Preston 1-2 Arsenal: FA Cup third round - as it happened

Full time: Preston 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal scrape through at the last once again after a valiant effort from Preston. Callum Robinson gave Simon Grayson hope of causing another shock but after a succession of first half chances went begging the Gunners took full advantage. Aaron Ramsey scored within a minute of a the restart, before Giroud netted within a minute of the end of normal time. Cruel on Preston, as Arsenal wriggle out of danger once again.

Well that is about all the time we have for on this live text. We'll be back with coverage of all of tomorrow's ties including Liverpool vs Plymouth and Tottenham vs Aston villa. But until then, it's goodbye.

GOAL! Preston 1-2 Arsenal (Olivier Giroud)

Cruel twist of fate for Preston as Arsenal take the lead in the 89th minute. Giroud heads the ball on for Perez, whose delighful backheel is into the Frenchman's path and he steers the ball beyond Maxwell.

Preston essentially down to 10 men for the closing minutes with Ben Pearson suffering from cramp. The home side have made all three subs so the energetic midfielder will have to play through the pain.

Olivier Giroud through he's scored the winner until the flag went up.

Alex Iwobi slaloms through several challenges but his shot it saved easily by Maxwell. Arsenal having all the chances but they can't break through.

Danny Welbeck on for Arsenal, making his first appearance of the season. A welcome return after successive knee injuries. Can he inspire the visitors?

Olivier Giroud celebrates when he thinks is a winner but it won't count. Iwobi clips the ball over the top and Giroud nets on the volley but the flag, correctly, goes up.

Nicely worked corner from Arsenal which almost sees them take the lead. Mustafi meets a near-post corner on the half volley and Maxwell, at the second attempt, makes the save.

Now a booking for Gabriel for leaving his foot in. Game has become a little scrappy in the last few minutes.

Lucas Perez take out by Cunningham, with a hard challenge, which is punished with a yellow card. Simon Grayson not happy but Robert Madeley was adamant.

Paul Gallagher off and Alan Browne on for Preston. First throw of the dice by Simon Grayson. Not been a great start to the second half for the home side.

Here is how Aaron Ramsey pegged back Preston inside a minute of the first half.

Arsenal barely deserve to have restored parity but they have the leveller and Simon Grayson will be devastated, given the amount of chances they created in the first half. Can they weather this storm at the start of the second period?

Ramsey smashes home to draw Arsenal level.

GOAL! Preston 1-1 Arsenal (Aaron Ramsey)

The Gunners take just 48 seconds to equalise at the start of the second half. Aaron Ramsey has space to shoot from 20 yards and it flies past a rooted Maxwell.

Arsenal out early for the second half. Preston have now joined them. Can the Championship convert this position?

Half time: Preston 1-0 Arsenal

Simon Grayson is 45 minutes away from claiming a second FA Cup giant-killing, with his Preston side leading Arsenal but one goal to nil. Callum Robinson got the goal, but in truth it could be two, three or four with a gargantuan amount of chances falling the way of the home side. Arsenal have been rubbish, absolutely rubbish.

Gabriel will need stitches to leave Arsenal will 10-men for the twilight of the first half. Can Preston take advantage?

Blood pouring from the head of Gabriel after a challenge with Hugill, who is booked for his trouble. Arsenal begging for half time.

David Ospina gets the free kick to cut short Preston celebrations as he is floored. A second goal is only what the home side deserve though, and they'll be slightly disappointed they only lead by one.

What is going on at the back for Arsenal. They're a complete mess and Presto once again go within inches of a second goal. Paul Gallagher clips the ball over Ospina, after an exchange with Hugill but Monreal clears it off the line.

For all Preston's pressure, Arsenal should be level. Giroud and Ramsey combine by Paul Huttington get a foot in before Maxwell blocks the follow-up effort. Now Giroud cross across goal but Iwobi can't get onto the ball.

Callum Robinsonn celebrates putting Preston ahead against Arsenal.

Arsenal are being torn apart on Twitter, just as Vermijl comes in on a McGeady cross and volleys wide.

Now Ospina spills Pearson's shot behind for a corner. No issue picking who the Premier League side are here, they're playing in white. Arsenal look distinctly average.

How did Preston not score again! Gabriel and Mustafi are all over the place and Robinson gets free, crosses by Hugill can't convert the cross. The pass is slightly overhit by Robinson it must be said as Preston carve open Arsenal again.

Preston almost double the lead. Hugill crosses brilliantly and Robinson is in position again, but his goalbound header is blocked, by the arm, of Mustafi.

Callum Robinson springs free on the left but is wrongly given offside by the linesman on the near-side. Fortunate for Arsenal, who have been desperately slow getting out of the blocks here.

First opening for Arsenal as they scythe through Preston down the left but Lucas Perez's cross is over-hit. Can't help but come this start to the one against Bournemouth in mid-week, when they didn't get going until the 70th minute.

A recap on that Preston goal by Callum Robinson.

Both teams enter the field of play before kick-off.

GOAL! Preston 1-0 Arsenal (Callum Robinson)

And early goal and it comes for the Championship side. McGeady's pass catches out Monreal who can only direct the ball across his own area where Robinson is on hand to tuck the ball beyond Ospina. Stunning start for Simon Grayson's men.

Aaron Ramsey hits a cross which is aimless and doesn't pick out a single Arsenal player. Big night for the Welshman, who has not scored this season and was incredibly poor against Bournemouth in mid-week.

Olivier Giroud tries one from 40 yards after Preston give the ball away in their own half, but Maxwell makes the easiest save he will have to make this afternoon.

Players out and we're about to get going in this final third round tie of the first Saturday of 2017. Will it be Preston or Arsenal in the hat for the fourth round? Updates on the way.

Millwall and Lincoln City have provided the FA Cup shocks so far in the third round; can Preston join them? Kick-off fast approaching at Deepdale.

So can Simon Grayson repeat history against a Premier League giant? As manager of Leeds United, he beat Manchester United at Old Trafford via a Jermaine Beckford goal. Arsenal are just as vulnerable tonight, and Grayson will be hoping lightning can strike twice.

Not a good day for QPR. We may have an upset editor-in-chief come Monday morning.

The game at Deepdale will go ahead despite early mist around Lancashire.

Arsenal have never lost in the FA Cup third round under Arsene Wenger, who has already won the trophy six times. It's a stunning record but it is on the line this evening.

Good news from Deepdale that the mist has lifted and we will have a game as Preston host Arsenal. Thank goodness, I didn't have any alternative plans.

Full times across the country in the third round. Five Premier League clubs have been eliminated including Swansea City, Stoke City, Bournemouth, West Brom and Everton.

Daryl Horgan joined Preston from Dundalk in mid-week and he is named in the squad for the first time this afternoon. Could be the FA Cup giant-killer on third round weekend?

So Arsenal make five changes from the draw with Bournemouth. David Ospina, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Gabriel, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lucas Perez come in for the visitors. Not the wholesale changes we perhaps anticipated but some big names miss out.

Arsenal team is in ahead of schedule.

Teams should be with us in a matter of minutes, but how are we expecting both sides to line up?

Jermaine Beckford is suspended for Preston and Marnick Vermijl is doubtful with a groin injury. But Aiden McGeady and Paul Gallagher are both available after injury.

Arsenal could ring the changes for this third round tie. Kieran Gibbs, Per Mertesacker, Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin are out through injury, while Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny and Alexis Sanchez will be rested.

The mist has descended at Preston, but the game is not in doubt yet.

In case you missed it, here is a chance to catch up with the events of the lunchtime kick-off where Manchester United thrashing Championship side Reading. But the headlines belong to Wayne Rooney who equalled Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time goalscoring record of 249 with the opening goal. You can read about all the goings on at Old Trafford here.

Of course we're about mid-way through the 3pm kick-offs in the FA Cup third round, and we'll have updates on some of the key ties as the second halves progress. The likes of Everton, Southampton and West Brom are in action, alongside some of the like of non-league Stourbridge and Sutton United.

If Arsenal's Premier League title hopes were all-but extinguished in mid-week, and their hopes looking bleak in the Champions League ahead of facing Bayern Munich in the last 16, the FA Cup represents the Gunners' best chance of silverware this season. But their campaign starts with a tough trip to Championship opposition.

Preston North End have a long and illustrious history in this competition, having twice lifted the trophy in 1889 and 1938, while on five occasions they have finished as runners-up - the last coming in 1964. Furthermore, manager Simon Grayson has experience of having orchestrated a giant-killing after leading Leeds United to victory at Manchester United in 2010. Who's to say he can't repeat the feat?

All the build-up and team news on the way ahead of the 5:30pm kick-off.