Emirates FA Cup 2025/26
Here’s the latest on the Emirates FA Cup 2025/26 as of January 11, 2026 — the magic of the cup is in full swing during the third round (where Premier League giants enter), with massive upsets, thrashing wins, and drama already unfolding!
The third round kicked off on January 9 and runs through January 12. Defending champions Crystal Palace (who won their first-ever FA Cup last season) suffered one of the greatest shocks in history, dumped out by sixth-tier National League North side Macclesfield FC (2-1) — a 117-place gap bridged in epic fashion!
Other highlights:
- Manchester City smashed League One Exeter City 10-1 (equaling their club record for biggest win), with new signing Antoine Semenyo scoring on debut.
- Wrexham stunned Premier League Nottingham Forest 4-3 on penalties after a 3-3 thriller — Hollywood magic continues!
- Aston Villa knocked out Tottenham Hotspur in a big all-Premier League clash.
- Sunderland progressed on penalties over Everton.
Here’s the iconic FA Cup trophy — still the ultimate prize in English football!
And some intense third-round action shots capturing the chaos and excitement:
Key Third-Round Results So Far (as of Jan 11 morning GMT)
- Friday Jan 9: Wrexham 3-3 Nottingham Forest (Wrexham win 4-3 pens), Port Vale 1-0 Fleetwood Town, Preston North End 0-1 Wigan Athletic, MK Dons 1-1 Oxford United (Oxford win 4-3 pens).
- Saturday Jan 10: Macclesfield FC 2-1 Crystal Palace (holders out!), Wolves 6-1 Shrewsbury Town, Cheltenham Town 0-2 Leicester City, and more including Aston Villa beating Tottenham.
Today’s Fixtures (Sunday Jan 11, times GMT — check local listings for TV/streams like TNT Sports, discovery+, ESPN+)
- Derby County vs Leeds United (early kick-off)
- Portsmouth vs Arsenal
- West Ham United vs Queens Park Rangers
- Norwich City vs Walsall
- Swansea City vs West Bromwich Albion
- Hull City vs Blackburn Rovers
- Sheffield United vs Mansfield Town
- Manchester United vs Brighton & Hove Albion (big all-Prem tie!)
Final tie: Monday Jan 12 — Liverpool vs Barnsley.
The fourth-round draw happens Monday Jan 12 (right after Liverpool’s game) — 32 winners advance to ties around Feb 14-15 (Valentine’s weekend romance… or heartbreak!).
The cup runneth over with shocks — Macclesfield’s win is legendary! Who’s your pick for a deep run, or any team you’re backing to lift the trophy on May 16 at Wembley?
