The Football Association Challenge Cup (often simply abbreviated as the FA Cup) is one of the oldest football competitions in the world. In fact, many readers will be surprised to discover that the first event was held during the 1871-1872 season. Considering the age of the FA Cup, many unique scenarios have occurred over the years. There were even instances when teams within lower divisions were able to walk away with the title. Let’s take a quick look at some unique examples that have made their way into the annals of football history.
West Ham Versus Arsenal
This is arguably the most well-known upset, as it occurred in 1980 and is still discussed well into the present. At the time, Arsenal were the reigning FA Cup holders and they had already placed fourth within the First Division. West Ham was far behind, settling for a rather humble seventh pace within the Second Division. This is why it was quite an upset when The Hammers walked away with a 1-0 victory over The Gunners.
Sunderland Versus Leeds
In terms of live FA Cup matches, this is yet another one for the books. This competition took place in 1973 and Leeds was highly favoured to win (they currently held third place within the top-flight division). On the other hand, Sunderland AFC were the underdogs and few believed that they possessed the mettle to overcome such a formidable adversary. Naysayers were nonetheless proved wrong when Sunderland topped Leeds with a final score of 1-0. The last time that such a Second Division upset occurred was as far back as 1931. Furthermore, Sunderland would have to wait for nearly 50 years before another cup win (the 2021 EFL trophy).
Wigan Versus Manchester City
This relatively recent example clearly illustrates that predicting the outcome of an FA Cup is far from straightforward. Wigan left much to be desired in terms of their 2013 Premiere League performance. After finishing near the bottom of the league table, they were relegated to the Second Division. On the other side of the coin, Manchester City was largely favoured to claim the FA Cup. Fans were therefore shocked when Wigan came from behind in order to finish the competition with a 1-0 win over The Blues. As if to add insult to injury, Man City manager Roberto Mancini was fired only two days later; clearly signalling that management was extremely frustrated with the ultimate outcome.
The “Giant Killers”
All of these instances have given rise to the phrase “giant killer”, as the illustrate that even powerful clubs can be toppled during the FA Cup. Still, lower division upset victories are nonetheless extremely rare and even the most seasoned analysts have been taken aback by such upsets. The main takeaway point here is that football is unpredictable in nature and one of the reasons why it enjoys such a loyal fan base.
