Roundup of a dramatic weekend of third-round action in 2025-26 FA Cup.
This stage saw Premier League and Championship teams join the fray yet plenty of surprises laid ahead in a round which saw plenty of cupsets, drama and penalties.
So here is a full roundup of a weekend which will go down as one of the memorable third rounds in FA Cup history.
Non League vs Premier League
Paul Dawson’s header and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts’ finish saw National League North’s Macclesfield record the greatest third-round giant killing of the competition’s history in a 2-1 win at home over holders, Crystal Palace, despite Yeremy Pino’s late consolatory strike having denied them a clean sheet.
Non League vs EFL
Kieran Green’s 86th-minute header ensured that League Two’s Grimsby avoided a cupset at home to National League South’s Weston-super Mare, after Charles Vernam and Jaze Kabia twice put the Mariners ahead before Mare fought back through goals from Luke Coulson and Louis Britton.
National League’s Boreham Wood saw their cup run end with a 5-0 home defeat against League One strugglers, Burton Albion, as Kyran Lofthouse’s effort and Charles O’Connell’s own-goal put the visitors in control before Fabio Tavares, Dylan Williams and JJ McKiernan sealed the result.
EFL vs Premier League
Misses from Igor Jesus and Omari Hutchinson saw last season’s semi-finalists, Nottingham Forest suffer a 4-3 defeat on penalties at Championship’s Wrexham, having fell behind to first-half goals from Liberato Cacace and Ollie Rathbone before Jesus and Callum Hudson Odoi’s brace rescued a 3-3 draw as Dominic Hyam netted Wrexham’s third goal.
Jorgen Strand Larsen’s hat-trick plus goals from Jhon Arias, Rodrigo Gomes and Tolu Arokodare saw Wolves thrash League Two strugglers, Shrewsbury 6-1 at Molineux, despite John Marquis’ penalty for the Shrews.
Emile Smith-Rowe and Kevin struck late to ensure last season’s Quarter-Finalists, Fulham avoided a cupset at home to Middlesbrough, after Hayden Hackney put the visitors ahead at half time before Harry Wilson equalised on the hour mark.
Gabriel Martinelli’s hat-trick saw Arsenal complete a 4-1 comeback at Portsmouth, having fell behind to Colby Bishop’s third-minute finish before Andre Dozzell’s own-goal brought them level shortly afterwards.
Second-half goals from Wilfried Gnonto, Ao Tanaka and James Justin saw Leeds claim a 3-1 comeback at Derby, after Ben Brereton Diaz fired the Rams ahead at half time.
Jorrel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez fired Chelsea to a first victory under new manager, Liam Rosenoir, in a 5-1 victory at Charlton, despite ex Blues youth player – Miles Leaburn having denied them a clean sheet.
Keane Lewis-Potter’s close-range finish and Mathias Jensen’s penalty saw Brentford cruise past Championship’s Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
Rico Lewis’ brace fired Manchester City to a 10-1 victory over League One’s Exeter City, with Max Alleyne, Rodri, Antoine Semenyo, Tijani Reijnders, Nico O’Reilly and Ryan McAidoo on the scoresheet amidst own goals from Jake Doyle-Hayes and Jack Fitzwater, whilst George Birch got the visitors’ consolatory goal.
Ashley Barnes’ brace plus goals from Loum Tchaouna, Jaidon Anthony and Jaydon Banel saw Burnley romp to a 5-1 victory at home to Millwall, despite Josh Coburn’s 94th-minute consolatory goal for the Lions.
Taty Castellanos headed in an 98th-minute extra-time winner from Crysencio Summerville’s cross to put West Ham past QPR in a 2-1 victory at home, after Summerville’s earlier effort had been cancelled out by Richard Kone’s close-range finish.
Substitutes, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike fired Liverpool to a 4-1 victory over Barnsley at Anfield, after Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong had put them in control until Adam Phillips snatched a 40th-minute goal to give the Tykes futile hope of a comeback.
Premier League vs Premier League
Aaron Ramsdale saved three penalties as Newcastle scraped through to the fourth round with a 7-6 win on penalties at home to Bournemouth after a 3-3 draw, in which Harvey Barnes scored twice for the Magpies amidst Anthony Gordon’s penalty whilst Alex Scott, David Brooks and Marcus Tavernier netted for the Cherries.
Sunderland cruised past Everton 3-0 on penalties in the first FA Cup tie played at Hill Dickinson Stadium, after Enzo Le Fee’s finish was cancelled out by James Garner’s penalty.
Benjamin Sesko’s consolatory header couldn’t prevent Manchester United’s miserable 2-1 defeat at home to Brighton, as Brajan Gruda put the Seagulls in front at Old Trafford before Danny Welbeck netted the winner against his former team.
First-half goals from Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers saw Aston Villa clinch an eventual 2-1 win at Tottenham, despite Wilson Odobert’s consolatory 54th-minute strike for Spurs.
EFL vs EFL
Louis Reed’s brace against his former team condemned Sheffield United to an eventual 4-3 loss at home to League One’s Mansfield, as Lucas Akins and Rhys Oates sealed the Stags’ victory, despite Hamer having equalised in-between Reed’s goals before Patrick Bamford and Nathan Moriah-Welsh netted consolatory goals for the Blades.
Harrison Bettoni’s 75th-minute strike saw 2013 winners, Wigan cause a cupset at Championship’s Preston.
Hours after Matt Bloomfield was unveiled as their new manager, Oxford United scraped past League Two’s MK Dons 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in which Will Lankshear pulled the Us level following Aaron Collins’ first-half opener for the hosts.
First-half goals from Cameron Bragg, Cameron Archer and Kuryu Matsuki saw Southampton seal an eventual 3-2 win at League One’s Doncaster Rovers, after Matty Pearson and Jordan Gibson found the net in a futile second-half comeback attempt from the hosts.
Jovon Makama’s hat-trick plus goals from Matej Jurasek and Tony Springett saw Norwich cruise to a 5-1 victory against Walsall at Carrow Road, as substitute – Courtney Clarke curled in the Saddlers’ consolatory goal.
Emil Riis-Jakobsen’s hat-trick saw Bristol City cruise to a 5-1 home win over Championship rivals, Watford, as Anis Mehmeti and Rob Atkinson too found the net for the Robins amidst Jack Grieves’ consolatory strike for the Hornets.
Sullay Kaikai’s late brace couldn’t prevent League Two’s Cambridge from losing 3-2 at home to Birmingham City, as Kai Wagner, Kyogo Furuhashi and Marvin Ducksh.
Ollie Bostock netted the winning penalty for West Brom in a 6-5 shootout triumph which saw three penalty misses in total, following a 2-2 draw at Swansea in which Eom Ji-Sung and Zeidane Inoussa twice put the Swans ahead despite equalisers from Josh Maja and Jed Wallace.
Jaden Philogene and Jacob Greaves found the net as Ipswich avoided a cupset at home to Blackpool, despite Ashley Fletcher’s 96th-minute consolatory penalty for the Tangerines.
Patson Daka and Stephy Mavididi struck first-half goals as Leicester cruised past Cheltenham to a 2-0 away victory.
Lamine Cisse’s 88th-minute half-volley saw Stoke edge past Coventry in an all-Championship clash.
Jordan Shipley’s strike in first-half injury-time saw Port Vale scrape past League Two’s Fleetwood Town at Vale Park.
Hull defeated Championship opposition, Blackburn 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw on Humberside between the second-tier pair.
Salford’s all-League Two tie against Swindon was postponed to 20 January due to a frozen pitch at the Peninsula Stadium, but Salford prevailed 3-2 through Luke Garbutt’s free-kick after Ryan Graydon’s brace was cancelled out by Ollie Palmer and James Ball.
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