cup specialist Emery turn to Raikhy to navigate Aston Villa’s midfield injury issues?

After three high-octane matches in 11 days, Unai Emery has a decision to make about how he lines up in midfield for the third-round visit of Stevenage.

Summer signing Boubacar Kamara has played virtually every minute during the festive period, while midfield partner Douglas Luiz has featured in 17 of Villa’s 18 league games – and could do with a breather after playing little over an hour against Wolves after coming off late on against Tottenham due to a knock.

Jacob Ramsey is due to return soon, and further complicating matters is an injury picked up by John McGinn in the win over Spurs. With Marvelous Nakamba and Morgan Sanson reportedly available for transfer, Emery can perhaps only look to Leander Dendoncker as a senior option if he wants to rotate in midfield.

Philippe Coutinho could be asked to drop into a deeper role or Emery could turn to youth in the Cup, which is something that Villa fans have been accustomed to in recent seasons – particularly after a training ground Covid outbreak in January 2021 forced the club to field an entire team of youngsters in the third round against Liverpool.

One player that played in that 4-1 loss to Liverpool, where Louis Barry famously gave Villa the lead, is FA Youth Cup-winning midfielder Arjan Raikhy, who enjoyed the most remarkable of campaigns last season as he continued his progression.

Raikhy spent the first half of the season on loan to eventual National League champions Stockport, before joining Grimsby Town for the rest of the campaign and helping them also clinch promotion to the Football League, this time via the play-offs.

The strides Raikhy has made have been evident, with the technically-gifted midfielder impressing while on tour with the senior squad in Dubai as the World Cup was on in Qatar.

Raikhy, who recently turned 20, featured in matches against Chelsea and Brighton while in Dubai, and was involved in both of Villa’s goals against the Seagulls, adding to the clamour to see him given another chance with the first team. The FA Cup visit of League Two Stevenage could just be the perfect opportunity.
Dev Trehan

Can Newcastle couple Premier League form with a rare cup run?

There is a new powerhouse in English football. Newcastle United look set for a Champions League return for the first time in two decades. Less than a year since they slumped inside the Premier League relegation zone, Eddie Howe’s revolution is way ahead of schedule.

The Toon Army can scarcely believe it, back where they feel they belong after such a long spell of mediocrity. But their delight with Newcastle’s league position will be put to one side for this weekend in pursuit of an even longer sought-after desire. Silverware.

It is now almost 50 years since Newcastle last lifted a major domestic trophy. Regime after regime have refused to give the same weight to cup competitions as their fans, and they have not reached a single semi-final in either the FA Cup or League Cup since 2005.

With the best and deepest squad they have had in years and in superb form, there has not been a better opportunity for Newcastle to right those perceived wrongs. The third-round draw has been kind to deliver a trip to third-tier Sheffield Wednesday, even if later rounds may not prove so hospitable.

To judge Eddie Howe’s feelings towards cup competitions suggests he has not previously considered them a priority. After Bournemouth’s promotion to the Premier League, his side beat only one top flight team in a domestic cup in five years, and were knocked out three times by lower-league opposition.

But this is a very different team, and a very different Howe. He has reinvented himself at St James’ Park and earned the adoration of the fans with the speed of the club’s transformation.

Howe is among the most self-aware managers in the division. He knows what a trophy would mean to the club and his own standing and has shown that with the strong teams he has named in the Carabao Cup en route to the quarter-finals.

Winning that would be a huge achievement, but there’s nothing quite like the history of the FA Cup. If he finds himself holding it aloft on June 3, he will have written himself into club folklore.
Ron Walker

Will inconsistent Liverpool take first step in title defence?

Few could have predicted Liverpool’s faltering start to the 2022/23 season.

Currently sixth in the Premier League, seven points from the Champions League places – perhaps their most consistent competition so far with five wins from six group stage games – they have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Manchester City, failing to defend their title.

But there is one trophy left for Liverpool to defend – the FA Cup.

A good cup run can galvanise a season and turn it from mediocre to magnificent. Saturday’s third round match against Wolves represents the perfect catalyst for Liverpool to start finding some consistency.

There could even be a debut for new January signing Cody Gakpo. All eyes will be on the team sheet for signs of the talented 23-year-old. Liverpool will be hoping another big-name January signing can turbo charge their campaign, much like Luis Diaz’s arrival did 12 months ago.

Liverpool have not had the best recent record against Wolves in recent FA Cup meetings, and they will be only too aware that it takes one moment to knock a team out. But with an Anfield crowd and a point to prove, the Reds can begin to get their season back on track.
Charlotte Marsh

Will Wolves heavily rotate against Liverpool?

Boss Julen Lopetegui has questioned Wolves’ hectic schedule ahead of their FA Cup third-round trip to Liverpool.

They go to Anfield in the third round on Saturday after Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa. Liverpool have had 48 hours extra recovery time following their 3-1 defeat at Brentford on Monday and Lopetegui is unhappy.

“I don’t understand how we play in one competition with two days less than the opponent,” he said. “Maybe one day, it can happen but two days, it is a lot. It is a big difference for us. They have two days recovery more.

“I am sorry but I don’t understand this. I don’t know why. We have five games in 17 days.”

It was back in 2017 when Liverpool tumbled out of their second cup competition in four days at the hands of Wolves, who were then a Championship side under Paul Lambert.

Indeed, Wolves have eliminated Liverpool in five of their seven FA Cup ties, including two under Jurgen Klopp – doing so again in the 2018/19 season. But a hat-trick of recent success is unlikely if Lopetegui opts to turn to youth for the difficult assignment at Anfield.
Ben Grounds

Can goal-shy EFL basement boys Gillingham shock Leicester?

What do James Maddison and the entire Gillingham squad have in common? Both have just seven league goals this season.

Welcome to the FA Cup third round where the biggest of giant-killings can happen. Arguably the biggest of the round could come at the Priestfield Stadium as EFL bottom club Gillingham host 2021 winners Leicester.

Life is pretty dire for the Gills at the bottom of League Two and without a league win in 11 matches. But much of the disappointment that their supporters have faced could be forgotten if they complete an astonishing cupset against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Leicester may just take one eye away from the cup this season, with the Foxes sitting two points above the relegation zone at the moment and will want to prioritise a mid-table finish in the second half of the season.

Meanwhile, Gillingham already have one cup shock to their name this season, as they dumped out a strong Brentford side in the Carabao Cup third round on penalties.
Sam Blitz

Will VAR be in use?

As the FA set out in January 2020, VAR is only licenced to be used at Premier League grounds in the third, fourth and fifth rounds of the FA Cup, but in every match from the quarter-final stage onwards.

The competition rulebook states: “The Association reserves the right to select any match in the Competition Proper, at its absolute discretion, in which VARs will be used.

“This means that the Referee in such matches can make decisions based on information provided by the VARs in accordance with the relevant protocol of the IFAB.

“Guidance regarding the use of VARs will be provided by The Association to the relevant clubs at the appropriate time.

That means the technology – as controversial as ever – will only be in use during eight of the 32 third-round ties this weekend, as per the list of officials detailed on FA’s official website.

Those fixtures are as follows:

• Man City vs Chelsea
• Tottenham vs Portsmouth
• Brentford vs West Ham
• Bournemouth vs Burnley
• Aston Villa vs Stevenage
• Liverpool vs Wolves
• Crystal Palace vs Southampton
• Manchester United vs Everton

Will there be replays?

During the 2020/21 season, FA Cup replays were axed completely in an attempt to ease the fixture congestion caused by Covid-19, and in 2021/22, they were removed for third and fourth-round ties.

This term, they are back with a vengeance.

If a tie is drawn, it will be replayed at the stadium of the club drawn second in the competition and, if it is drawn again after 90 minutes, there will be two 15-minute periods of extra-time and, if no winner is found, a winner will be decided by penalties.

This applies to ties in the third and fourth round of the competition.

FA Cup third-round draw in full

Ties to be played on January 6, 7, 8 and 9 (kick-off 3pm unless stated)

Friday:

Manchester United v Everton (8pm)

Saturday:

Crystal Palace vs Southampton (12.30pm)

Forest Green Rovers vs Birmingham City (12.30pm)

Gillingham vs Leicester City (12.30pm)

Preston North End vs Huddersfield Town (12.30pm)

Reading vs Watford (12.30pm)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Portsmouth (12.30pm)

Blackpool vs Nottingham Forest

Boreham Wood vs Accrington Stanley

AFC Bournemouth vs Burnley

Chesterfield vs West Bromwich Albion

Fleetwood Town vs Queens Park Rangers

Hull City vs Fulham

Ipswich Town vs Rotherham United

Middlesbrough vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Millwall vs Sheffield United

Shrewsbury Town vs Sunderland

Brentford vs West Ham United (5.30pm)

Coventry City vs Wrexham (5,30opm)

Grimsby Town vs Burton Albion (5.30pm)

Luton Town vs Wigan Athletic (5.30pm)

Sheffield Wednesday vs Newcastle United (6pm)

Liverpool vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (8pm)

Sunday:

Bristol City vs Swansea City (12.30pm)

Derby County vs Barnsley (12.30pm)

Cardiff City vs Leeds United (2pm)

Hartlepool United vs Stoke City (2pm)

Norwich City vs Blackburn Rovers (2pm)

Stockport County vs Walsall (2pm)

Aston Villa vs Stevenage (4.30pm)

Manchester City vs Chelsea (4.30pm)