5 talking points ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup third-round ties
Marine and Crawley will lead the giant-killing quest.
The magic of the FA Cup will be alive and kicking this weekend, with the big guns entering the competition during third-round weekend.
There are both all-Premier League clashes and classic David and Goliath showdowns among a fixture list which has thrown up a series of talking points.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the most interesting.
Fairly cross on the Mersey
Premier League champions Liverpool have become accustomed to sweeping almost all before them in recent seasons, but will head for Aston Villa on Friday evening smarting. The Reds have not won in three games after failing to beat both West Brom and Newcastle before losing to Southampton. They have not gone four matches without a victory since September-October 2018, when they were defeated in League Cup and Champions League ties by Chelsea and Napoli respectively and drew with the Blues and Manchester City in the league. They have been to Villa Park already this season – and lost 7-2.
Mourinho heads for tier eight
Chorley not?
Marine’s hopes of causing an upset may be remote, but National League North Chorley may feel they will never have a better chance of claiming a Sky Bet Championship scalp and a place in the fourth round. Derby County will send a team of Under-23 and Under-18 players to Victory Park on Saturday with manager Wayne Rooney, his staff and their entire first-time squad bubble self-isolating after nine positive Covid-19 tests. The Magpies have already put League One duo Wigan and Peterborough out of this season’s FA Cup.
Sharpening the Blades?
Goals, goals, goals
Punters looking for a safe bet on Sunday should perhaps avoid backing a 0-0 draw at Crawley. The League Two side entertain Leeds at the People’s Pension Stadium, with the top-flight side’s last seven games having yielded 31 goals, 15 of them from Marcelo Bielsa’s men. Crawley, who have managed just a single clean sheet in their last 12 outings, also have form. Their first round trip to Torquay ended 6-5 after extra time.
