The FA Cup returns this weekend, as clubs from all different levels up and down the country go head-to-head in the nation’s most prestigious cup competition.
The perfect example of this is when Jose Mourinho’s Spurs travel to Rossett Park to take on eighth-tier club AFC Marine.
Despite the absence of fans, it will be the biggest match in Marine’s history when they face the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
Similarly, National League North team Chorley FC will face Wayne Rooney and his Derby County side in another FA Cup tie which features a non-league club.
Also, National League side Stockport County will welcome West Ham in the final fixture of the weekend while fellow fifth-tier club Boreham Wood host Millwall.
As for other Premier League clubs, current holders Arsenal will face fellow top division club Newcastle at the Emirates, hoping to retain the trophy.
League champions Liverpool missed out on the cup last season after losing to Chelsea in the fifth round, and this time out will visit Aston Villa.
It will be the first meeting between the clubs since Villa’s famous 7-2 win back in October.
Chelsea will host League Two side Morecambe, following their loss to Arsenal in the final of last season’s competition.
Manchester United welcome Watford, who reached the FA Cup final in 2019 but lost 6-0 in record-breaking fashion to United’s local rivals Manchester City.
City also face a Championship club, hosting Birmingham on Sunday.
Also welcoming a second-tier club are Everton, who play against Rotherham United at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Wolves and Crystal Palace play each other, and with both clubs relatively safe in the league they will be wanting to go on their own cup run in the second part of the season.
Meanwhile, Southampton and League One club Shrewsbury were set to play each other for the first time in ten years, but their game was postponed due to multiple COVID cases in the Shrewsbury camp.
Both Leeds and Brighton will travel to League Two clubs, with Marcelo Bielsa and co visiting Crawley Town while Graham Potter’s team go to Newport County.
Crawley featured in one of the highest scoring FA Cup games ever earlier this season, beating Torquay United 6-5 in November.
Along with their title challenge, Leicester have the opportunity to mount a cup run when they face Stoke.
The two clubs have not met since 2018 when Stoke were still in the Premier League, but they are in good cup form this season after reaching the League Cup quarter finals last month.
Fulham and QPR go head-to-head in a London derby on Saturday, both looking to advance to the next round.
Burnley will host MK Dons, West Brom travel to Blackpool and Sheffield United look for their first win of the season against Bristol Rovers.
Other ties feature plenty of League Two clubs facing Championship opposition, most notably Stevenage hosting high-flying Swansea City.
The likes of top of the league Norwich and play-off hopefuls Reading also feature, against Coventry and Luton, respectively.
The other matches involving Championship clubs are:
- Nottingham Forest vs Cardiff
- Wycombe vs Preston North End
- Exeter vs Sheffield Wednesday
- Oldham vs Bournemouth
- Blackburn vs Doncaster
- Brentford vs Middlesbrough
- Huddersfield vs Plymouth
- Bristol City vs Portsmouth
- Barnsley vs Tranmere.
The only game not to feature a club from the top two divisions is Cheltenham vs Mansfield.
All of the teams involved will be hoping to experience the magic of the FA Cup as they take a break from league action for England’s biggest cup tournament.
By Ali Pollock
