More historic upsets could be in store in FA Cup’s third round as Premier League giants play minnows

By: James Robson, The Associated Press Posted: 6:04 AM CST Friday, Jan. 9, 2026

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — A non-league team against the defending champion. It's what the FA Cup is all about.

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MANCHESTER, England (AP) — A non-league team against the defending champion. It's what the FA Cup is all about.

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This article was published 09/01/2026 (266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — A non-league team against the defending champion. It’s what the FA Cup is all about.

Macclesfield — a phoenix club playing in the sixth tier of English soccer — hosts Premier League side Crystal Palace on Saturday, hoping to pull off a memorable upset.

The third round of the FA Cup — soccer’s oldest knockout competition — is one of the most anticipated weekends in the sport’s calendar as England’s top clubs enter the draw and can be pitted against lowly opposition.

FILE - Crystal Palace players celebrate with the trophy after winning the English FA Cup final soccer match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Wembley stadium in London, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

It can see part-time players come up against international superstars and small grounds host teams more accustomed to performing at the world’s biggest stadiums.

And such a clash of cultures have produced historic giant-killings.

There was the time when — long before Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac — the then-fourth tier Wrexham knocked out reigning league champion Arsenal in 1992.

In 1988, non-league Sutton United dumped out Coventry, which was then a topflight team and holder of the Cup.

So the warning signs are there for Palace as it begins its defense of the trophy it won last May by stunning Manchester City in the final to lift its first major trophy.

Macclesfield, in the north west of England and around 20 miles from Manchester, is a so-called phoenix club after rebuilding itself following the collapse of its predecessor Macclesfield Town.

Macclesfield Town dated back to 1874 and at one time reached the heights of the third tier. Managers included former England stars Paul Ince and Sol Campbell, but it was liquidated in 2020 because of debts. Its stadium and assets were bought by businessman Robert Smethurst and the club was relaunched.

The home game against Palace is a chance to produce the biggest moment in the reformed club’s history.

Key matchups

Premier League leader Arsenal travels to 2008 winner Portsmouth. Manchester City faces third-tier Exeter and league champion Liverpool hosts Barnsley.

There are four all-Premier League ties: Manchester United vs. Brighton, Tottenham vs. Aston Villa, Everton vs. Sunderland and Newcastle vs. Bournemouth.

Players to watch

The Cup can transform previously unknown players into club icons, so a hero could emerge from any of the lower-ranked teams like Weston Super Mare, Boreham Wood and, of course, Macclesfield.

Elsewhere, Brentford’s Brazilian striker Igor Thiago is on fire with 17 goals this season and five in his last two games. Brentford plays Sheffield Wednesday, which is bottom of the second-tier Championship.

Out of action

Hugo Ekitike missed Liverpool’s last two games with a hamstring injury and Conor Bradley was taken off on a stretcher against Arsenal on Thursday.

Manchester City is facing the long-term absence of defenders Josko Gvardiol, with an ankle fracture, and Ruben Dias with a hamstring injury.

Off the field

The reaction from Manchester United fans against Brighton will be interesting after Ruben Amorim was fired on Monday. There were chants for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during the midweek game against Burnley. Solskjaer, along with Michael Carrick, is in contention to take over as interim for the rest of the season.

A fans group also says it will protest against the club’s “dysfunctional co-ownership” of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe and the American Glazer family before the league game against Fulham next month. But there could be shows of dissent in the crowd on Sunday after signs of unrest against Burnley.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer