One of the most eagerly awaited moments in the English domestic league season is the draw for the third round of the FA Cup, the date when the big name clubs enter the competition for the first time.
And, this years draw did not disappoint, with some mouth-watering ties drawn out of the hat.
Perhaps the headline fixture will see league leaders and Champions League champions Liverpool host Merseyside neighbours Everton.
Meanwhile last seasons winners, Manchester City, who thrashed Watford 6 0 in the final at Wembley in May, will host Port Vale, currently playing in League Two. Their neighbours, Manchester United, travel to Molineux to face Wolverhampton Wanderers, who knocked them out of the competition last season at the quarterfinal stage.
Another attractive tie will see Arsenal play host to Leeds United, reviving a long-standing rivalry that has been in abeyance for the past few years, with the Yorkshire club stuck in the Championship. The most recent three matches between Arsenal and Leeds United have all come in the third round of this competition. Arsenal won two of them while there was a draw in 2011.
Elsewhere, Jose Mourinho will start his hunt for silverware as Spurs boss with a trip to Middlesbrough. Their London neighbours Chelsea will play Nottingham Forest at home, whilst West Ham must travel to Gillingham. High flying Leicester City will face Wigan Athletic at the King Power Stadium.
The FA Cup would not be complete without the possibility of a giant-killing shock or two, with AFC Fylde, the lowest-ranked side in the competition will be taking on Sheffield United, who are performing so well this season under Chris Wilder in the Premier League. Can they spring a surprise?
Another team who could be watched keenly is Boston from the sixth-tier National League North and they will be up against Newcastle United, another Premier League opponent but for that they will need to beat Rochdale in a replay on Tuesday, 10 December.
The other lower-rung teams who help their opponents to a draw and will now need to win their replays are Hartlepool and Eastleigh. If they win, they will be up against Oxford United and Barnsley respectively.
The ties will be played between 3-6 January next year.
