David Artell says that the magic of the FA Cup is very much alive as he takes his Crewe Alexandra side to Ewood Park on Sunday. The Alex boss is aiming for a major cup upset against the League One side so we could land ourselves a bumper tie in round three against one of football’s elite clubs.

Artell, who faced the likes of Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea in the FA Cup during his own playing days, says that being in the hat for round three always creates a huge buzz.

Artell said: “There are no points up for grabs on Sunday but there is a chance to get into the third round and the financial rewards that could come with that. It will be a really tough game but in a two horse race you always have a chance. We believe we can go there and cause an upset.

“People talk about the magic of the FA Cup and I’m not sure how many of them will be there on Sunday but rest assure whoever gets through will be watching the draw to see who they get in the third round.

“Whoever gets Manchester United or any of the other big clubs will be talking about the magic of the FA Cup then. For me it is the greatest cup competition in the world and we want to be in the hat.”