STOKE CITY have been handed a huge incentive to overcome Crystal Palace in their FA Cup third round replay . . . with the possibility of a re-run of the 2011 FA Cup Final at the Britannia Stadium later this month.
Tony Pulis’ side would face a home tie with Manchester City in the fourth round if they can beat Palace next week.
City launched their 2013 FA Cup campaign with a goalless draw at the Championship high-flyers, meaning that they went into the hat for the fourth round draw which was made at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
Should they defeat Palace in next week’s replay, it would be the third time in four seasons that the Potters have come up against Roberto Mancini’s side.
On their route to the quarter finals in the 2009-10 season, they beat the Citizens in a Britannia Stadium replay after drawing with them at the Etihad Stadium.
But Mancini’s men did, of course, shatter City’s hopes of FA Cup glory in their first-ever appearance in the Final courtesy of a solitary goal from Yaya Toure.
The fourth round ties would be played over the weekend of January 26th and 27th.
Full FA Cup fourth round draw:
Norwich City v Luton Town
Oldham Athletic v Mansfield Town/Liverpool
Macclesfield v Wigan/Bournemouth
Derby County v Blackburn Rovers
Hull City/Leyton Orient v Barnsley
Middlesbrough v Aldershot
Millwall v Aston Villa
Leeds United/Birmingham City v Tottenham Hotspur
Brighton v Swansea City/Arsenal
Crystal Palace/Stoke City v Manchester City
West Ham United/Manchester United v Fulham/Blackpool
Southend/Brentford v Chelsea
Reading v Sheffield United
QPR/West Brom v Sheffield Wednesday/MK Dons
Huddersfield Town v Leicester City
Bolton/Sunderland v Cheltenham/Everton