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The draw for the FA Cup’s third round ignited strong responses from disgruntled supporters, with some going as far as to call it “rigged.”
The highlight of this round features Premier League giants Arsenal facing Manchester United, with the clash set for January 11 at the Emirates Stadium.
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Meanwhile, Arsenal and United’s competitors have been matched up against lower-league teams.
Manchester City is set to play Salford, Chelsea will take on Morecambe, Liverpool will go against Accrington Stanley, and Tottenham is set to face Tamworth.
Numerous fans believe that the uneven nature of these matchups raises doubts about the fairness of the draw, organized by former Manchester United stars Mark Hughes and Dion Dublin.
One fan took to Twitter, exclaiming, “Absolutely f*****g rigged.”
Another user remarked, “That’s fixed. Arsenal vs Utd. I doubt they even mixed them around.”
A third commenter added, “Watching the FA Cup draw and what on earth.”
Someone else pointed out, “City vs Salford. Liverpool vs Accrington. Chelsea vs Morecambe… Arsenal vs United. Naturally.”
Another fan stated: “Calling it a fix, United gets drawn away to Arsenal while City faces Salford at home and Liverpool meets an effective nobody.”
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Despite this backlash, there is no substantiated evidence backing these claims.
Last season, Manchester United captured the FA Cup title with a 2-1 win over rivals Man City in the final at Wembley, a triumph that solidified former manager Erik ten Hag’s position.
Arsenal vs Man Utd FA Cup History
As they prepare for their upcoming third-round match, this clash will be the 17th time Arsenal has faced Manchester United in the FA Cup.
The two teams met in the finals of 1997 and 2005, both of which were won by Arsenal.
The most recent matchup occurred in 2019, resulting in a victory for United.
Overall, Arsenal has won six times, while United has triumphed eight times, with two matches ending in a draw.
United leads in terms of goals scored, with 22 goals to Arsenal’s 20 in these encounters.
Wayne Rooney holds the record as the all-time top scorer in FA Cup matches between the two sides, having netted three goals against Arsenal.
Currently, Bukayo Saka is Arsenal’s top scorer with six goals, all scored in the Premier League.
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The Red Devils are set to play against the most successful team in FA Cup history, as Arsenal has claimed the trophy a record 14 times.
If Ruben Amorim’s team manages to win, they would match Arsenal’s impressive tally.
