Shadow boxing standoff at The Emirates

Holders Manchester City will begin the defence of their FA Cup crown at home to Huddersfield Town while the red half of the city will tangle with Wigan Athletic. There can be absolutely no doubt about the tie of the round however, with table toppers Arsenal taking on those in closest pursuance of their lead at the top of the Premier League, Liverpool.

Mind you, if past experience of how the top teams treat Cup competitions is anything to go by, it may amount to a shadow boxing standoff at the Emirates Stadium. Though that would be both a great pity and a grave insult to the best competition in that version of football.

Then again, depending on how matters are proceeding on other horizons, they – and a lot of others – might see it as their most realistic chance of attaining silverware this season. Well, that would certainly apply to one of them. The other might have notions (or delusions?) of other types of grandeur but whether they themselves can deliver thereupon remains to be seen.

The FA Cup third round draw in full is as follows:

Luton Town v Bolton Wanderers

Shrewsbury Town v Wrexham

Arsenal v Liverpool

Stoke City v Brighton and Hove Albion

Norwich City v Crewe/Bristol Rovers

West Ham v Bristol City

Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley

Fulham v Rotherham United

West Bromwich Albion v Aldershot/Stockport County

Southampton v Alfreton Town/Walsall

AFC Wimbledon v Ipswich Town

Peterborough United v Leeds United

Millwall v Leicester City

Watford v Chesterfield

Sunderland v Newcastle United

Sheffield Wednesday v Cardiff City

Crystal Palace v Everton

Middlesbrough v Aston Villa

Nottingham Forest v Blackpool/Forest Green Rovers

Wigan Athletic v Manchester United

Manchester City v Huddersfield Town

Blackburn Rovers v Cambridge United

Gillingham v Sheffield United

Swansea City v Morecambe

Chelsea v Preston North End

QPR v Bournemouth

Coventry City v Oxford United

Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers

Plymouth Argyle v Sutton United

Maidstone United v Stevenage/Port Vale

Newport County/Barnet v Eastleigh

Hull City v Birmingham