FA Cup third round: 10 things to look out for this weekend | FA Cup

“We’re aware we were once mentioned in a milk advert,” reads the bio on Accrington Stanley’s X page. “We hear ‘Who are they?’ and ‘Exactly’ a lot.” Don’t be misled by the weary tone regarding their mention in the famous 1989 Milk Marketing Board advertisement, for which the club received £10,000. The connection has always been embraced and never more so than in the buildup to their third round visit to Liverpool, the Premier League leaders. As the Accrington captain Seamus Conneely said: “We’ve made it to third and fourth rounds before, we’ve had League Cup runs and played in some great stadiums, but we’ve finally got that big one. Liverpool is going to top it all.” Accrington have sold their entire 4,700-ticket allocation and the tie is of huge significance to the striker Josh Woods, a boyhood Liverpool fan whose reaction to the draw went viral and prompted a reply from Ibrahima Konaté. Liam Coyle is another Red who started out in Liverpool’s academy, while the management team of John Doolan and Ged Brannan are also from Liverpool. This is an FA Cup moment to cherish. Andy Hunter

Plymouth’s summer recruitment was eclectic, signing players from clubs in Belgium, Hungary, Denmark and Sweden as they sought value in the market. One of those arrivals was Rami Al Hajj, a former Sweden Under-21 international who was brought in to provide some flair. In possession the attacking midfielder looks like a street footballer, eager to show his skills and impressive technical ability. Al Hajj can get fans off their seats with his dynamic play in the final third but was not always trusted by Wayne Rooney when things were tough. The midfielder’s mentality is such that he will be desperate to showcase his talents on the big stage against Premier League opposition and potentially help the Championship’s bottom club cause an upset. Will Unwin

Carlos Forbs has fine pedigree and has shown moments of quality since joining Wolves on loan from Ajax but has started only one league match all season. The winger is pacy, direct and skilful but did not earn the confidence of Gary O’Neil and is yet to prove himself under Vítor Pereira, who has afforded the Portuguese winger 27 minutes in his four matches in charge. Wolves will be pondering whether they need the distraction of the FA Cup amid a relegation battle and do not have the squad depth to go far in this competition, so it could be a worthwhile exercise for Pereira to take a longer look at those needing minutes. WU

There has been much discussion about the value of Chelsea’s academy under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. It did not sit well with fans when Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount and Lewis Hall were sold, not least as funds raised from the sale of homegrown players helps a club’s profit and sustainability position. However, not every Cobham prodigy is seen as mere accountancy fodder. Levi Colwill is starting every week and Enzo Maresca has looked to bring youngsters into the first-team environment. He gave the 18-year-old defender Josh Acheampong his first league start last week and has spoken glowingly of the young winger Tyrique George. Perhaps there will be opportunities for George and others when Chelsea host Morecambe. Jacob Steinberg

Amid Illan Meslier’s dip in form, Daniel Farke has a decision to make as to who starts in goal. The French keeper made two mistakes in the draw at Hull and might require a weekend off to allow a mental refresh. Karl Darlow has spent the season on the bench awaiting his turn, afforded only one outing in a 3-0 League Cup defeat by Middlesbrough in August. Alternatively, Farke could offer a chance to Alex Cairns, who is a very experienced Football League goalkeeper but has not featured since rejoining his boyhood club in the summer as third choice. It would be a sentimental option to offer him a second debut, having first played for the club in the 2011-12 season. Farke, however, could decide that the most sensible course of action is to keep Meslier in the team in order for him to earn some confidence against a relatively shot-shy Harrogate Town, who have scored 21 goals in 25 League Two games this season. WU

This Cup tie is a tale of two Citys, the garlanded hosts aiming to make their League Two visitors a third successive side beaten and continue their revival following a slump of one win in 13. Karl Robinson, a year into his appointment, has Salford flying via a sequence of six successive victories that has put them third in the fourth tier on goal difference. But even the magic of this competition cannot consign the champions of England to a shock knockout that would rate, perhaps, as the greatest of all time … can it? Jamie Jackson

Considering the defensive problems Tottenham have faced in recent weeks, not helped by losing their first-choice goalkeeper and centre-back pairing to injury, Ange Postecoglou has reasons to be concerned by a trip to Tamworth, despite the midweek win over Liverpool and an impressive debut for Antonin Kinsky. The National League side possess an incredible weapon in the form of Tom Tonks’s rocket of a long throw that can cause chaos in the box. In the first round it did for Huddersfield and their flapping goalkeeper Chris Maxwell, who punched one into his own net. Tamworth will be eager to target what has been a key weakness and cause penalty area panic. WU

Manchester United delivering an acceptable performance at Anfield should not have been as surprising as some made it sound: though their collective bottom level is buried somewhere deep within the earth’s core, the excellence of their best individuals means they can play well enough to give any opponent a game. The problem, as identified by Ruben Amorim and Erik ten Hag before him, is one of mentality. The squad lacks killers, players ready and able to do whatever it takes to win every game, and though a frequent criticism is that this manifests as a lack of effort, the reality is a little more nuanced. Part of the problem is that other teams are more physically gifted, stronger in and out of possession while running harder for longer. But what really prevents United from imposing their talents consistently is a lack of focus, discipline and precision – weaknesses Arsenal are well-placed to exploit if the visitors cannot replicate the mindset of last weekend. Daniel Harris

With his first full season at Crystal Palace winding up as a gruelling slog, and four of the five clubs below in the league having changed managers, Oliver Glasner could do with something to lift the mood at Selhurst Park. A decent FA Cup run might do just that, not least given the competition occupies a special place in the club’s history. While younger fans may not remember Ian Wright’s heroics – and the ensuing heartbreak – in 1990, Palace have twice been to Wembley in the last decade, leaving bittersweet memories of defeat to Manchester United in the 2016 final and to Chelsea in the semi-finals three years ago. A third-round tie against Stockport, seventh in League One but winless in four, represents a good opportunity to progress. Past meetings between the two sides also have emotional resonance for Palace fans, with a 1-0 win over Stockport on the final day in 2001 securing First Division survival. Will Magee

Andy Woodman was Newcastle’s goalkeeping coach when, in January 2011, Alan Pardew’s side were sunk 3-1 at fourth-tier Stevenage in the third round. Now managing Bromley in League Two, Woodman is heading back to Tyneside and the club where he spent five years from 2010-15, coaching Tim Krul, Fraser Forster, Steve Harper and Rob Elliot. His wife, daughter and son – the Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, who began his career at Newcastle – will be at St James’ Park, where Eddie Howe’s side will be mindful of the 1-0 third-round defeat they suffered at home to third-tier Cambridge as recently as January 2022. Woodman has recalled that, in 2011, Pardew picked a strong XI but some senior players seemed insulted to be asked to face such lowly opposition. Howe and his irrepressible team are unlikely to make the same mistake. Louise Taylor