The Emirates FA Cup Third Round Draw was made on Monday evening and it was a fairly plum tie for Paul Warne’s Rotherham United side.
The Millers, who currently sit in 20th in the Sky Bet Championship, will face Premier League Champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on the weekend of Saturday 5 January 2019.
City are managed by Pep Guardiola and the Rotherham United faithful sing their own song about “Warne-iola” as a tribute to their own manager’s work after he guided them to promotion back to the Sky Bet Championship, during his first full spell as manager of the club.
The tie will see Warne come face to face with Guardiola for a second time in the space of two months after the pair met at an awards ceremony in Manchester in November.
The tie at the Etihad is likely to be played on Sunday 6 January or Monday 7 January due to two reasons:
- Manchester City’s arch rivals and near neighbours Manchester United have also been drawn at home.
- Manchester City play at home to Liverpool in the Premier League on Thursday 3 January for Sky Sports coverage.
When the two sides come head to head in January it will be the first meeting between them both since the 2001-02 season in the Football League Division One.
The clash on Saturday 23 March 2002 took place at Millmoor with Manchester City midfielder Ali Benarbia cancelling out Striker Alan Lee’s opener for the Millers.
Earlier the same season, Saturday 24 November 2001 at Maine Road, Rotherham defender Chris Swailes gave the Millers a 24th minute lead before City midfielder Christian Negouai equalised two minutes before the break and with two minutes before the end midfielder Ali Benarbia scored the winner for City in a 2-1 triumph.
The two sides have met in the FA Cup before in the third round during the 1978-79 season, the game at at Main Road on 15 January 1979 the clubs shared a goalless draw which meant a replay at Millmoor just two days later and City ran out 4-2 winners in the replay.
A date for the fixture is yet to be finalised and we will bring it to you via social media when it is confirmed.
Picture Credit: Rotherham United
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