Date: 4th January 2018 at 8:54pm
Written by:

With no non league side making it into the 2017/18 FA Cup third round draw this season, for the first time since 1950/51 it’s an all professional affair.

This year and this weekend’s round of fixtures in the FA Cup will see the maximum number of EFL sides join Premier League counterparts for the first time in 67 years after all ten EFL member clubs overcame their non league opposition in the second round ties.

The most recent to do so were League One side Fleetwood Town who now have a plum tie against former Premier League Champions Leicester City having taken victory over Hereford FC. With the match set for Highbury Stadium, former Fleetwood player Jamie Vardy makes a return six years on from his departure from the club.

In other Round Two replays, Wigan Athletic took victory over AFC Fylde with a late rally seeing a Will Grigg brace and Peterborough United finally overcame Woking after falling behind in the tie.

Some of the ties speak for themselves, as do the opportunity for some major upsets.

Ipswich Town v Sheffield United
Watford v Bristol City
Birmingham City v Burton Albion
Liverpool v Everton
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Aston Villa v Peterborough United
Bournemouth v Wigan Athletic
Coventry City v Stoke City
Newport County v Leeds United
Bolton Wanderers v Huddersfield Town
Yeovil Town v Bradford City
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Brentford v Notts County
Queens Park Rangers v MK Dons
Manchester United v Derby County
Exeter City v West Bromwich Albion
Doncaster Rovers v Rochdale
Tottenham Hotspur v Wimbledon
Middlesbrough v Sunderland
Fleetwood Town v Leicester City
Blackburn Rovers v Hull City
Cardiff City v Mansfield Town
Manchester City v Burnley
Shrewsbury Town v West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Swansea City
Stevenage v Reading
Newcastle United v Luton Town
Millwall v Barnsley
Fulham v Southampton
Wycombe Wanderers v Preston North End
Norwich City v Chelsea
Carlisle United v Sheffield Wednesday

With 15 all EFL ties, all three divisions below the top flight could well be represented more than is usual at the Fourth Round stage.

Bloggers