Manchester United begin their FA Cup defence with a tasty-looking Third Round tie against Arsenal on Sunday 12th January.
The Red Devils defied the odds last May with a 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
Last season’s FA Cup final win, thanks to goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, fired Manchester United to their 13th FA Cup trophy — the competition’s second-highest tally behind Arsenal’s 14.
Coincidentally, and perhaps fittingly, the two juggernauts of English football are set to collide in the Third Round this weekend.
Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United first-team will travel to London to take on Mikel Arteta’s Gunners in a match, that, unlike previous seasons, will decide who makes the Fourth Round on the day.
Will there be replays?
The FA confirmed replays have been scrapped from this season’s FA Cup competition onwards.
All matches in the FA Cup now follow the same format as those in later rounds in previous seasons did.
What FA Cup fixtures have extra-time?
As mentioned above, as of the 2024-25 campaign, with replays no longer an option, if a game ends in a draw, an additional 30 minutes of extra time will take place, followed by a penalty shootout should the game remain tied.
FA Cup suspension rules
Yellow Cards
Just like in all competitions, a player who receives two yellow cards in the same match will be sent off and will miss their team’s next FA Cup match. Accumulating multiple yellow cards in different FA Cup matches doesn’t result in a suspension until a player reaches a certain threshold (see below).
Yellow card suspensions from the FA Cup do not carry over to other competitions, including the Premier League and Europa League.
Five Yellow Cards: If a player receives five yellow cards in the FA Cup before the quarter-final stage, they will be suspended for one match within the same competition.
Post Quarter-Final: After the FA Cup quarter-final stage, a player’s yellow card tally is wiped clean. This ensures no player can miss the semi-finals or final through suspension.
Red Cards
Unlike receiving two yellow cards, a straight red card can result in a player being suspended for another domestic competition.
If a player receives a red card during an FA Cup match, they will be suspended for their team’s next domestic match, possibly including in the Premier League and Carabao Cup.
VAR
The 2024-25 Emirates FA Cup will use Video Assistant Referees (VAR) to officiate matches starting from the Fifth Round and continuing through to the Final at Wembley Stadium.
VAR will not be implemented during the Third and Fourth Rounds of the competition.
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