At least six Premiership sides will exit this season's competition at the third-round stage after today`s FA Cup draw.
Six of the 32 matches are all top-flight affairs, with Manchester City's game against last season`s beaten finalists, Liverpool, one of the most appealing.
Chelsea will face Middlesbrough, Bolton take on Sunderland, Fulham play
Birmingham, Aston Villa tackle Blackburn and Southampton meet Tottenham in the
other all-Premiership contests.
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Holders Arsenal are at home to Third Division Oxford, while Manchester United
will play Portsmouth - managed by Harry Redknapp, who led West Ham to victory in
the competition at Old Trafford in 2001.
The games will be played over the weekend of January 4 and 5.
The three non-league teams left in the competition were all given away draws.
Morecambe will travel to Ipswich, with Nationwide Conference rivals Dagenham &
Redbridge facing a trip to Plymouth and Farnborough heading to Darlington.
Leeds must travel to the winners of next week`s Scunthorpe/Carlisle replay,
while Shrewsbury manager Kevin Ratcliffe has a home tie against former club
Everton to look forward to.
Of the other Premiership teams, Newcastle have been given a tricky trip to
Division One promotion-chasers Wolves, while West Ham are at home to Nottingham
Forest, West Brom are at Bradford and Charlton are at home to Exeter.
|
| Matches to be played on weekend of Saturday, January 4, 2003 |
| Leicester City |
-
|
Bristol City |
Scunthorpe United
or Carlisle United |
-
|
Leeds United |
| Gillingham |
-
|
Sheffield Wednesday |
| Chelsea |
-
|
Middlesbrough |
| Ipswich Town |
-
|
Morecambe |
| Preston North End |
-
|
Bristol Rovers
or Rochdale |
| Manchester City |
-
|
Liverpool |
| Shrewsbury Town |
-
|
Everton |
Southend United
or AFC Bournemouth |
-
|
Crewe Alexandra |
| Plymouth Argyle |
-
|
Dagenham & Redbridge |
Cambridge United
or Northampton Town |
-
|
Millwall |
| Bolton Wanderers |
-
|
Sunderland |
| Darlington |
-
|
Farnborough Town |
| Walsall |
-
|
Reading |
| Fulham |
-
|
Birmingham City |
| Stoke City |
-
|
Wigan Athletic |
| West Ham United |
-
|
Nottingham Forest |
| Charlton Athletic |
-
|
Exeter City |
| Sheffield United |
-
|
Cheltenham Town |
| Aston Villa |
-
|
Blackburn Rovers |
| Cardiff City |
-
|
Coventry City |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers |
-
|
Newcastle United |
| Southampton |
-
|
Tottenham Hotspur |
| Norwich City |
-
|
Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Arsenal |
-
|
Oxford United |
| Grimsby Town |
-
|
Burnley |
| West Brom Albion |
-
|
Bradford City |
| Rotherham United |
-
|
Wimbledon |
| Brentford |
-
|
Derby County |
| Blackpool |
-
|
Crystal Palace |
| Manchester United |
-
|
Portsmouth |
| Macclesfield Town |
-
|
Watford |
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