A third-round matchup between Arsenal and Manchester United, the incumbent FA Cup champions, is scheduled to take place on Sunday afternoon at the Emirates Stadium. This matchup is widely anticipated because it will feature the two most decorated clubs in the history of the FA Cup.
While Manchester United comes into the competition as the reigning champions after a dramatic victory over Manchester City in the previous final, Arsenal, who holds an unprecedented 14 titles, has experienced a disappointing few years in the competition while Manchester United is the current champions.
As long as memories of Arsène Wenger's final years and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's exploits in 2020 are still vivid in their minds, the FA Cup will always occupy a special place in the hearts of Arsenal supporters.
However, Arsenal has struggled ever since its last title win during the epidemic. Over the course of the past four seasons, they have been eliminated in the third and fourth rounds of the playoffs on two separate occasions.
Their most recent defeat occurred at this precise point in the 2023-24 season, when Liverpool knocked them out of the competition. On the heels of a troubling week, the team coached by Mikel Arteta will kick off their campaign for the FA Cup title for the fifteenth time this season.
As a result of their loss against Newcastle United in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, Arsenal's ambitions of winning that competition were substantially diminished. The match ended with a score of 2-0.
In spite of the fact that they had a great deal of opportunities, they were unable to find a method to beat the Magpies, which resulted in their first home loss of the season across all competitions.
A league match against Brighton ended in a 1-1 draw, which was also a very disappointing result.
Arsenal has a track record of eliminating the holders of the FA Cup, as evidenced by the fact that they have done it in each of their last six matches against the team that is currently defending their title.
In addition, Arteta has a recent triumph over Ruben Amorim, the manager of Manchester United, which occurred a few weeks ago when Arsenal defeated the Red Devils in the league by a score of 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
In the meantime, the season for Manchester United has not gone a way that was anticipated. Since they were defeated by Arsenal in December, Amorim's team has been unable to establish consistent form, which has led to inconceivable speculation of a relegation struggle.
Despite this, they were able to secure a point through a hard-fought tie with Liverpool last Saturday, which ended in a score of 2-2. They came close to securing an improbable victory, but Harry Maguire squandered a late opportunity to win the game.
In spite of the spirited performance, United's ongoing form continues to be concerning. This is the fifth game in a row that they have failed to win, and in each of those matches, they have allowed at least two goals to be scored against them.
Furthermore, the Red Devils have not been able to retain a clean sheet in any of their nine games, which further draws attention to the weaknesses in their defensive play.
Arsenal is looking to restore its FA Cup magic, and Manchester United is hoping to start its championship defence on a bright note. This matchup promises to be a high-stakes match because both clubs are keen to prove themselves and regain momentum.
Four o'clock in the afternoon, Nigerian time
On Sunday, January 12, 2025, the date is:
Emirates Stadium