Probably the most anticipated FA Cup draw of the 12 months takes place on Monday evening, when the 44 Premier League and Championship golf equipment enter the competitors.
The 20 groups who come by means of the second spherical – which takes place this coming weekend – could also be dreaming of a glamour tie towards one of many massive boys of English soccer.
For these golf equipment who’re a number of rungs away from the highest flight, a cup conflict towards a staff like Liverpool could really feel like profitable the lottery, much like how one can win a automobile with BOTB.com.
That’s actually the way it felt for Accrington Stanley participant Josh Woods when, this time final 12 months, his facet had been drawn towards the Reds within the FA Cup third spherical, with the boyhood LFC fan’s excitable response to the pairing being confirmed going viral on social media.
Though Arne Slot’s facet comfortably gained the match 4-0 at Anfield, the visiting gamers and followers may have fond recollections of that afternoon, when the Lancashire outfit carried out themselves tremendously on and off the pitch.
Might non-league membership land Liverpool glamour tie in FA Cup third spherical?
There are simply 11 groups remaining within the FA Cup from outdoors the Soccer League, though there’s assured to be at the very least two sixth-tier representatives within the third spherical as a result of Chelmsford Metropolis v Weston-super-Mare and Slough City v Macclesfield ties.
Buxton are the opposite staff from under the Nationwide League who’ve made it to the second spherical. Think about what it’d be like for one in all that quintet to have Liverpool coming to their residence, or for them to make a uncommon go to to Anfield in a aggressive fixture.
The Accrington sport final season was one in all simply 5 events prior to now decade that the Reds confronted a staff from under the second tier within the FA Cup. The others had been towards Exeter (2016), Plymouth Argyle (2017) and Shrewsbury twice (2020 and 2022).
Liverpool have had some almighty scares within the FA Cup prior to now
Every of these golf equipment earned a replay towards LFC, however the largest scare the Merseysiders have skilled on this competitors in trendy instances got here towards Havant & Waterlooville in 2008, when the sixth-tier facet twice took the lead at Anfield earlier than finally dropping 5-2.
In an more and more cynical period of the game, the FA Cup is one competitors the place the anticipation of an upset for the ages is a everlasting function within the lead-up to the third spherical.
Liverpool will simply be hoping that, in the event that they’re drawn towards a staff from a number of divisions under the highest flight, they’re not on the tip of an excellent old style cup shock. It’s the very last thing Slot wants after such a tough marketing campaign thus far for the Reds!
