FA Cup

The BBC will show the FA Cup third-round games between Manchester City and Salford City and Arsenal v Manchester United.

Pep Guardiola's Man City side are at home to League Two Salford on Saturday at 17:45 GMT.

Arsenal host holders Man Utd on Sunday at 15:00.

Both games will be live on BBC One, the iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

There are an additional three games on BBC iPlayer and the Red Button:

Thursday 9 January

Everton v Peterborough United (19:35)

Saturday 11 January

Leeds United v Harrogate Town (17:35)

Sunday 12 January

Newcastle United v Bromley (14:50)

BBC One Wales will also show live coverage of Cardiff City's tie against Sheffield United from Bramall Lane on Thursday at 19:00.

There will be a highlights programme with all of the goals, analysis and talking points on BBC One and on the iPlayer on Saturday at 22:30.

Watch highlights from Graham Potter's first news conference as West Ham manager.

And so it begins.

Adam, as my meal didn't satisfy, I've decided to start a Get Involved Royal Rumble while we wait for some managers to arrive.

Northerners - join me with a left thumb.

Southerners - go to the right side.

Everyone else, stand back.

Image source, Getty Images

Everton's FA Cup third-round tie against Peterborough United will go ahead despite icy conditions in Liverpool.

A safety meeting involving the club and relevant authorities assessed the weather and travel conditions.

The match at Goodison Park is scheduled to kick-off at 19:45 with coverage on BBC iPlayer and the Red Button from 19:35.

• This will be the fourth FA Cup tie between Watford and Fulham, with each of the prior three meetings in 1932, 1983 and 2005 needing a replay to determine a winner. Both sides have won one of the two prior meetings to come at the third round stage.
• Fulham have failed to win any of their last six competitive games against Watford (D3 L3), conceding 14 goals in total during that time.
• Watford have progressed from just one of their last five FA Cup round three ties, though that came courtesy of a 2-1 win over Chesterfield last season.
• Fulham have progressed from 13 of their last 16 FA Cup third round ties, including each of the last five in a row.
• Fulham have progressed from each of their last four FA Cup ties against sides from a lower division, since a 2-1 home defeat to Oldham Athletic in January 2019.

Commentary of this game will be available this evening on Sports Extra.

Relive some of the biggest FA Cup third-round upsets this century, including Manchester United's shock defeat by a Leeds team who were in League One.

Fulham

Fulham manager Marco Silva on the importance of the FA Cup: "We want to [do well]. Two seasons ago we reached the quarter-final. Last season we reached the Carabao semi-finals too. I told the players that the top ambition is this competition. All clubs should look at this cup like it deserves. It is a good competition in this country that everybody loves. The final is something unbelievable and if you can participate it is one of the greatest moments you can have in this country. We want to play with a full ambition that we can beat them."

Commentary of this game will be available this evening on BBC Radio Sports Extra.

Image source, Getty Images

FA Cup

There's three FA Cup matches tonight and you can follow live text updates on the BBC Sport app and website, plus TV and radio coverage

• 19:00 GMT: Sheffield United v Cardiff City - BBC One Wales
• 19:45: Everton v Peterborough United - BBC iPlayer and the Red Button, Radio 5 Live commentary
• 19:45: Fulham v Watford - Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary

Welcome in if you're just joining us. I (Lorraine) have just filled my belly with a dinner that was a 5/10 at best. Hey-ho. On we go.

There are a few managers heading our way with previews to the weekend's FA Cup action. We'll be heading to Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, Accrington Stanley and Salford City.

If you're an Everton or Peterborough United fan, a safety meeting involving the Toffees and relevant authorities to assess the weather and travel conditions is being held around about now.

As it stands, Everton are making "every effort" to ensure the third-round tie goes ahead despite icy conditions in Liverpool.

Image source, Getty Images/BBC Sport

What's the rumour mill churning out when it comes to January transfers in the EFL?

Luton Town are in advanced talks with Middlesbrough to sign winger Isaiah Jones, with the 25-year-old expected to cost around £5m. (Northern Echo, external)

Portsmouth striker Elias Sorensen is set to join Norwegian side Valerenga despite only signing for Pompey in the summer. (Tipsbladet - in Danish, external)

Blackburn Rovers are in talks with Coventry City over signing defender Liam Kitching to provide cover for the injured Harry Pickering and Hayden Carter. (Lancashire Telegraph, external)

And there's more where that came from.

Click here to give the full EFL gossip column a read.

Chris Collinson
BBC football statistician

West Ham had the worst defence outside of the promoted sides last season - and they have the worst defence outside of the promoted sides this season too.

The east London side are conceding goals at exactly the same rate as they did last campaign (1.95 per game), so not much has changed in that aspect since the departure of David Moyes.

The Hammers still having one of the worst defences in the league is less than favourable, but what has actually been the difference compared with 2023-24 is the finishing.

Despite taking more shots (14.6 per game compared to 11.8) and having a slightly higher expected goals (xG) figure at 1.45 per game, they have actually scored fewer goals (1.2 per game compared to 1.58).

West Ham deserved to finish ninth last season because they got the results to finish there, but they were not the ninth-best team in the league based on their underlying numbers. That was something disgruntled match-going fans could see in their performances and ultimately led to the change of manager.

The greatest trick the Premier League table ever pulled was convincing people it never lies - and it lied about West Ham last campaign (see also Manchester United finishing eight).

West Ham United

Graham Potter joins a West Ham side that while not in a dire sistuation, could be in trouble with a run of poor results.

The Hammers are currently 14th in the Premier League, having won two, drawn two and lost two of their last six matches in the league, most recently losing 4-1 to Manchester City.

Harry Redknapp
Former West Ham manager on BBC Radio 5 Live

Former manager Harry Redknapp on West Ham and the appointment of Graham Potter: "You're only as good as your recruitment and I don't think West Ham recruited particularly well in the summer. They brought in lots of players, but at the moment not very many of them have been successful, it's not an easy job for Graham Potter.

"West Ham fans want to see a certain brand of football and they are not happy. They didn't like David Moyes even though he did a great job there - they felt the football wasn't what they wanted to see but you can only play with what you've got and he didn't have the fantastic players they've had in the past.

"They are not far off the relegation places - I don't think they will go down - I think there will be three worse teams than West Ham but they have to be careful because they aren't far off it. However, it's a great club to manage and a great opportunity for him to get back in."

This Everton fan really doesn't want to see Sean Dyche replaced by Jose Mourinho...

Image source, Getty Images

Charlie Adam
Former Scotland midfielder on the Football Daily podcast

Graham Potter needs to win first and foremost and the rest of it will come.

He will have to build the confidence of the players because ultimately some of them will be low on confidence and he will have to get the best out of your Lucas Paquetas, your Mohammed Kudus's - the people that are your match winners.

He will have to organise them defensively because they have been leaking too many goals.

I think he will be delighted to be back in and I think it is a good job for Graham Potter to come in to.

Remember Newcastle's match with Aston Villa on Boxing Day, when Magpies' assistant manager Jason Tindall and Aston Villa analyst Victor Manas were sent off during half-time, with reports also saying there was a '20-man melee' involving the players?

Well, the two clubs, plus Tindall and Manas, have been charged by the Football Association for the alleged incidents on 26 December.

In a statement, the FA said: "It's alleged that during the half-time interval, both clubs failed to ensure that their players and/or technical area occupants did not behave in a way which is improper and/or provocative within the tunnel area.

"It's also alleged that during the same incident, the Newcastle United Assistant Manager and Aston Villa Analyst acted in an improper manner.

"The clubs and participants have until Monday 13 January 2025 to respond to the charges."

Image source, Getty Images

In response to Anon [11:41] arguing that Potter wasn't all that successful at Brighton...