Middlesbrough faced Bristol City away in the third round of the FA Cup, the same tie they faced in the fourth round the previous year. Prior to the match, many pundits were predicting that the game could see a shock result with Bristol City winning. After 18 minutes it seemed they might be right as Boro conceded a sloppy goal to Liam Fontaine, but the Premier League side fought back, with goals from Stewart Downing and David Wheater giving Boro a 2–1 victory.