Middlesbrough v Aston Villa: When will the FA Cup third round tie be played? Will it be on TV? What's been the reaction to the draw? | OneFootball

Middlesbrough will take on Premier League side Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round at the Riverside Stadium next month.

It was an incredibly entertaining second round of the competition over the weekend, with the likes of Eastleigh and Chesterfield producing notable shocks as they knocked out higher league opposition.

The third round draw has produced a number of intriguing ties, including Sunderland v Newcastle United, Wigan Athletic v Manchester United, Manchester City v Huddersfield Town and Chelsea v Preston North End, and the meeting between Boro and Villa is sure to be an exciting affair.

Boro will be keen to improve on their performance in the FA Cup last season after being eliminated in the third round following a comprehensive 5-1 defeat at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Villa will also be looking to change their fortunes in the competition after suffering a humiliating exit in the third round when they lost 2-1 to League Two side Stevenage at Villa Park.

It was a tough start to the season for Boro in the Championship as they failed to win any of their first seven league games, but Michael Carrick's men have improved significantly since then to move into play-off contention.

Boro will be confident that they can make life difficult for Villa, but Unai Emery's men have enjoyed an outstanding start to the campaign, spending much of the season in and around the top four in the Premier League.

Villa are unbeaten in their last five games against Boro, securing a 3-0 home win in the last meeting between the pair in the Championship in March 2019.

As is tradition, the FA Cup third round will once again take centre stage on the first weekend in January.

The exact date for the game between Middlesbrough and Aston Villa has not yet been confirmed, but it will take place at some point between Friday 5th January and Monday 8th January.

It will complete a busy festive period for both sides, with Boro hosting Coventry City on New Year's Day in the lead up to the game, while Villa will have a few extra days of rest as they welcome Burnley to Villa Park on the 30th December.

Will Middlesbrough v Aston Villa be on TV?

The TV games for the FA Cup third round are yet to be announced.

The BBC and ITV will once again share coverage of the tournament, with the BBC having first and fourth picks of the third round ties.

Sunderland v Newcastle seems certain to be televised, and Arsenal v Liverpool is another game which is likely to be chosen, while it remains to be seen whether some of the lower-ranked sides left in the competition, such as Maidstone United, Chesterfield and Eastleigh, will be picked.

It looks set to be an entertaining clash between Boro and Villa, so you would think that it will at least be in contention to be selected for television.

What has the reaction been to the draw?

Neither Carrick or Emery have spoken to the press since the draw was made, but judging by the reaction on X, Boro fans certainly seem to be looking forward to the game.