FA Cup third round draw: Eighth-tier Marine lands dream clash against Tottenham

Marine, the joint lowest-ranked team in the competition, landed a lucrative encounter with Premier League leader Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup third round.

Defending champion Arsenal welcomes Newcastle United in the FA Cup third round.

Defending champion Arsenal welcomes Newcastle United in the FA Cup third round, while eighth-tier Marine, the joint lowest-ranked team in the competition, landed a lucrative encounter with Premier League leader Tottenham Hotspur in Monday's draw.

Twelve-times winner Manchester United plays host to second-tier Watford, while Premier League champion Liverpool faces a tricky trip to Aston Villa as it looks to avenge last month's 7-2 league defeat.

 

Manchester City is at home to Birmingham City, while Chelsea welcomes fourth-tier side Morecambe. Crystal Palace makes the trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers in an all-Premier League showdown.

The third round, to be played across the weekend of Jan 9-10, is when teams from the Premier League and second-tier Championship join the competition.

The FA Cup has scrapped replays for this season to help ease fixture congestion caused by the Covid-19 crisis, amplifying the chances of a few additional upsets en route to the showpiece match at Wembley on May 15, 2021.