Manchester City will play host to Manchester United in the glamour tie of the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
A place in the fourth round will be at stake in this game, not to mention scoring points in the ongoing battle for power in Manchester.
United are the defending Premier League champions, but City are the FA Cup holders and currently hold a three point lead over United at the top of the league table. Not to mention, United will be out for revenge for what happened the last time these teams met, a game that ended in a shocking 6-1 win for City at Old Trafford.
In other action, Chelsea will play host to Portsmouth in a rematch of the 2010 FA Cup final.
Other Sunday fixtures are Sheffield Wednesday v West Ham United and Peterborough v Sunderland.
Liverpool will play host to Oldham Athletic as FA Cup third round action begins on Friday.
Liverpool have won the FA Cup seven times, with their most recent triumph coming when they beat West Ham United on penalties in 2006.
Oldham’s best performance in the FA Cup is reaching the semi-final round, which they have done three times. Their most recent FA Cup semi-final was a dramatic tie against eventual winners Manchester United in 1994. In that tie, a late Mark Hughes equalizer forced a replay that United won.
Things are very different for Oldham in the present day, with the Latics currently sitting 14th in League One. Liverpool are currently sixth place in the Premier League table.
Captain Steven Gerrard and veteran defender Jamie Carragher could both be set to start for Liverpool. The pair both started in the victorious 2006 final, with Gerrard scoring two goals and winning Man of the Match honors.
Liverpool will be without suspended Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, with Craig Bellamy likely to lead the attack in his absence.
Striker Shefki Kuqi has scored 13 goals so far this season for Oldham, and is expected to partner Matt Smith in attack.
Black Country rivals Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers go head to head in what should be a heated FA Cup third round clash on Saturday.
Wolves have won the FA Cup four times, the most recent triumph being in 1960 when they beat Blackburn Rovers 3-0 in the final. Birmingham’s best performance was finishing as runners up in 1931 and 1956, though the Blues have managed to reach the quarter-finals the previous two years.
Wolves are currently 16th in the Premier League table, while Birmingham will come into this game sitting 14th in the Championship.
Captain Stephen Carr is ruled out for Birmingham, while Jordon Mutch and Lam Ridgewell are expected to return from injury.
New signings Emmanuel Frimpong and Eggert Jonsson are expected to be in the starting lineup for Wolves, while Nenad Milijas is suspended.
Steven Fletcher will lead the Wolves attack, and the in-form striker has netted five goals in his last seven games.
Middlesbrough will play host to Shrewsbury Town on Saturday in FA Cup third round action at the Riverside Stadium.
Middlesbrough lost the 1997 FA Cup final to Chelsea, and will be looking to avoid falling at this stage to lower league opposition for the second consecutive year. Last season, Boro were beaten 2-1 by Burton Albion in the third round.
Shrewsbury’s best performance in the FA Cup is reaching the quarter-final stages, which they achieved in 1979 and 1982. Shrewsbury did make headlines in this competition when they eliminated Premier League Everton from the third round in 2003.
Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray will be looking to lead his team into the fourth round, just days after winning the Npower Championship Manger of the Month award for the second time this season.
Influential midfield pair Barry Robson (suspension) and Nicky Bailey (injury) will be out of action for Middlesbrough. Julio Arca, Marouane Zemmama and Kevin Thomson are also sidelined for Boro, while leading goal scorer Marvin Emnes will return from a hamstring injury.
Reuben Hazell and Nicky Wroe are sidelined with injury for Shrewsbury, while leading goal scorer Marvin Morgan will lead the attack.
Tottenham Hotspur will play host to League Two Cheltenham Town in FA Cup third round action on Saturday.
Tottenham are the most successful club in FA Cup history, having won England’s premier knockout competition eight times. Tottenham’s last win came in 1991 when they beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 in the final.
Among English sports fans, Cheltenham is usually best known for horse racing, but the club did reach the FA Cup fourth round in 2006 when they were beaten by Newcastle United.
Both teams will enter this fixture in good form, although in very different leagues. Tottenham are currently third in the Premier League table, while Cheltenham are second placed in League Two.
William Gallas and Sandro are sidelined for Tottenham, while Michael Dawson is expected to make his long awaited return from injury.
Sebastien Bassong and Giovani Dos Santos are expected to feature for Spurs, as are Roman Pavlyuchenko and Aaron Lennon.
Jimmy Spencer and Marlon Pack will shake off minor injuries in time to play for Cheltenham, while leading goal scorer Darryl Duffy will feature in attack.
Everton will play host to amateur club Tamworth in a David v Goliath FA Cup third round clash on Saturday.
Everton have won the FA Cup five times, with their most recent victory coming when they beat Manchester United 1-0 in the 1995 final. Non-league Tamworth have never been past the third round of this competition, with their most recent third round appearance being a 2006 loss to Stoke City.
Everton will come into this fixture 11th placed in the Premier League, while Tamworth are sitting 14th in the Blue Square Bet Conference Premier division.
Jack Rodwell and Ross Barkley are injury doubts for Everton, while Tim Cahill and Royston Drenthe will also be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Defender Phil Jagielka is ruled out with a long-term knee injury for the Toffees, and manager David Moyes has expressed his disappointment.
“To lose him is a massive blow because he is an integral part of the defense and it leaves us short at centre-half,” Moyes told BBC Sport.
Defender Sam Oji could make a long awaited return from injury for Tamworth, while leading goal scorer Iyseden Christie will lead the attack.
Manchester City will play host to Manchester United in the glamour tie of the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
A place in the fourth round will be at stake in this game, not to mention scoring points in the ongoing battle for power in Manchester.
United are the defending Premier League champions, but City are the FA Cup holders and currently hold a three point lead over United at the top of the league table. Not to mention, United will be out for revenge for what happened the last time these teams met, a game that ended in a shocking 6-1 win for City at Old Trafford.
The mind games between the two managers of these teams has continued apace in the buildup to this game. Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that City were “not playing the best football in England,” while Mancini laughed off the taunt and exclaimed “sometimes it is difficult to admit your neighbor is playing better football.”
These two teams have won the FA Cup a combined 17 times between them. Current holders City have won the trophy six times, while United’s 2004 victory over Millwall was their 11th tournament win.
Yaya Toure scored the winning goal in the semi-final and final of last season’s triumphant FA Cup run, but will be unavailable for this game. Yaya and his brother Kolo Toure have left to represent the Ivory Coast in the upcoming African Cup of Nations tournament. Mario Balotelli is struggling with an ankle injury and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
United have a lengthy injury list ahead of this game that is headlined by Nemanja Vidic, Jonny Evans, Darren Fletcher and Ashley Young. Defender Chris Smalling is an injury doubt and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Leading goal scorer Wayne Rooney will lead the United attack, and the club has denied media rumors that he will be leaving the club during the January transfer window.
Portsmouth will travel to face Chelsea in a rematch of the 2010 FA Cup final on Sunday.
Chelsea have won the FA cup six times, including three wins the last five seasons. Portsmouth won this trophy twice, but have fallen a long way since the day they beat Cardiff City in the 2008 final.
Chelsea will enter this game fourth placed in the Premier League, while Portsmouth are sitting 17th in the Championship and struggling financially.
Chelsea will be without attacking duo Didier Drogba and Saloman Kalou for this game. The pair have left to represent the Ivory Coast in the upcoming African Cup of Nations tournament.
Captain John Terry is struggling with a knee injury for Chelsea and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Ricardo Rocha is expected to be back from a calf injury for Portsmouth, while Gteg Halford and Joel Ward will return from suspension.
Striker Luke Varney is doubtful due to a knee injury and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
United are the defending Premier League champions, but City are the FA Cup holders and currently hold a three point lead over United at the top of the league table. Not to mention, United will be out for revenge for what happened the last time these teams met, a game that ended in a shocking 6-1 win for City at Old Trafford.
In other action, Chelsea will play host to Portsmouth in a rematch of the 2010 FA Cup final.
Other Sunday fixtures are Sheffield Wednesday v West Ham United and Peterborough v Sunderland.
Liverpool will play host to Oldham Athletic as FA Cup third round action begins on Friday.
Liverpool have won the FA Cup seven times, with their most recent triumph coming when they beat West Ham United on penalties in 2006.
Oldham’s best performance in the FA Cup is reaching the semi-final round, which they have done three times. Their most recent FA Cup semi-final was a dramatic tie against eventual winners Manchester United in 1994. In that tie, a late Mark Hughes equalizer forced a replay that United won.
Things are very different for Oldham in the present day, with the Latics currently sitting 14th in League One. Liverpool are currently sixth place in the Premier League table.
Captain Steven Gerrard and veteran defender Jamie Carragher could both be set to start for Liverpool. The pair both started in the victorious 2006 final, with Gerrard scoring two goals and winning Man of the Match honors.
Liverpool will be without suspended Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, with Craig Bellamy likely to lead the attack in his absence.
Striker Shefki Kuqi has scored 13 goals so far this season for Oldham, and is expected to partner Matt Smith in attack.
Black Country rivals Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers go head to head in what should be a heated FA Cup third round clash on Saturday.
Wolves have won the FA Cup four times, the most recent triumph being in 1960 when they beat Blackburn Rovers 3-0 in the final. Birmingham’s best performance was finishing as runners up in 1931 and 1956, though the Blues have managed to reach the quarter-finals the previous two years.
Wolves are currently 16th in the Premier League table, while Birmingham will come into this game sitting 14th in the Championship.
Captain Stephen Carr is ruled out for Birmingham, while Jordon Mutch and Lam Ridgewell are expected to return from injury.
New signings Emmanuel Frimpong and Eggert Jonsson are expected to be in the starting lineup for Wolves, while Nenad Milijas is suspended.
Steven Fletcher will lead the Wolves attack, and the in-form striker has netted five goals in his last seven games.
Middlesbrough will play host to Shrewsbury Town on Saturday in FA Cup third round action at the Riverside Stadium.
Middlesbrough lost the 1997 FA Cup final to Chelsea, and will be looking to avoid falling at this stage to lower league opposition for the second consecutive year. Last season, Boro were beaten 2-1 by Burton Albion in the third round.
Shrewsbury’s best performance in the FA Cup is reaching the quarter-final stages, which they achieved in 1979 and 1982. Shrewsbury did make headlines in this competition when they eliminated Premier League Everton from the third round in 2003.
Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray will be looking to lead his team into the fourth round, just days after winning the Npower Championship Manger of the Month award for the second time this season.
Influential midfield pair Barry Robson (suspension) and Nicky Bailey (injury) will be out of action for Middlesbrough. Julio Arca, Marouane Zemmama and Kevin Thomson are also sidelined for Boro, while leading goal scorer Marvin Emnes will return from a hamstring injury.
Reuben Hazell and Nicky Wroe are sidelined with injury for Shrewsbury, while leading goal scorer Marvin Morgan will lead the attack.
Tottenham Hotspur will play host to League Two Cheltenham Town in FA Cup third round action on Saturday.
Tottenham are the most successful club in FA Cup history, having won England’s premier knockout competition eight times. Tottenham’s last win came in 1991 when they beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 in the final.
Among English sports fans, Cheltenham is usually best known for horse racing, but the club did reach the FA Cup fourth round in 2006 when they were beaten by Newcastle United.
Both teams will enter this fixture in good form, although in very different leagues. Tottenham are currently third in the Premier League table, while Cheltenham are second placed in League Two.
William Gallas and Sandro are sidelined for Tottenham, while Michael Dawson is expected to make his long awaited return from injury.
Sebastien Bassong and Giovani Dos Santos are expected to feature for Spurs, as are Roman Pavlyuchenko and Aaron Lennon.
Jimmy Spencer and Marlon Pack will shake off minor injuries in time to play for Cheltenham, while leading goal scorer Darryl Duffy will feature in attack.
Everton will play host to amateur club Tamworth in a David v Goliath FA Cup third round clash on Saturday.
Everton have won the FA Cup five times, with their most recent victory coming when they beat Manchester United 1-0 in the 1995 final. Non-league Tamworth have never been past the third round of this competition, with their most recent third round appearance being a 2006 loss to Stoke City.
Everton will come into this fixture 11th placed in the Premier League, while Tamworth are sitting 14th in the Blue Square Bet Conference Premier division.
Jack Rodwell and Ross Barkley are injury doubts for Everton, while Tim Cahill and Royston Drenthe will also be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Defender Phil Jagielka is ruled out with a long-term knee injury for the Toffees, and manager David Moyes has expressed his disappointment.
“To lose him is a massive blow because he is an integral part of the defense and it leaves us short at centre-half,” Moyes told BBC Sport.
Defender Sam Oji could make a long awaited return from injury for Tamworth, while leading goal scorer Iyseden Christie will lead the attack.
Manchester City will play host to Manchester United in the glamour tie of the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
A place in the fourth round will be at stake in this game, not to mention scoring points in the ongoing battle for power in Manchester.
United are the defending Premier League champions, but City are the FA Cup holders and currently hold a three point lead over United at the top of the league table. Not to mention, United will be out for revenge for what happened the last time these teams met, a game that ended in a shocking 6-1 win for City at Old Trafford.
The mind games between the two managers of these teams has continued apace in the buildup to this game. Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that City were “not playing the best football in England,” while Mancini laughed off the taunt and exclaimed “sometimes it is difficult to admit your neighbor is playing better football.”
These two teams have won the FA Cup a combined 17 times between them. Current holders City have won the trophy six times, while United’s 2004 victory over Millwall was their 11th tournament win.
Yaya Toure scored the winning goal in the semi-final and final of last season’s triumphant FA Cup run, but will be unavailable for this game. Yaya and his brother Kolo Toure have left to represent the Ivory Coast in the upcoming African Cup of Nations tournament. Mario Balotelli is struggling with an ankle injury and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
United have a lengthy injury list ahead of this game that is headlined by Nemanja Vidic, Jonny Evans, Darren Fletcher and Ashley Young. Defender Chris Smalling is an injury doubt and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Leading goal scorer Wayne Rooney will lead the United attack, and the club has denied media rumors that he will be leaving the club during the January transfer window.
Portsmouth will travel to face Chelsea in a rematch of the 2010 FA Cup final on Sunday.
Chelsea have won the FA cup six times, including three wins the last five seasons. Portsmouth won this trophy twice, but have fallen a long way since the day they beat Cardiff City in the 2008 final.
Chelsea will enter this game fourth placed in the Premier League, while Portsmouth are sitting 17th in the Championship and struggling financially.
Chelsea will be without attacking duo Didier Drogba and Saloman Kalou for this game. The pair have left to represent the Ivory Coast in the upcoming African Cup of Nations tournament.
Captain John Terry is struggling with a knee injury for Chelsea and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Ricardo Rocha is expected to be back from a calf injury for Portsmouth, while Gteg Halford and Joel Ward will return from suspension.
Striker Luke Varney is doubtful due to a knee injury and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
