The English FA Cup, football’s oldest knockout competition in the world, turns 150 years in 2021-22 and after this weekend there will be 32 teams left in the running to hoist the prestigious trophy on May 14 in London’s Wembley Stadium.
The competition has reached the third round, when the 20 Premier League clubs and the 24 Championship clubs join the fray and we’ve already had three Premier League teams ousted: Newcastle United lost at home to Cambridge United, Burnley suffered the same fate against Huddersfield Town and Watford were eliminated by fellow Premier League side and defending FA Cup holders Leicester City.
Fans are always eager to see a Cinderella run, but the last time a club from outside the top division won the competition was West Ham (1979-80) and the last time a team from a lower division made the final was Cardiff City in 2007-08. The sixth-tier Kidderminster Harriers are still alive and move into the fourth round after shocking Reading.
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The complete third-round schedule follows below. Shrewsbury Town (at Liverpool) and Morecambe (at Tottenham) will have their work cut out for them against two of the top Premier League teams. Manchester United vs. Aston Villa (Monday), West Ham vs. Leeds (Sunday) and Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal (Sunday) are some of the other marquee matches left on the slate.
With the match calendar congested by league postponements due to COVID-19, traditional FA Cup replays (rematches) have been scrapped by the English Football Association for the rest of this season’s tournament. Extra time and penalty kicks will be used to determine a winner from each match in both those rounds, removing the need for another match.
When is the FA Cup 4th round draw?
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 9
- Time: 11:50 a.m. ET
- TV channel: None
- Stream: ESPN+
Before the final results of the FA Cup third round are all in, the fourth-round draw will have already taken place. The 16 matchups for the weekend of Feb. 5-6 will be determined.
- Fourth round: Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 5-6
- Round of 16 (fifth round): Wednesday, March 2
- Quarterfinals: Saturday-Sunday, March 19-20
- Semifinals: Saturday, April 16
- Final: Saturday, May 14
The draw will begin at 11:50 a.m. ET Sunday, prior to the Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal match. The draw will also allow for a slot for the winner of the Aston Villa vs. Manchester United match that takes place a day later.
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FA Cup 3rd round (Jan. 7-10, 2022)
Sixty-four teams are in action in the FA Cup third round, with most of them hailing from the top two divisions of English football:
- English Premier League (first tier): 20 clubs
- English Championship (second tier): 24 clubs
- League One (third tier): 8 clubs
- League Two (fourth tier): 8 clubs
- National League (fifth tier): 3 clubs (Boreham Wood, Chesterfield, Yeovil Town)
- National League North/South (sixth tier): 1 club (Kidderminster Harriers)
Lower-division teams are noted in parentheses in the schedule below: CH = Championship (second tier); L1 = League One (third tier); L2 = League Two (fourth tier); NL = National League (fifth tier), NLNS = National League North/South (sixth tier).
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stream |
| Fri., Jan. 7 | Swindon Town (L2) 1, Manchester City 4 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Mansfield Town (L2) 2, Middlesbrough (CH) 3 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Hartlepool United (L2) 2, Blackpool (CH) 1 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Bristol City (CH) 0, Fulham (CH) 1 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Burnley 1, Huddersfield Town (CH) 2 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Coventry City (CH) 1, Derby County (CH) 0 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Millwall (CH) 1, Crystal Palace 2 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Newcastle United 0, Cambridge United (L1) 1 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Peterborough (CH) 2, Bristol Rovers (L2) 1 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Barnsley (CH) 5, Barrow AFC (L2) 4 (a.e.t.) | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | West Brom (CH) 1, Brighton 2 (a.e.t.) | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Leicester City 4, Watford 1 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Kidderminster Harriers (NLNS) 2, Reading (CH) 1 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Port Vale (L2) 1, Brentford 4 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Wigan Athletic (L1) 3, Blackburn Rovers (CH) 2 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | QPR (CH) 1, Rotherham (L1) 1 (8-7 PKs) | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Boreham Wood (NL) 2, AFC Wimbledon (L1) 0 | Highlights | |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Hull City (CH) vs. Everton | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Chelsea 5, Chesterfield (NL) 1 | ||
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Birmingham City (CH) vs. Plymouth Argyle (L1) | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Swansea City (CH) vs. Southampton | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Yeovil Town (NL) 1, AFC Bournemouth (CH) 3 | ||
| Sun., Jan. 9 | Luton Town (CH) vs. Harrogate Town (L2) | 7:30 a.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sun., Jan. 9 | Stoke City (CH) vs. Leyton Orient (L2) | 9 a.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sun., Jan. 9 | Cardiff City (CH) vs. Preston North End (CH) | 9 a.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sun., Jan. 9 | Charlton Athletic (L1) vs. Norwich City | 9 a.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sun., Jan. 9 | Wolverhampton vs. Sheffield United (CH) | 9 a.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sun., Jan. 9 | West Ham United vs. Leeds United | 9 a.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sun., Jan. 9 | Tottenham Hotspur vs. Morecambe (L1) | 9 a.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sun., Jan. 9 | Liverpool vs. Shrewsbury Town (L1) | 9 a.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sun., Jan. 9 | Nottingham Forest (CH) vs. Arsenal | 12:10 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Mon., Jan. 10 | Manchester United vs. Aston Villa | 2:55 p.m. | ESPN+ |
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FA Cup 2nd round (Dec. 3-15, 2021)
Forty teams were in action in the FA Cup second round, with eight upsets across the 20 matches. Only one matchup required a replay.
Five League Two teams (fourth tier) beat opponents playing one level above them in League One (third tier), while Kidderminster Harriers (sixth tier) were the lowest-ranked team to advance to the third round.
- League One (third tier): 14 clubs
- League Two (fourth tier): 17 clubs
- National League (fifth tier): 5 clubs
- National League North/South (sixth tier): 3 clubs (Gateshead, Kidderminster, St. Albans)
- Non League Premier (seventh tier): 1 club (Buxton)
| Date | Match | |
| Fri., Dec. 3 | Gateshead 0, Charlton Athletic 2 | Highlights |
| Fri., Dec. 3 | Rotherham United 1, Stockport County 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Buxton 0, Morecambe 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Bristol Rovers 2, Sutton United 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Burton Albion 1, Port Vale 2 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Lincoln City 0, Hartlepool United 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | AFC Wimbledon 4, Cheltenham Town 3 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Leyton Orient 4, Tranmere Rovers 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Cambridge United 2, Exeter City 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Doncaster Rovers 2, Mansfield Town 3 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Walsall 1, Swindon Town 2 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Carlisle United 1, Shrewsbury Town 2 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Yeovil Town 1, Stevenage 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Portsmouth 1, Harrogate Town 2 | Highlights |
| Sat., Dec. 4 | Ipswich Town 0, Barrow 0 Replay (Dec. 15): Barrow 2, Ipswich 0 |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sun., Dec. 5 | Rochdale 1, Plymouth Argyle 2 | Highlights |
| Sun., Dec. 5 | Colchester United 1, Wigan Athletic 2 | Highlights |
| Sun., Dec. 5 | Kidderminster Harriers 2, FC Halifax Town 0 | Highlights |
| Sun., Dec. 5 | Salford City 0, Chesterfield 2 | Highlights |
| Mon., Dec. 6 | Boreham Wood 4, St. Albans City 0 | Highlights |
FA Cup 1st round (Nov. 5-30, 2021)
Eighty teams were in action in the FA Cup first round, with every team from League One and League Two joining 32 qualifiers that emerged from the lower tiers of English football. Only 31 of the 48 League One and League Two clubs survived this round.
- League One (third tier): 24 clubs
- League Two (fourth tier): 24 clubs
- National League (fifth tier): 16 clubs
- National League North/South (sixth tier): 7 clubs
- Non League Premier (seventh tier): 8 clubs
- Non League Division One (eighth tier): 1 club (AFC Sudbury)
| Date | Match | |
| Fri., Nov. 5 | AFC Sudbury 0, Colchester United 4 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Scunthorpe United 0, Doncaster Rovers 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Gillingham 1, Cheltenham Town 1 Replay (Nov. 16): Cheltenham 1, Gillingham 0 |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Bradford City 1, Exeter City 1 Replay (Nov. 30): Exeter 2, Bradford 1 |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Sunderland 0, Mansfield Town 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Hayes & Yeading United 0, Sutton United 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Carlisle United 2, Horsham 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Yate Town 0, Yeovil Town 5 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Rotherham United 3, Bromley 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Portsmouth 1, Harrow Borough 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Morecambe 1, Newport County 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Fleetwood Town 1, Burton Albion 2 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Northampton 2, Cambridge United 2 Replay (Nov. 16): Cambridge 3, Northampton 1 |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | FC Halifax Town 7, Maidenhead United 4 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Chesterfield 3, Southend United 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Kidderminster Harriers 1, Grimsby Town 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Wigan Athletic 0, Solihull Moors 0 Replay (Nov. 16): Solihull 1, Wigan 2 (a.e.t.) |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Boreham Wood 2, Eastleigh 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | York City 0, Buxton 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Ipswich Town 1, Oldham Athletic 1 Replay (Nov. 16): Oldham Athletic 1, Ipswich 2 |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | AFC Wimbledon 1, Guiseley 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Harrogate Town 2, Wrexham 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Hartlepool United 2, Wycombe Wanderers 2 Replay (Nov. 16): Wycombe 0, Hartlepool 1 |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | King’s Lynn Town 0, Walsall 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Crewe Alexandra 0, Swindon Town 3 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Charlton Athletic 4, Havant & Waterlooville 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Crawley 0, Tranmere Rovers 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Leyton Orient 1, Ebbsfleet United 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Milton Keynes Dons 2, Stevenage 2 Replay (Nov. 16): Stevenage 2, MK Dons 1 (a.e.t.) |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Lincoln City 1, Bowers & Pitsea 0 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Port Vale 5, Accrington Stanley 1 | Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Gateshead 2, Altrincham 2 Replay (Nov. 16): Altrincham 2, Gateshead 3 |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sat., Nov. 6 | Banbury United 0, Barrow 4 | Highlights |
| Sun., Nov. 7 | Sheffield Wednesday 0, Plymouth Argyle 0 Replay (Nov. 16): Plymouth 3, Sheff. Wednesday 0 |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sun., Nov. 7 | Oxford United 2, Bristol Rovers 2 Replay (Nov. 16): Bristol Rovers 4, Oxford 3 (a.e.t.) |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sun., Nov. 7 | Stratford Town 1, Shrewsbury Town 5 | Highlights |
| Sun., Nov. 7 | Rochdale 1, Notts County 1 Replay (Nov. 16): Notts County 1, Rochdale 2 |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sun., Nov. 7 | Bolton Wanderers 2, Stockport County 2 Replay (Nov. 17): Stockport 5, Bolton 3 (a.e.t.) |
Highlights Highlights |
| Sun., Nov. 7 | St. Albans City 3, Forest Green Rovers 2 | Highlights |
| Mon., Nov. 8 | Dagenham & Redbridge 0, Salford City 1 | Highlights |