“We know we were once mentioned in a milk advert,” reads the bio on Accrington Stanley’s X page. “We hear ‘Who are they?’ and ‘Exactly’ a whole lot.” Don’t let the tired tone regarding their mention mislead you the famous Milk Marketing Board advertisement from 1989for which the club received £10,000. The connection has always been assumed, and never more so than in the build-up to their third-round stay at Premier League leaders Liverpool. As Accrington captain Seamus Conneely said: “We’ve made it to the third and fourth rounds before, we’ve had League Cup runs and played in some great stadiums, but finally we’ve got the big one.” Liverpool will top it all. “ Accrington have sold their entire quota of 4,700 tickets and the tie holds huge significance for striker Josh Woods, a childhood Liverpool fan whose reaction to the draw went viral and triggered a response from Ibrahima Konaté. Liam Coyle is another Red who started in Liverpool’s academy, while the management team of John Doolan and Ged Brannan also hail from Liverpool. This is an FA Cup moment to cherish. Andy Hunter
2
A stage where Argyle’s Al Hajj can shine
Plymouth’s summer recruitment was diverse, signing players from clubs in Belgium, Hungary, Denmark and Sweden who were looking to add value in the market. One of those new additions was Rami Al Hajj, a former Sweden U21 international who was expected to add some flair. When in possession of the ball, the attacking midfielder looks like a street footballer looking to demonstrate his skills and impressive technical ability. Al Hajj can keep fans on the edge of their seats with his dynamic play in the final third, but Wayne Rooney didn’t always trust him when the going got tough. Such is the midfielder’s mentality that he is keen to showcase his talent on the big stage against Premier League opponents and potentially cause an upset to the Championship’s bottom side. Will Unwin
3
Pereira should give Forbs his chance
Carlos Forbs has a good pedigree and has shown moments of quality since joining Wolves on loan from Ajax, but has only played a single league game all season. The winger is quick, direct and skilful but has not gained the trust of Gary O’Neil and has yet to prove himself under Vítor Pereira, who has given the Portuguese winger 27 minutes in his four games as manager. Wolves will think about whether they need the distraction FA Cup They are in the middle of a relegation battle and do not have the squad strength needed to go far in this competition. Therefore, it might be worth it for Pereira to take a closer look at those who need playing minutes. WU
4
Cobham products should be given more opportunities?
There has been much discussion about the value of the Chelsea academy led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. It did not go down well with fans when Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount and Lewis Hall were sold, not least because the income from the sale of homegrown players improves a club’s profit and sustainability position. However, not every Cobham prodigy is viewed as mere accounting fodder. Levi Colwill starts every week and Enzo Maresca has tried to bring young players into the first team environment. He gave 18-year-old defender Josh Acheampong his first league start last week and has spoken glowingly of young winger Tyrique George. Perhaps there will be opportunities for George and others when Chelsea host Morecambe. Jacob Steinberg
5
Meslier needs a confidence boost
Given Illan Meslier’s decline in form, Daniel Farke has to make a decision about who starts in goal. The French goalkeeper made two mistakes at the draw in Hull and possibly a weekend off to refresh yourself mentally. Karl Darlow sat on the bench all season waiting to play. He only made one appearance in the 3-0 League Cup defeat to Middlesbrough in August. Alternatively, Farke could offer a chance to Alex Cairns, who is a very experienced Football League goalkeeper but has not featured since returning to his boyhood club in the summer as third choice. It would be a sentimental option to offer him a second debut after he first played for the club in the 2011/12 season. However, Farke may decide the most sensible course of action is to keep Meslier in the team so he can gain some confidence against relatively shot-shy Harrogate Town, who have scored 21 goals in 25 League Two games this season. WU
6
Is the city too strong for Salford?
This cup game is a tale of two cities whose hosts will be aiming to defeat their second division visitors for the third time in a row and continue their recovery after losing just one win in 13 games. Karl Robinson, a year after his appointment, has Salford flying through a run of six straight wins that has left them third in the fourth tier on goal difference. But even the magic of this contest cannot force the English champions into a surprise knockout that might go down as the greatest of all time… it can? Jamie Jackson
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Quick guide
FA Cup: Fulham beat Watford, Cardiff beat Sheffield United
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Fulham had four different scorers when they batted Watford 4-1 in the third round of the FA Cup at Craven Cottage.
After Rodrigo Muniz scored his first goal of 2025 with a successful counter-attack, Rocco Vata scored a goal that will be considered a contender for the goal of the competition with a powerful long-range shot, bringing the teams level.
Raúl Jímenez then continued his fine scoring from the penalty spot before Joachim Andersen and Timothy Castagne scored their first goals of the season to help Marco Silva topple his former club.
Elsewhere, Cian Ashford scored the only goal Cardiff turned the form book at Bramall Lane upside down by throwing it away Sheffield United with a 1-0 win.
Ashford marked his eighth senior start for the Championship relegation battlers with a first-half goal that settled the tie in front of just 6,126 spectators. Harrison Burrows hit a post for United late in the game but it was too little, too late for Chris Wilder’s much-changed side.
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7
Tonks could send the Spurs into a panic
Given the defensive problems Tottenham have struggled with in recent weeks, not helped by the loss of their first-choice goalkeeper and centre-back to injury, Ange Postecoglou has every reason to be worried about a trip to Tamworth, despite the win in midweek against Liverpool and an impressive debut performance for Antonin Kinsky. The National League side have an incredible weapon in the form of Tom Tonks’ rocket long-range throw, which can cause havoc in the penalty area. In the first round it did for Huddersfield and their fluttering goalkeeper Chris Maxwell, who hit one into his own net. Tamworth will be keen to target one of their biggest weaknesses and cause panic in the penalty area. WU
8
United need to replicate the Anfield mindset
Manchester United delivers an acceptable performance at Anfield This shouldn’t have been as surprising as some made it sound: even though their collective bottom tier is buried somewhere deep within the Earth, the excellence of their best individuals means that they can play well enough to give any opponent a chance. The problem, as Ruben Amorim and Erik ten Hag recognized before him, is a problem of mentality. The team lacks killers, players willing and able to do whatever it takes to win every game, and while the criticism is often that this translates into a lack of effort, the reality is a little more nuanced. Part of the problem is that other teams are more physically gifted and stronger, both in and out of possession, while also running harder and longer. But what is really stopping United from consistently showcasing their talents is a lack of focus, discipline and precision – weaknesses that Arsenal may well exploit if the visitors cannot replicate last weekend’s mindset. Daniel Harris
9
The Eagles are eager to lift spirits in Selhurst
With his first full season at Crystal Palace proving to be a stressful affair and four of the five clubs below him in the league having changed managers, Oliver Glasner could do with something to lift the spirits at Selhurst Park. A decent success in the FA Cup could do just that, not least given the competition holds a special place in the club’s history. While younger fans may not remember Ian Wright’s exploits – and the resulting heartbreak – in 1990, Palace have been to Wembley twice in the last decade, leaving behind bittersweet memories Lost to Manchester United in the 2016 final And to Chelsea in the semi-finals three years ago. A third round draw against Stockport, who are seventh in League One but are winless in four games, represents a good opportunity to progress. Past meetings between the two teams have also sparked an emotional response from Palace fans, he said A 1-0 win over Stockport on the last matchday of 2001 ensured they stayed in the First Division. Will Magee
10
Woodman reminds Magpies of the shock
Andy Woodman was Newcastle’s goalkeeping coach when he moved to Alan Pardew’s team in January 2011 lost 3-1 to fourth division team Stevenage in the third round. Now in charge of Bromley in League Two, Woodman returns to Tyneside to the club where he coached Tim Krul, Fraser Forster, Steve Harper and Rob Elliot for five years from 2010 to 2015. His wife, daughter and son – Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, who began his career at Newcastle – will be at St James’ Park, where Eddie Howe’s side are approaching a 1-0 defeat in the third round Home against third-tier Cambridge will think only in January 2022. Woodman recalled that Pardew had picked a strong XI in 2011, but some senior players seemed offended at being faced with such weak opponents. Howe and his irrepressible team are unlikely to make the same mistake. Louise Taylor
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