SAINTS have been drawn at home to Premiership arch-enemies Tottenham in the third round of the FA Cup.

It will mean the teams locking horns twice in less than a week at St Mary's and will be the first FA Cup tie ever played at the new stadium.

Former Saints manager Glenn Hoddle brings his side to Southampton in the league on New Year's day and then the FA Cup fixture is scheduled for the weekend of January 4/5.

There is still a bitter taste in the mouth of some Saints fans after Hoddle quit Saints for Tottenham last year and also captured defender Dean Richards in an £8.1m deal.

Earlier this season chairman Rupert Lowe admitted there was no ground he would rather win at than Tottenham's.

And Hoddle yesterday joked: "I'll have my tin helmet on twice in four days. They are doing very well so we know it'll be a difficult game."

The match also sees the visit of Robbie Keane who was signed for Coventry by Saints boss Gordon Strachan

History suggests Saints' best chance of progressing to the fourth round would be an outright victory at St Mary's.

They have not beaten Tottenham at White Hart Lane since 1994, losing 2-1 earlier this season.

But Saints have won their last two home matches against Tottenham, beating them 1-0 at St Mary's last season and 2-0 at The Dell the season before.

The teams last met in the FA Cup in 1995, when Saints lost 6-2 in a replay at The Dell with Ronnie Rosenthal blasting a hat-trick.

Six of the 32 FA Cup matches are all top-flight affairs, with Manchester City's game against last season's beaten finalists, Liverpool, one of the most appealing.

Chelsea will face Middlesbrough, Bolton take on Sunderland, Fulham play Birmingham and Aston Villa tackle Blackburn.

Holders Arsenal are at home to Third Division Oxford, while Manchester United will play Pompey - managed by Harry Redknapp, who led West Ham to victory in the competition at Old Trafford in 2001.

The three non-league teams left in the competition were all given away draws.

Morecambe will travel to Ipswich, with Nationwide Conference rivals Dagenham & Redbridge facing a trip to Plymouth and Farnborough heading to Darlington.

The full draw for the third round of the FA Cup is: Leicester v Bristol City; Scunthorpe or Carlisle v Leeds; Gillingham v Sheff Wed; Chelsea v Middlesboro; Ipswich v Morecambe; Preston v Bristol Rovers or Rochdale; Man City v Liverpool; Shrewsbury v Everton; Southend or Bournemouth v Crewe; Plymouth v Dag & Red; Cambridge Utd or Northampton v Millwall; Bolton v Sunderland; Darlington v Farnborough; Walsall v Reading; Fulham v Birmingham; Stoke v Wigan; West Ham v Nottm Forest; Charlton v Exeter; Sheff Utd v Cheltenham; Aston Villa v Blackburn; Cardiff v Coventry; Wolverhamton v Newcastle; Southampton v Tottenham; Norwich v Brighton; Arsenal v Oxford Utd; Grimsby v Burnley; West Brom v Bradford; Rotherham v Wimbledon; Brentford v Derby; Blackpool v Crystal Palace; Man Utd v Portsmouth; Macclesfield v Watford. Ties to be played January 45, 2003.