ClapThe return of the FA Cup is upon us and, once more, it’s time for the third round – which is almost always a treat.
It’s always one of the best weekends of the year and for good reason. Clubs from a parade of different divisions up and down the football league come together and battle it out, and more often than not, we get some serious upsets along the way.
Today, we’re going to pick out five games – in particular – that have the potential to give us one of those moments more so than most.
P.S: Yes, it’s pretty unfortunate for the Midlands that so many of their representatives feature here.
Gillingham vs Leicester
While they may be rooted towards the bottom of League Two, Gillingham have shown some serious resilience in cup competitions this season – and after their League Cup exploits, it’s time to see what they can do in the FA Cup.
Leicester, meanwhile, are having a pretty uneven season. They need to sharpen up because if they don’t, the 2021 winners could be staring down the barrel of a big surprise.
Forest Green vs Birmingham
Forest Green Rovers have been one of the surprise packages of the Football League in the last few years. We mean that, of course, in the sense that they’ve been able to rise up through the ranks despite being based in little old Nailsworth.
Birmingham City continue to be stuck in an all-too-familiar situation. They aren’t going up, and they aren’t going down, and the Championship feels a lot like their permanent home at this point.
Chesterfield vs West Brom
Non-league football is the backbone of the English game in more ways than one, but you have to be pretty tough in order to stomach it – as the likes of Chesterfield will tell you from their experience down there.
The fifth tier side will play host to West Bromwich Albion and although the Baggies should probably win, this is going to be one hell of an atmosphere that they’ll have to deal with.
Coventry vs Wrexham
Coventry City know what it feels like to taste defeat in a big FA Cup game and if you don’t believe us, go and ask Worcester City, a fellow Midlands side that embarrassed them not so long ago.
This time around it’s Wrexham, also known as the sweethearts of world football right now. Their Hollywood owners have made that the case and we don’t expect their rise to calm down anytime soon, so watch out.
Aston Villa vs Stevenage
Currently sat in 2nd place in League Two, Stevenage are doing a pretty good job of convincing their fans that they can kick on towards bigger and better things in the next few years.
Another big leap forward would be to beat a team like Aston Villa. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, with Villa being on a tear as of late thanks to Unai Emery’s appointment. Still, you never know what can happen with the magic of the cup.
