Preston North End welcome League One side Charlton Athletic to Deepdale in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
It is the third-tier side who come into the game in better form, with Preston making a poor start to 2025, slipping down the Championship table.
Match preview
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After ending 2024 with wins over Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday, it has not been the start to the new year that Paul Heckingbottom would like to have envisaged.
A defeat at West Bromwich Albion was followed up by a largely disappointing draw at home to Oxford United last weekend, leaving Preston down in 15th.
Therefore, the Lilywhites will hope to replicate their strong performance in the other domestic cup competition this season in order to return to form.
Preston reached the last 16 of the EFL Cup, eventually going down to Arsenal, after beating Sunderland, Harrogate Town and Premier League Fulham on the way.
The last 16 is the furthest they have gotten in the FA Cup in almost six decades though, despite being one of the competition's biggest clubs in its earlier years.
As two-time winners of the competition and six-time runners-up, Preston have now not even reached a final since 1964, with a quarter-final appearance in 1966 being their best performance since, and it was in that season when they last faced Charlton in the FA Cup, winning 3-2 at the Valley.
Even in recent times, Preston have gotten the better of the Addicks, winning the last four head-to-heads, with the most recent coming in the 2019-20 Championship season.
However, since returning to the Championship in 2015-16, and starting each season in the third round, Preston have lost seven of their nine games at this stage.
Charlton are not much better when they get this far either, losing their last four third-round ties, failing to reach round four since 2014.
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That season saw Charlton reach the quarter-finals, their joint-best performance since winning the competition in 1947 - also getting as far in 1994, 2000 and 2006.
Performances so far suggest that Charlton could be one of the dark horses in the competition though, especially after thrashing runaway League Two holders Walsall 4-0 away from home in the last round.
The visitors have scored four or more goals in three of their last four away FA Cup ties - as many as timed as they managed to do so in the previous 73 - also doing so against Southend United in round one.
Results in the league have also improved greatly too, moving into the top half, seven points off the playoffs with two games in hand following a run of form that has yielded 11 points in five games, conceding just twice.
Team News
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Heckingbottom went strong in the EFL Cup earlier this season, fielding almost a full first-choice Preston XI for the trip to Harrogate in particular, so he could do the same here.
The hosts will also be aided by the return of Andrew Hughes, who missed the defeat at West Brom with another minor knock which also kept him out before Christmas, but was fit to start last weekend.
Both Robbie Brady and Brad Potts will face fitness tests to see if they will be available here though, after both picking up issues during the hectic festive period.
Charlton are set to be without Tennai Watson in defence due to injury, but attacker Chuks Aneke did return to make a 10-minute cameo last weekend after almost three months on the sidelines.
Defence is a problem position at present for manager Nathan Jones, with Kayne Ramsay, Zach Mitchell and Dan Potts all doubtful, along with attacker Daniel Kanu.
Preston North End possible starting lineup:
Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Bauer, McCann, Thordarson, Kesler-Hayden; Frokjaer-Jensen, Osmajic, Bowler
Charlton Athletic possible starting lineup:
Maynard-Brewer; Small, Mitchell, Jones, Gillesphey, Edwards; Berry, Coventry, Docherty; Leaburn, Campbell
We say: Preston North End 1-2 Charlton Athletic
Despite being in the division below, Charlton have been taking this competition seriously so far with a superb win over Walsall, and they have been in excellent form in League One.
Preston are lingering in mid-table in the Championship so should field a strong team, but despite an excellent run in the EFL Cup, they could be in for a surprise here.
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Andrew Delaney
