The drawing for the third round of the FA Cup ignited strong reactions among frustrated fans, with some boldly declaring it “rigged.”

The highlight of the third round will feature Premier League giants Arsenal facing off against Manchester United, with the match set to take place over the weekend of January 11 at the Emirates Stadium.

Some angry fans claim the FA Cup draw is 'rigged'

4

Some angry fans claim the FA Cup draw is ‘rigged’
Arsenal drew Manchester United and their rivals are facing lower-league teams

4

Arsenal drew Manchester United while their rivals face lower-league opponents

In contrast, the competitors of Arsenal and United will be playing against lower-league clubs.

Manchester City is set to clash with Salford, Chelsea will take on Morecambe, Liverpool is prepared to face Accrington Stanley, and Tottenham will go up against Tamworth.

Many supporters believe that the imbalance in match quality fuels skepticism about the draw process, which was overseen by former Manchester United stars Mark Hughes and Dion Dublin.

One fan voiced their disbelief on Twitter: “Absolutely f*****g rigged.”

Another added, “That’s fixed. Arsenal vs Utd. I doubt they even mixed them around.”

A third commentator remarked: “Watching the FA Cup draw and what on earth.”

Someone else observed, “City vs Salford. Liverpool vs Accrington. Chelsea vs Morecambe… Arsenal vs United. Naturally.”

Another supporter stated: “Calling it a fix, United gets drawn away to Arsenal while City faces Salford at home and Liverpool meets an effective nobody.”

The draw was conducted at Old Trafford

4

The draw was conducted at Old Trafford
Mark Hughes and Dion Dublin pulled out the balls

4

Mark Hughes and Dion Dublin pulled out the balls

Nonetheless, there is no substantial evidence to back these baseless allegations.

Manchester United clinched the FA Cup title last season with a 2-1 win over rivals Man City at Wembley, a triumph that helped solidify former manager Erik ten Hag’s position.

Arsenal vs Man Utd FA Cup History

With the upcoming clash in the third round of the FA Cup, this will be the 17th face-off between Arsenal and Manchester United in the tournament’s annals.

They have previously met in the finals of 1997 and 2005, with both matches being victories for Arsenal.

The last encounter happened in 2019, where United came out on top.

Overall, Arsenal has claimed six victories, while United has eight, with the two teams drawing twice.

United leads the goal count with 22, compared to Arsenal’s 20 in these matchups.

Wayne Rooney holds the record for the most goals in this fixture, having scored three times against Arsenal in the FA Cup.

Currently, Bukayo Saka is leading Arsenal in scoring with six goals, all from the Premier League.

Bizarre moment man dressed as Elsa from Frozen sings Let It Go karaoke on pitch ahead of FA Cup first-round clash

The Red Devils are set to face the most accomplished team in FA Cup history, as Arsenal boasts a record 14 titles.

However, should Ruben Amorim’s squad triumph, they would match the Gunners’ record.