5️⃣ big questions ahead of the FA Cup third round | OneFootball

The FA Cup third round is upon us, with several huge clashes and plenty of potential upsets.

Will the magic of the cup be on show once again? Here are the five biggest questions ahead of the action.

Can Arsenal reignite their season against Liverpool?

In what is arguably the standout clash of the third round, Arsenal host Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium with the two sides in very different form.

The Gunners have fallen from first to fourth in the space of a month, with just four points picked up in their last five league games. This included an impressive 1-1 draw at Anfield but post-Christmas losses against West Ham and Fulham have left them feeling serious January blues.

On the other hand, Liverpool now sit atop the table, with their 4-2 win over Newcastle on New Year’s Day displaying all of their attacking brilliance. However, Mohamed Salah is now away at the Africa Cup of Nations, with this being the first of a possible seven games he will miss.

With an EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham just three days later, Jürgen Klopp may rotate but for Mikel Arteta, this is a must win for both confidence and to keep alive more hope of a trophy this season.

Can Sunderland win the biggest Tyne-Wear derby in three decades?

This season’s FA Cup third round draw has given us plenty of mouth-watering clashes but easily the most exciting is the Tyne-Wear derby between Sunderland and Newcastle.

It will be the first time these hated rivals have met for seven years and, it’s no exaggeration to say, it is probably the biggest match between these two since the 1990 Second Division play-off semi-final.

Thirty three years ago it was Sunderland who came out on top with Marco Gabbiadini netting a late goal to hand the Black Cats a trip to Wembley.

And with Newcastle currently on a run of seven losses in eight games, new Sunderland boss Michael Beale will fancy his side’s chances here.

Jude Bellingham’s younger brother Jobe is the headliner for the Championship side but it’s former Tottenham winger Jack Clarke who Newcastle will need to play close attention to, with Eddie Howe desperately needing a win.

Is an upset on the cards at the Riverside Stadium?

Middlesbrough host Aston Villa on Saturday with these two sides meeting for only the third time in the FA Cup.

Michael Carrick’s men have been a model of inconsistency this term, beating the likes of West Brom and Leicester one week but losing to Bristol City and Stoke the next.

Boro are currently 12th in the Championship but seem to have found some form in recent weeks with one of the second tier’s most exciting forwards.

Manchester City loanee Morgan Rogers has impressed with winners against West Brom and Birmingham as well as assists in wins over Huddersfield and Swansea.

With Aston Villa in the midst of an unexpected title challenge and likely to make changes for their trip to the north east, we could see a big scalp.

Will Manchester United reach a new nadir?

It feels like this question is asked on a near-weekly basis at this point but things could get even worse for the Red Devils on Monday night.

Erik ten Hag’s failing side travel the short distance to the DW Stadium to face Wigan Athletic, who are currently languishing in 17th place in League One.

However, the underdogs have little to lose and United have a lot on the line, including their last chance at a trophy this season.

The Latics have beaten their illustrious neighbours just once in their 19 clashes, losing the remaining 18, including their last meeting – a 4-0 loss at Old Trafford in the FA Cup.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS set to be keeping a keen eye on Ten Hag in the coming weeks and months, can the beleaguered Dutchman give himself a lifeline or will he sink further into the abyss?

Can Wrexham continue their rise?

This time last year, Wrexham caused the biggest upset of the third round as they shocked Championship high-flyers Coventry, defeating them 4-3 away.

The gap in leagues is considerably smaller for their cross-border derby with Shrewsbury this weekend, with the Red Dragons third in League Two (after promotion last season) and their hosts sitting mid-table in League One.

Still, a lot of eyes will be on the game, as much for the possible presence of Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as the action on the pitch.

The Welsh club have become a major attraction, as well as a scalp for everyone in the Football League, such is their relatively heavy transfer spending.

The two clubs have not met since 2007, and there will be little love lost when they clash again this Sunday.