Key events
22 mins: Nottingham Forest haven’t offered much impetus in the early stages of their game against Blackpool. They’ve barely had a shot, in fact.
20 mins: If you’d have offered Darren Moore 0-0 after the Etihad after 20 minutes … etc etc.
Huddersfield have done really well so far. No real chances raining down on their goal. So far.
17 mins: Another injury concern for a Premier League side. Manu Akanji has taken a hefty knock and will not be able to continue. Matheus Nunes is going to replace him, which might mean Rico Lewis shifts to right-back.
GOAL! West Brom 2-0 Aldershot (Malcolm, 17)
Jovan Malcolm has doubled the Baggies lead against the Shots. The Championship side have flexed their muscles early on and this looks to be a long, long way back for poor old Aldershot.
15 mins: Pablo Fornals found himself in an acre of space in the Bristol City box and should really have made it 2-0.
A worry for West Ham arrives in the shape of an injury to Paqueta. He’s been forced off. Oh no.
Here are the early goals for your viewing pleasure. That Chalobah effort is a lovely one, isn’t it?
10 mins: Oh goodness me, Huddersfield striker Sorba Thomas thinks he’s through one-on-one with Stefan Ortega, fluffs his effort but then the flag belatedly goes up. He may secretly be glad.
9 mins: Normal service has been resumed at the Etihad, with Huddersfield’s banks of four/five shuttling from side to side in the hope of keeping out City.
Pep Guardiola looks cold in the hosts’ dugout.
GOAL! West Brom 1-0 Aldershot (Chalobah, 7)
A delicious half-volley from Nathaniel Chalobah puts the Championship outfit in front early on at The Hawthorns. A nightmare for the non-league side.
6 mins: I’ve always found it a little odd how Leeds fans have never warmed to Patrick Bamford. He’s a class act, not the most clinical striker ever, but a quality operator. His partnership with Joël Piroe is proving productive early on at Peterborough.
GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Bristol City (Bowen, 4)
Jarrod Bowen hasn’t taken long to get going! Lucas Paqueta is the provider and West Ham have the early lead David Moyes will have craved.
3 mins: There’s not much in the way of strictness when it comes to these games kicking off on time. Some have only just got going, whereas Shrewsbury v Wrexham kicked off at 2pm on the dot.
2 mins: Huddersfield, going with what appears a smart 5-4-1 formation at Manchester City, have made the more purposeful start by far at the Etihad. Some laudable intent early doors, before the inevitable City press kicks in.
KICK OFF
Mercifully, no Etihad live show.
Sweet Caroline got a healthy airing at London Road, though, as Peterborough and Leeds went out for kick-off. The Posh looked to have a whole team of mascots, too. Decent atmosphere there as a Leeds team brimming with bleach-blond haircuts get us going.
We’re pretty much off and running around the country in all these seven third round ties.
Please don’t tell me they’re going to do a light show at the Etihad Stadium today before this game against Huddersfield. I really hope not.
USA international striker Daryl Dike is back in the West Brom starting lineup this afternoon after a long time out with an injured Achilles.
Carlos Corberan is happy to have him back, that’s for sure. “We have all been looking forward to this moment, but Daryl is especially looking to it,” he said.
“He has been managing his injury for a long time and now appears to be the moment where he is ready to return to the competition.”
All eyes on promising teenager Alex Matos for Huddersfield at the Etihad today.
Some transfer news featuring one of the teams in action today:
Not jamming a load of fixtures either side of the FA Cup third round has definitely helped the competition’s cause in terms of strong team selections. We’re actually getting a winter break this season too, after not having one for all sorts of reasons (Covid, the World Cup) in recent years.
The fact Pep Guardiola can name a City side as strong as the one today with Ederson, Kyle Walker, Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne on the bench – and Erling Haaland not in the squad at all – is, frankly, ridiculous.
It’s interesting that the only major change Premier League clubs are seemingly willing to make is in goal. Luton, Forest and West Ham have all done it while picking otherwise fairly strong sides. The FA Cup is seemingly a chance for second string shotstoppers but they all want to go through.
My best pick for an upset today? I’m plumping for Kenilworth Road. Bolton will be bang up for it and they might some joy if they can shackle the irresistible Ross Barkley.
Some more team news for you:
Nottingham Forest: Odysseas; Worrall, Murillo, Dominguez; Montiel, Yates, Danilo, Toffolo; Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Wood.
Blackpool:
Luton: Krul; Mengi, Osho, Bell; Chong, Lokonga, Barkley, Doughty; Ogbene, Adebayo, Morris.
Bolton: Baxter; Dacres-Cogley, Forrester, Santos, Toal; Williams, Sheehan, Maghoma, Dempsey; Adeboyejo, Charles.
Team news
West Ham have gone strong v Bristol City: Fabianski; Coufal, Zouma, Mavropanos, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez; Fornals, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta; Bowen.
And here’s how the Robins line up:
Patrick Bamford starts for Leeds against Peteborough. Posh versus The Posh.
A few changes for Manchester City at home to Huddersfield – but still a very strong side: Ortega; Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol Gomez; Lewis, Kovacic; Bobb, Foden, Grealish, Alvarez
Here’s the Terriers’ XI:
Preamble
Hello and happy Sunday to you all. It’s another thrilling day in the FA Cup third round… except it hasn’t been full of thrills so far has it really? (Unless you’re a Maidstone United fan, in which case lap it all up and enjoy.) A few too many tight and tepid games between non-plussed Premier League and Championship opponents have dulled the magic of the cup for me, Clive.
Anyhow, today is a new day and there’s a veritable smorgasbord of 2pm kick-offs to keep us sated this afternoon. The chances of a Cupset at Manchester City v Huddersfield may be slim to nothing, but West Ham v Bristol City, Luton v Bolton, Nottingham Forest v Blackpool and Peterborough v Leeds are all pregnant with possibility; while non-league Aldershot go to West Brom looking to join Maidstone and Eastleigh in the hat for the fourth round draw and the Hollywood tie is of course Wrexham at local(ish) rivals(ish) Shrewsbury.
Strap yourselves in. Team news is up next.