Liverpool have been handed one of the toughest fixtures possible in the draw for the third round of the FA Cup, which was made on Sunday lunchtime.
In one of the first ties to be drawn (via Liverpool Echo), the Reds will face an away trip to current Premier League leaders Arsenal, who’ve won this particular competition a record 14 times, most recently in 2020.
With the game set to take place on the weekend of 6/7 January, it’ll be our first away match of 2024, with Newcastle visiting Anfield in league action on New Year’s Day.
It also ensures that Liverpool will face the Gunners at least three times in the space of six weeks, with the FA Cup clash falling in between top-flight meetings on 23 December and 3 February.
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Klopp will be cursing his team’s luck in the cup draw, with theoretically no harder fixture than an away tie against the current leaders of the Premier League.
However, when the teams met in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup two seasons ago, Liverpool prevailed 2-0 in the second leg at the Emirates Stadium en route to winning the trophy.
Also, the Gunners aren’t likely to be overly ecstatic about the prospect of facing a Reds side enjoying a resurgence this season, while we could view the game through the prism of it being an opportunity to eliminate one of the favourites for the trophy and score a huge psychological blow.
It’s certainly the standout tie of the round, and it ensures a blockbuster start to 2024 off the back of the Newcastle clash on New Year’s Day!
#Ep96 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️