⛅ Friday Forecast: An FA Cup weekend full of derbies, upsets and VAR | OneFootball

Once again we are blessed with one of the most exciting weekends of the year.

It is, of course, FA Cup third round weekend and (despite what you may read elsewhere) people’s love of this competition, and this round in particular, is still going strong.

Over the next few days, 64 teams will be in action across 32 ties.

If that’s a bit much to handle then just sit back and let us take you through what to look out for.

? Potential upsets …

We usually open our Friday Forecast with the biggest or best game of the weekend but that’s not really in the spirit of third round weekend.

As everyone knows, FA Cup games in early January are all about semi-pros, muddy pitches, raucous home crowds in old stadiums and huge upsets.

That’s exactly what we want to see.

Norwich City v Chelsea

After rough periods in October and November, Norwich are back on their feet. Earlier this season Daniel Farke’s men set a new club record for clean sheets but they’re the fourth worst scorers in the Championship, netting just 26 times in as many games. If they can just nick one against a rotated Chelsea team they have what it takes to hold on.

Exeter v West Brom

Exeter have won nine of their 12 home games in League Two this season and boast the FA Cup’s top goalscorer so far – Jayden Stockley has five goals in three appearances. Meanwhile, West Brom have not tasted success in their last 20 Premier League games. Could they be humiliated?

Newport County v Leeds United

The two sides have already met this season, with Leeds winning 5-1 in a League Cup clash. The Welsh outfit have not made it through to the fourth round since 1979 but have lost just twice at home all season. They have to have a shot, especially if Leeds rest players.

? Game of the weekend: Liverpool v Everton

We ummed and we ahhed about this one. We already see it twice a year, is it really more special than some of the other games in store?

Then we decided it is. One of the best derbies in England with the added taste of a knockout defeat for the loser.

Any Merseyside derby is tense but this one has the added ingredient of Liverpool feeling aggrieved last month when Everton stole a point from Anfield thanks to a controversial penalty.

Jürgen Klopp lost it after that and will be demanding everything from his players. The German has not yet made it past the fourth round of the FA Cup in his two attempts and will be determined to put that right.

? FA Cup trivia

QPR’s unwanted record

No team has lost in the FA Cup third round more times than Queen’s Park Rangers (48). It is now 22 years since they made it through the third round at the first attempt. Since that win in 1996, they have won just two replays (2012, 2013). Surely it can’t go on forever?

Arsenal’s wanted record

Having won the trophy three times in four years, Arsenal head to Nottingham Forest as 13-time winners (a record) and FA Cup holders. Defeat to Blackburn Rovers four years ago is the only time Arsène Wenger has been knocked out of the competition by lower league opposition.

Non-league no-shows

For the first time since the 1950/51 season we have an FA Cup third round without a single non-league team. Having seen two – Lincoln City and Sutton United – reach for the fifth round for the first time in history last season, we’re absolutely gutted.

Keep an ? out for: Video Assistant Referee

Brighton v Crystal Palace on Monday will be the first game in the history of English football to feature VAR.

After implementations in the Bundesliga and Serie A, the FA will test the system in the FA Cup this season as well as next week’s League Cup semi-finals.

Clashes between Brighton and Palace tend to be fiery so we’re hoping to see VAR used (and used well!) to avoid any controversy.