FA Cup giant killings - the third round upsets to watchout for

DAZN

Published by Lonan Sheldrake

10, Jan

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The FA Cup Third Round is one of the highlights of the footballing calendar, and this weekend will be no different as the world's oldest cup competition takes centre stage.

It's the time of year when the 'Magic of the Cup' produces games and performances that live long in the memory, and the competition has been famous for some of the most memorable giantkillings in football history.

From Ronnie Radford's iconic goal against Newcastle to when fourth division Wrexham dumped First Division champions Arsenal out of the competition in 1992.

The Welsh outfit managed the feat again to kick off the round, dispatching Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest on penalties on Friday night.

Now, ahead of the rest of this weekend's action, DAZN News pinpoints the likeliest places we might see an upset in this season's FA Cup third round...

FA Cup Third round potential upsets

Derby County vs Leeds United

Leeds play Derby County, where 13th in the Championship meets a team suddenly impressing in the top flight. Leeds' recent run has seen them beat Chelsea 3-1 and Crystal Palace 4-1, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin bang in form as one of the Premier League's hottest strikers.

The Championship side are no strangers to beating Leeds and have a credible record against the Yorkshire side, winning 21 of their 41 fixtures against the club.

Derby will also take heart in Leeds' recent FA Cup third round woes, where they needed a replay to beat Cardiff City last season, and have lost to lesser sides in the early rounds in recent memory like Newport County in 2018, QPR, Crawley Town, and Sutton United. calvert-lewin-20251228-getty-ftr Stu Forster/Getty Images

Leeds, who are not out of the relegation battle yet, and are sitting in 16th in the Premier League, will likely look to rest players, seeing the competition as less important than leaguesurvival. Whereas for Derby, who are not in a play-off scrap or worrying about relegation, will relish a cup run.

Giant-killing ranking: 3/5 - Home advantage gives Derby a chance, especially with Leeds likely to rotate.

West Ham vs QPR

West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo_29092025 Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

West Ham have suffered a dismal campaign this far, sitting firmly in the relegation zone and seven points behind the team above them. This will give QPR all the confidence, knowing West Ham will rotate their squad, with their eyes on staying in the Premier League.

West Ham's defence has struggled this season, conceding the most goals in the Premier League, with 41 in only 21 matches, and if they are going to rest any of their starting defenders against QPR on Sunday, things could get worse for the Hammers.

QPR have shown a much more attacking style of play this year, with only four teams scoring more goals than them in the Championship and will bring over 9,000 fans to the London Stadium as they look to overturn the worst FA Cup Third Round record in all of English football.

Giant-killing rating: 3/5 - West Ham's recent woes include becoming the first team to lose to Wolves this season and another bad result could signal the end of Nuno Espirito Santo. The opening goal will be key in this one, and if Rangers strike first, then it could be a nasty afternoon for the Premier League side.

Liverpool vs Barnsley

The Reds have endured a mixed season by their own high standards, with Arne Slot's men unlikely to defend the Premer League crown they claimed under the Dutchman last season as they struggle through a number of issues.

Nevertheless, they will hope to be back on top for this latest tussle with lower-tier opposition as they welcome struggling League One side Barnsley - but the spectre of history looms large over this one for those seeking an upset.

In 2008, Barnsley made it all the way through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, losing to Cardiff City - but dispatching Liverpool in the fifth round en-route thanks to Brian Howard's late stunner. Conor Hourihane's Tykes will be plotting a similar result here.

Giant-killing rating: 2/5 - The likelihood of an upset here is svelte at best, even with Liverpool's dysfunctional approach to the 2025-26 domestic campaign. But if Barnsley can keep concession for more than an hour, they'll only grow their self-belief for what would be a monumental shock.