The third round of the FA Cup was drawn on Sunday – with Chelsea vs Preston, Sunderland vs Newcastle and Arsenal vs Liverpool stand out ties
Preston North End have been drawn away to Chelsea in the FA Cup third round, with the date for the fixture yet to be confirmed.
It is understood that television picks will be confirmed on Friday, with ties to be played across the weekend of January 6 and 7. There are 32 ties to be played, with Sunderland vs Newcastle and Arsenal vs Liverpool two stand out fixtures. North End were drawn away to the Premier League giants in Sunday’s draw and PNE will head to Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2002.
Those who progress through to round four will land £105,000 from the Emirates FA Cup prize fund – while clubs last season received a £85,000 live broadcast fee if picked for TV. In the 2022/23 competition, there was one tie played on Friday night (8pm), two on Saturday evening (6pm and 8pm), two on Sunday (2pm and 4:30pm) and one on Monday night (8pm).
As for tickets, those can be expected to go on sale once a date is confirmed following the television announcement. Preston fans will be situated in the famous Shed End, with there potential for a 6,000 away allocation. Plymouth Argyle took that many to Chelsea in the 2021/22 competition, with both tiers given to the Pilgrims. In the Carabao Cup this year, Blackburn Rovers sold out their 3,000+ allocation for a midweek match.
It’s the first time PNE have faced the London Blues since 2010, when they lost 2-0 at home in the fourth round – as Chelsea went on to win the competition. As mentioned, North End’s last visit to the Bridge was almost 22 years ago – when Chelsea won 3-1 after Richard Cresswell had broken the deadlock for Preston in the ninth minute.
