Red Devils, Gunners, Blues in tough FA Cup draws
LONDON, England (AFP) — Manchester United, Arsenal and holders Chelsea were all handed ties with fellow Premier League sides in the draw for the FA Cup third round yesterday.
Chelsea, winners of four of the last six tournaments, will travel to Southampton, while current league leaders United face an away game at West Ham United, who eliminated Alex Ferguson’s side in the fourth round in 2001.
Arsenal, meanwhile, face a swift reunion with Swansea City, whose 2-0 success at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday bumped Arsene Wenger’s men down to 10th place in the English top flight.
In the only other all-Premier League tie, Queens Park Rangers were drawn at home to West Bromwich Albion, with English champions Manchester City due to face second-division Watford.
Liverpool, runners-up to Chelsea last season, face an away game at either Lincoln City or Mansfield Town, two former league clubs who now play in the fifth-tier Conference National.
Tottenham Hotspur will play League One (third division) side Coventry City in a repeat of the 1987 final, which saw Coventry prevail through an extra-time own goal by Spurs defender Gary Mabbutt.
The ties are scheduled to be played on the weekend of January 7-8, 2013.
FA Cup third-round draw:
Crystal Palace v Stoke City
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United
Tottenham Hotspur v Coventry City
Wigan Athletic v Bournemouth
Fulham v Blackpool
Aston Villa v Ipswich Town
Charlton Athletic v Huddersfield Town
Barrow or Macclesfield Town v Cardiff City
Barnsley v Burnley
Manchester City v Watford
Swansea City v Arsenal
Leicester City v Burton Albion
Millwall v Preston North End
Cheltenham Town or Hereford United v Everton
Derby County v Tranmere Rovers
Crawley Town v Reading
Aldershot Town v Rotherham United or Notts County
Middlesbrough v Harrogate Town or Hastings United
Accrington Stanley or Oxford United v Sheffield United
Southampton v Chelsea
Queens Park Rangers v West Bromwich Albion
Peterborough United v Norwich City
Lincoln City or Mansfield Town v Liverpool
Bolton Wanderers v Sunderland
Nottingham Forest v Oldham Athletic
West Ham United v Manchester United
Hull City v Leyton Orient
Blackburn Rovers v Bristol City
Leeds United v Birmingham City
Bury or Southend United v Bradford City or Brentford
Luton Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sheffield Wednesday v MK Dons
