FA Cup Third Round Draw Announced

November 30th, 2009 / Lee A Jackson

The FA Cup draw has taken place, and of course, online bookmakers are keen to offer up their prices on the outright winner. The usual suspects are at the top of the tree of course, with good reason. Since the 1991-92 season, only twice has the FA Cup winner come from outside what is known today as the Big Four: Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. So it is some kind of fair banker that the course of the FA Cup will be following the same road.

FA CUP OUTRIGHT WINNERS
Chelsea – 9/2 at Ladbrokes
Manchester United – 9/2 at Bet365
Liverpool – 13/2 at 888Sport
Arsenal – BlueSquare
Manchester City – 112/1 at BetFred
Tottenham – 14/1 at Boylesports
Aston Villa – 22/1 at Aston Villa

Holders Chelsea, who beat Everton in last season’s final, have the favourable home tie, drawing Watford from the top half of the Championship. There are no big glamour ties in the Third round draw this year, but there could be some interesting matches to follow come January 2nd and 3rd, and it is a great occasion for football betting. There is the all Premier League tie between Arsenal and West Ham, while Leeds could be playing at Manchester United if they come through their replay against Kettering. Staines Town from the Blue Square south league, have a home draw awaiting them if they can navigate their way past Millwall. Liverpool play at Reading, and Manchester City travel away to Middlesborough.

There looks little to cause much upset in the Third Round ties, especially with another month to go before the matches are played. Still, some early good prices are worth taking now, such as Chelsea and Manchester United, both at 9/2. That price will obviously shorten the further through the competition they progress.

FA CUP THIRD ROUND DRAW:
Accrington Stanley or Barnet v Gillingham
Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers
Blackpool v Ipswich Town
Bolton Wanderers v Lincoln City
Brentford v Doncaster Rovers
Bristol City v Cardiff City
Chelsea v Watford
Everton v Carlisle United
Fulham v Swindon Town
Huddersfield Town v West Bromwich Albion
Leicester City v Swansea City
Manchester United v Kettering Town or Leeds United
Middlesbrough v Manchester City
MK Dons v Burnley
Nottingham Forest v Birmingham City
Notts County v Forest Green Rovers
Plymouth Argyle v Newcastle United
Portsmouth v Coventry City
Preston North End v Colchester United
Reading v Liverpool
Scunthorpe United v Barnsley
Sheffield United v QPR
Sheffield Wednesday v Crystal Palace
Southampton v Rotherham United or Luton Town
Staines Town or Millwall v Derby County
Stockport County or Torquay v Brighton
Stoke City v York City
Sunderland v Oxford United or Barrow
Tottenham v Peterborough United
Tranmere Rovers or Aldershot Town v Wolves
West Ham United v Arsenal
Wigan Athletic v Hull City