Sunderland are in the hat for the FA Cup third round draw, and fans cannot wait to see who they’ll face in the New Year.
With Sunderland’s form in the Championship faltering of late, a cup run could be the perfect remedy to get the fans excited again.
Naturally, finishing as high up the table will be a big priority for Regis Le Bris in his first year in charge at the Stadium of Light.
But, the Frenchman could write himself into Black Cats folklore with a giant killing in the third round of the iconic FA Cup. So, here are some teams Sunderland will be looking for in the draw.
A trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has its benefits
It’s always a tricky one for Championship clubs when it comes to the FA Cup; do you want to play a big team and enjoy the day out, or would you rather face a lower-league opponent and make progress?
Well, if Sunderland want the former, they’d find few away days more tantalising than a trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It’s one of the finest venues in England, and the long journey down to London would be a great adventure for the fans.
On the pitch, Sunderland might even find themselves capable of securing a shock result against a wildly inconsistent Spurs side, in what would be a real statement from Le Bris and his young squad.
Fans will just hope one Sunderland player doesn’t attract too much attention if they do play Tottenham. Anthony Patterson is reportedly wanted by Spurs as they look for goalkeeper cover in January.
Crystal Palace and Wolves are a realistic Premier League test
Now, if Sunderland want to actually test themselves against Premier League outfits where they’d fancy their chances, the likes of struggling Crystal Palace and Wolves would be ideal targets.
Both teams have just nine points each from 13 games this season and are flirting with relegation. Wolves are incredibly poor in defence, and could easily be exploited by the vibrant Sunderland attackers.
Meanwhile, Palace are having issues at the other end, and Sunderland’s well-organised defence would relish the chance to frustrate the likes of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze.
If Sunderland are serious about gaining promotion this season, they’ll have to get acclimatised to doing battle with teams like these, and it would give them a good idea of how far off the standard for Premier League football they really are.
Salford City tie likely to carry commercial reward
The magic of the FA Cup is all about lower league clubs clashing with the bigger teams, and Sunderland are very much one of those sleeping giants that a lot of League Two sides would be eyeing up.
One fan on Twitter/X told James Copley he would love to see Sunderland play “someone in a lower league away from home,” and we know the ideal opponent for that.
Salford City have just made it through to the FA Cup third round for the first time ever, and given Gary Neville’s backing of the club, it’s very likely we’ll see the Manchester-based side get a television spot for their next game in the competition.
Sunderland could benefit from that extra commercial revenue and exposure, while also clashing with a rising threat from the lower leagues if they were to draw Salford. The Black Cats would be hot favourites to win, of course, but they’d have to be wary of becoming a famous scalp.
Sunderland fans fear Newcastle United rematch
Oddly, one team it seems the Sunderland fans really don’t fancy being drawn against is their local rivals, Newcastle United.
The two sides met in the FA Cup third round last season, with the Magpies running away with a 3-0 win at the Stadium of Light.
Ordinarily, fans would surely relish a derby day, but on Twitter/X, a number of fans have echoed the sentiment, “Anyone but the Magpies.” Clearly, the bad memories of last year’s defeat still linger for some Black Cats fans.
Mansfield Town are a bizarre bogey team for Sunderland
You wouldn’t immediately think of Mansfield Town as the kind of team Sunderland would want to avoid, but the Stags have actually got the better of Sunderland twice in the last few years.
In fact, Mansfield dumped Sunderland out of the FA Cup in the first round on November 7, 2020, and then did exactly the same again on November 6, 2021. Both games took place at the Stadium of Light, and both ended in a 1-0 scoreline to the away side.
Of course, it could be a case of third time lucky, especially now Sunderland are playing at a higher level. But, we’re pretty sure the Black Cats fans would rather not take that risk.
The draw for the FA Cup third round takes place on Monday, December 2, 2024, at 7pm. It is being broadcast live on BBC Two and can also be streamed via BBC iPlayer.