Torquay vs AFC Stoneham - FA Cup

Torquay prepare to host AFC Stoneham at the home ground on September 19, 2026, with both sides eager to assert their credentials and claim a result that could define their FA Cup season. That coronation came from City's £116m summer signing Elliot Anderson - and has been hotly debated in the build-up to the Manchester derby Super Sunday showdown at Old Trafford, which you can watch live on Sky Sports.

Both Torquay and AFC Stoneham will be eager to build momentum when they meet in FA Cup. The hosts will be looking to find their rhythm and put a run of results together. AFC Stoneham will travel with intent, knowing that a positive result here could kick-start their campaign. Michael Carrick has spoken on why Marcus Rashford did not feature for Manchester United in the club's most recent pre-season outing.

Set-piece efficiency and transition play often decide fixtures of this nature, and both managers will have been drilling those phases on the training ground. A month before his death, he was also arrested in Arkansas on charges including possession of a controlled substance.

Neither side is short on individuals capable of tilting the balance, and the duel between the two squads' chief creators could prove particularly pivotal. The battle in midfield, where both sides look to control tempo, could prove the decisive arena. Carrick is the ideal man to try and help with that reintegration, having played with the forward at United and coached him when he was on the staff under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Predicting an outright winner is no easy task given how little separates the two sides on paper. The signals point towards a stalemate, with the two sides closely matched across form and standings. A 1-1 draw is easy to envisage. More than just three points is on the line at the home ground — this is a fixture that could shape the narrative of both clubs' seasons. In terms of outgoings, Perri seems closest to an exit, but that will likely have to wait until Trafford's mandated holiday after the World Cup is over or a No 2 arrives.