- Coming up live and exclusive on ESPN and ESPN HD: Arsenal v Aston Villa, Brighton v Newcastle United, and, Watford v Tottenham Hotspur
- Live FA Cup Third Round Replay: Leicester City v Nottingham Forest
ESPN will bring you live and exclusive coverage of the FA Cup Third Round Replay on Tuesday 17th January as Leicester City face Nottingham Forest. The replay between East Midlands rivals Leicester City and Nottingham Forest is set to be a close affair: the first match ended 0-0, following a 2-2 draw in their league encounter earlier this season.
- The FA Cup Fourth Round will see a triple bill of live action on ESPN over three consecutive days, starting with high flying Tottenham’s visit to Vicarage Road to play Watford on Friday 27th January. The eight-time FA Cup winners travel the short distance across London to Watford to face the npower Championship side after dispatching Cheltenham Town 3-0 in the last round. The Hornets, meanwhile, will hope to recreate some of their illustrious FA Cup past: they recently reached the semi-finals in 2003 and 2007, and, 1984 saw them reach the final, where they narrowly lost to Everton.
- Next up, on Saturday 28th January, Brighton & Hove Albion play Newcastle United at home. The Magpies have won the FA Cup six times, the last being in 1955, plus two consecutive final appearances in 1998 and 1999.
- ESPN’s final match of the Fourth Round weekend will see Arsenal, who saw off Leeds United in the Third Round for the second year running, following a late, dramatic Thierry Henry winner upon his return to the club, face fellow Barclays Premier League side Aston Villa on Sunday 29th January live on ESPN. Both Arsenal and Aston Villa have a strong pedigree in the FA Cup with 17 Cup wins between them. But whereas Villa last won the competition in 1957, Arsenal dominated the competition in the last decade with victories in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
ESPN will broadcast 25 live and exclusive FA Cup matches this season, from the First Round through to the Final, ensuring you won’t miss any of the competition’s unique drama and storylines. As well as selected replays through the tournament, ESPN will televise three matches up to fifth rounds, two quarter-finals, one semi-final and the FA Cup Final for each of the next three seasons.
Coming up on ESPN and ESPN HD
- FA Cup Third Round Replays on ESPN
Tuesday 17th January from 7pm - FA Cup Live – Leicester City v Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest may see this match as a respite from their on-going league struggles against possible relegation. Leicester City meanwhile will be banking on a good run in the competition to aid their push for the playoff berths in the npower Championship.
- FA Cup Fourth Round on ESPN
Friday 27th January from 7pm - FA Cup Live – Watford v Tottenham Hotspur
Watford host Spurs at Vicarage Road as the Hornets look to give their fans some cheer, after an indifferent start to the season has left them only a few places above the relegation zone in the npower Championship. Tottenham, meanwhile, will be brimming with confidence as their quest for the Barclays Premier League title gathers pace.
Saturday 28th January from 4.30pm - FA Cup Live – Wrexham/Brighton & Hove Albion v Newcastle United
The winners of the Third Round Replay between Wrexham and Brighton know that a home tie against Barclays Premier League side Newcastle United awaits them in the next round. Newcastle United have surprised many this season, with a series of outstanding displays – most notably their recent 3-0 win over Manchester United – and will see the FA Cup as an excellent chance to secure their first major trophy in over 40 years.
Sunday 29th January from 3.30pm - FA Cup Live – Arsenal v Aston Villa
After a poor start to the campaign – by their own standards – the Gunners have improved in the league and will be buoyed by Thierry Henry’s emotional return to the club on loan. Aston Villa will be looking for some respite from their inconsistent form in the Barclays Premier League. However, with only two losses away from home this season, Villa will arrive at the Emirates in upbeat mood.
The FA Cup on ESPN, ESPN Classic and ESPN.co.uk
ESPN’s live TV coverage of the FA Cup will be led by Ray Stubbs with commentator Jon Champion and reporter Rebecca Lowe live from the games themselves. From a custom-built set, all coverage will come live from the game, capturing the environment and adding a further dimension to broadcasts.
ESPN Classic will offer up a range of classic FA Cup programming before and during every round in the tournament proper featuring classic FA Cup matches and special documentaries on the world’s oldest domestic cup competition. Get ready for the action with FA Cup Corner, airing on the morning of each weekend cup tie, to re-live those moments of triumph and despair. As the tournament progresses, ESPN Classic will also broadcast matches involving the teams who will feature in each round.
ESPN.co.uk, ESPN’s news and information portal, will offer football fans in the UK extensive online coverage of the FA Cup including live scores, match reports and special features. ESPNsoccernet.com also supplies users access to a network of club bloggers. Both sites will also offer video highlights of selected FA Cup matches plus access to Extra Time, an online extension of ESPN’s televised FA Cup coverage. On mobile, fans can access all of the best content from ESPNsoccernet on the move.
