Since it first began nearly 150 years ago, the FA Cup has been the stage for some incredible matches that have become an iconic part of English football’s heritage replayed countless times on televisions all over the world. The following list of FA Cup games, in our opinion are the ‘Top 10 Matches of All Time’ and great examples of the magic that this famous competition can weave when it is least expected.
10. Arsenal vs Manchester United (1979, FA Cup Final)
Venue: Wembley, London (Attendance: 99,219)
Match Referee: Ron Challis (Kent)
|
Arsenal |
3 – 2 |
Manchester United |
|
Talbot 12’ |
McQueen 86’ |
|
|
Stapleton 43' |
McIlroy 88' |
|
|
Sunderland 89' |
|
|
Line-ups: |
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|
Blackpool |
Bolton Wanderers |
||||
|
GK |
1 |
Pat Jennings |
GK |
1 |
Gary Bailey |
|
RB |
2 |
Pat Rice (c) |
RB |
2 |
Jimmy Nicholl |
|
LB |
3 |
Sammy Nelson |
LB |
3 |
Arthur Albiston |
|
CM |
4 |
Brian Talbot |
CM |
4 |
Sammy McIlroy |
|
CB |
5 |
David O'Leary |
CB |
5 |
Gordon McQueen |
|
CB |
6 |
Willie Young |
CB |
6 |
Martin Buchan (c) |
|
RM |
7 |
Liam Brady |
RM |
7 |
Steve Coppell |
|
CF |
8 |
Alan Sunderland |
CF |
8 |
Jimmy Greenhoff |
|
CF |
9 |
Frank Stapleton |
CF |
9 |
Joe Jordan |
|
CM |
10 |
David Price |
CM |
10 |
Lou Macari |
|
LM |
11 |
Graham Rix |
LM |
11 |
Mickey Thomas |
|
Subs: |
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|
DF |
12 |
Steve Walford |
DF |
12 |
Brian Greenhoff |
|
Managers: |
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|
Terry Neill |
Dave Sexton |
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Match Summary
The final match on this rundown of the 'Top 10 Best FA Cup Matches of All Time' is also broadly regarded as the most exciting finish to an FA Cup Final that has ever taken place hence it's tagline as 'The Five-Minute Final'. Arsenal and Manchester United have always had an undertone of a fierce rivalry throughout their histories so when they met in the 1979 match at Wembley, the watching world was expecting sparks to fly. Unfortunately, neither side could really get a grip on the game but The Gunners somehow found themselves 2 – 0 to the good at half-time with goals from Talbot and Irish talisman Frank Stapleton. However, when McQueen pulled a goal back for The Red Devils in the 86th minute, the match suddenly exploded into life. A dramatic equaliser followed less than two minutes later when McIlroy dribbled past a couple of Arsenal players to put the Manchester United fans into joyous celebrations and dreaming of a winning goal or extra-time. The unexpected happened though as a great dribble from Liam Brady split straight through the now adrenaline-fuelled United midfield to set up Rix for a cross from the left that Alan Sunderland poked into Bailey's nets to unbelievably give Arsenal a last-minute winning goal. It was a breathless ending that is forever remembered by FA Cup aficionados and aptly completes this list of the best FA Cup matches.
9. Blackpool vs Bolton Wanderers (1953, FA CUP Final)
Venue: Wembley, London (Attendance: 100,000 approx.)
Match Referee: B. M. Griffiths (Newport)
|
Blackpool |
4 – 3 |
Bolton Wanderers |
|
Mortensen 35’, 68', 89' |
Lofthouse 2’ |
|
|
Perry 90 +2' |
Moir 39’ |
|
Bell 55' |
|
Line-ups: |
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|
Blackpool |
Bolton Wanderers |
||||
|
GK |
1 |
George Farm |
GK |
1 |
Stan Hanson |
|
RB |
2 |
Eddie Shimwell |
RB |
2 |
John Ball |
|
LB |
3 |
Tommy Garrett |
LB |
3 |
Ralph Banks |
|
RH |
4 |
Ewan Fenton |
RH |
4 |
Johnny Wheeler |
|
CH |
5 |
Harry Johnston (c) |
CH |
5 |
Malcolm Barrass |
|
LH |
6 |
Cyril Robinson |
LH |
6 |
Eric Bell |
|
OR |
7 |
Stanley Matthews |
OR |
7 |
Doug Holden |
|
IR |
8 |
Ernie Taylor |
IR |
8 |
Willie Moir |
|
CF |
9 |
Stan Mortensen |
CF |
9 |
Nat Lofthouse |
|
IL |
10 |
Jackie Mudie |
IL |
10 |
Harold Hassall |
|
OL |
11 |
Bill Perry |
OL |
11 |
Bobby Langton |
|
Subs: |
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|
N/A |
N/A |
||||
|
Managers: |
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|
Joe Smith |
Bill Ridding |
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Match Summary
One of the most famous FA Cup Final's of all time, 'The Matthews Final' is still fondly remembered nowadays and will always have a place in the greatest matches ever played. It was a seven-goal epic that had it all - the only FA Cup final to feature a hat-trick, the first football match attended by the reigning monarch Elizabeth II, a last minute equaliser and an injury-time winner, the first football match considered for a major TV audience – but is known in the majority for the performance of Blackpool winger Stanley Matthews. The famous winger inspired his Blackpool team to come back from 3 – 1 down to win 4 – 3 and finally claim the trophy after being on the runners-up side twice in the previous five years. Stan Mortensen's second goal of his three was laid on a plate to him after a terrific cross from Matthews before Mortensen's free-kick in the 89th minute equalised for Blackpool. With only seconds remaining, Matthews teased his way down the right wing, as he had done so many times in his career, and delivered the perfect cross for Bill Perry to score the winning goal with a low shot into the Bolton net. Apparently, even in defeat, Bolton's star striker Nat Lofthouse (who scored the opening goal of the final) stood and applauded Matthews for the virtuoso display of skills he showed in claiming the title for his beloved Blackpool.
8. Tottenham Hotspur vs Leeds United (2010, FA Cup Fourth Round)
Venue: White Hart Lane, London (Attendance: 35,750)
Match Referee:Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)
|
Tottenham Hotspur |
2 – 2 |
Leeds United |
|
Crouch 42' |
Beckford 52', 90 +6' (pen.) |
|
|
Pavlyuchenko 75' |
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Line-ups: |
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|
Tottenham Hotspur |
Leeds United |
||||
|
GK |
1 |
Heurelho Gomes |
GK |
1 |
Casper Ankergren |
|
RB |
2 |
Alan Hutton |
RB |
2 |
Jason Crowe |
|
LB |
3 |
Gareth Bale |
CB |
3 |
Patrick Kisnorbo |
|
CB |
19 |
Sebastian Bassong |
CB |
26 |
Leigh Bromby |
|
CB |
20 |
Michael Dawson (c) |
DM |
5 |
Michael Doyle |
|
CM |
8 |
Jermaine Jenas |
CM |
8 |
Neil Kilkenny |
|
CM |
14 |
Luka Modric |
CM |
14 |
Jonny Howson (c) |
|
RM |
21 |
Niko Kranjcar |
CM |
16 |
Bradley Johnson |
|
LM |
25 |
Danny Rose |
LB |
22 |
Andrew Hughes |
|
CF |
15 |
Peter Crouch |
CF |
9 |
Jermaine Beckford |
|
CF |
18 |
Jermaine Defoe |
LF |
23 |
Robert Snodgrass |
|
Subs: |
|||||
|
GK |
27 |
Ben Alnwick |
GK |
36 |
Alan Martin |
|
DF |
16 |
Kyle Naughton |
DF |
17 |
Lubo Michalik |
|
DF |
30 |
Dorian Dervite |
DF |
32 |
Aidan White |
|
MF |
12 |
Wilson Palacios |
MF |
7 |
David Prutton |
|
MF |
24 |
Jamie O'Hara |
MF |
18 |
Andy Robinson |
|
CF |
9 |
Roman Pavlyuchenko |
CF |
10 |
Luciano Becchio |
|
CF |
10 |
Robbie Keane |
FW |
13 |
Mike Grella |
|
Managers: |
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|
Harry Redknapp |
Simon Grayson |
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Match Summary
After sensationally knocking out Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Third Round of 2010, Leeds United's reward was an equally tough tie at high-flying Tottenham Hotspur in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup that year. Simon Grayson's League One team were ranked forty-one places below Spurs in league terms but had one of the country's in-form strikers, Jermaine Beckford, and some talented youngsters in their side. Likewise, Spurs had their own stars in future Real Madrid 'galacticos' Gareth Bale and Luke Modric and ran Leeds ragged in the first half to be one-nil up through Crouch's goal. A vociferous away support were giving Leeds a 'twelth man' mentality however and they equalised soon after the break when that man Beckford scrambled in a close-range goal. Counter-attack after counter-attack came from Redknapp's side so Ankergren had to be at his best to make saves from Defoe and Modric before Pavlyuchenko struck to put Spurs ahead. Leeds were not done though and amazingly took the tie to a replay when Beckford smashed in a superb penalty in the 6th minute of stoppage time in front of the Yorkshire fans who celebrated wildly as it was virtually the last kick of the match. The match between Spurs and Leeds has been discussed for decades amoungst both sets of fans on many social blogs and forums including www.spurscommunity.co.uk
7. Sheffield Wednesday vs Sheffield United (1993, FA Cup Semi-Final)
Venue: Wembley, London (Attendance: 75,364)
Match Referee: Kelvin Morton (Suffolk)
|
Sheffield Wednesday |
2 – 1 (a.e.t) |
Sheffield United |
|
Waddle 2’ |
Cork 44’ |
|
|
Bright 108' |
|
|
Line-ups: |
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|
Sheffield Wednesday |
Sheffield United |
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|
GK |
1 |
Chris Woods |
GK |
1 |
Alan Kelly |
|
DF |
2 |
Roland Nilsson |
DF |
2 |
Kevin Gage |
|
DF |
3 |
Nigel Worthington |
DF |
3 |
Dane Whitehouse |
|
MF |
4 |
Carlton Palmer |
MF |
4 |
John Gannon |
|
DF |
5 |
John Harkes |
DF |
5 |
Brian Gayle (c) |
|
DF |
6 |
Viv Anderson (c) |
DF |
6 |
John Pemberton |
|
MF |
7 |
Danny Wilson |
MF |
7 |
Franz Carr |
|
MF |
8 |
Chris Waddle |
MF |
8 |
Mitch Ward |
|
CF |
9 |
Paul Warhurst |
CF |
9 |
Alan Cork |
|
CF |
10 |
Mark Bright |
CF |
10 |
Brian Deane |
|
MF |
11 |
John Sheridan |
MF |
11 |
Glyn Hodges |
|
Subs: |
|||||
|
FW |
12 |
David Hirst |
MF |
12 |
Jamie Hoyland |
|
MF |
14 |
Graham Hyde |
FW |
14 |
Adrian Littlejohn |
|
Managers: |
|||||
|
Trevor Francis |
Dave Bassett |
||||
Match Summary
The 'Steel City' derby between Wednesday and United was always a feisty affair as you would expect from a city that had two major clubs. In 1993 though it took on a new significance as both teams from Sheffield went on fantastic FA Cup runs before fate took control and they were ominously drawn against each other in the Semi-Final. Due to an obviously high demand for tickets, the FA changed the venue of the match from Leeds' Elland Road to Wembley and were not disappointed as it staged one of the most colourful and atmospheric matches of the 90s. After only two minutes, Wednesday's 'wing wizard' Waddle scored a sublime curling 30-yard free-kick before The Blades even had to chance to settle down. United equalised just before half-time when bearded veteran Alan Cork snuck a shot under Woods as the red and white half of Wembley willed the ball to cross the line and into the net. The match was played at a frentic pace but neither side could grab a winner so it went into extra-time where striker Mark Bright popped up in the 108th minute with a near-post header to send The Owls fans crazy. Wednesday held on to book their place in the final whilst Bassett's Blades could only hold their heads high after a heroic effort fell just short.
6. Sutton United vs Coventry City (1989, FA Cup Third Round)
Venue: Borough Sports Ground, London (Attendance: 8,000 approx.)
Match Referee: Alf Buksh (London)
|
Sutton United |
2 – 1 |
Coventry City |
|
Rains 42’ |
Phillips 52’ |
|
|
Hanlan 59' |
|
|
Line-ups: |
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|
Sutton United |
Coventry City |
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|
GK |
1 |
Trevor Roffey |
GK |
1 |
Steve Ogrizovic |
|
DF |
2 |
Robin Jones |
DF |
2 |
Brian Borrows |
|
DF |
3 |
Tony Rains (c) |
DF |
3 |
David Phillips |
|
DF |
4 |
Nigel Golley |
DF |
4 |
Steve Sedgley |
|
DF |
5 |
Vernon Pratt |
DF |
5 |
Brian Kilcline (c) |
|
MF |
6 |
Paul Rogers |
DF |
6 |
Trevor Peake |
|
MF |
7 |
Mickey Stephens |
MF |
7 |
Dave Bennett |
|
MF |
8 |
Phil Dawson |
MF |
8 |
David Speedie |
|
FW |
9 |
Lennie Dennis |
FW |
9 |
Cyrille Regis |
|
FW |
10 |
Paul McKinnon |
FW |
10 |
Lloyd McGrath |
|
MF |
11 |
Matthew Hanlan |
MF |
11 |
David Smith |
|
Subs: |
|||||
|
DF |
12 |
Steve Bangs |
FW |
12 |
Keith Houchen |
|
Managers: |
|||||
|
Barrie Williams |
John Sillett |
||||
Match Summary
It is a very rare occurrence in the FA Cup for a non-league team to have the tactical nous, resources, playing talent, fitness and fortune to be able to beat a league team. It is virtually impossible for this to happen when the league team in question is from the top division in domestic football. It did though, and still does, happen occasionally when the 'magic' is in the air and one of the most famous of these times was when lowly Sutton United beat First Division Coventry City in 1989. Coventry themselves had been the underdogs when they amazingly won the cup just nineteen months prior but when Sutton captain Tony Rains headed the Conference team into a one-nil lead, The Sky Blues started to panic. Parity was restored in the second half as Phillips equalised to give the away fans ca