We take a look at some of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history.
There’s no doubting what the biggest story of Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round fixtures has been – a stunning victory for League One outfit Bradford City at Stamford Bridge, with Phil Parkinson’s side coming from two goals behind to secure an astonishing 4-2 victory.
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The FA cup is famed across the world for its propensity to throwing up shock results, however, so we’ve taken a look at how some of the competition’s biggest shocks line up alongside Bradford’s win:
Chelsea 2-4 Bradford City (2015)
It was an astonishing day at Stamford Bridge today as Bradford City, with their run to the League Cup final two years ago still fresh in the memory, came from two goals behind to stun Jose Mourinho’s Premier League leaders. All looked well for Chelsea in the first half, but Bradford’s physicality began to cause chaos in a makeshift back line for the hosts and they were punished late on when fine goals from Andy Halliday and Mark Yeates secured a famous win.
Hereford United 2-1 Newcastle United (1972)
Possibly the game that defines the FA Cup’s history of shocks came in 1972, when minnows Hereford United beat the mighty Newcastle United in front of a raucous Edgar Street crowd. Newcastle led before Ronnie Radford came up with one of the seminal FA Cup moments, leathering a shot into the top corner from 30 yards, before Ricky George bundled home in extra time to send Edgar Street wild.
Leicester City 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers (2001)
Leicester City may not be the biggest club ever to fall foul of an FA Cup shock, but they were flying high in the Premier League when lower league side Wycombe Wanderers stunned them in a classic 2001 quarter final. The narrative surrounds the man who scored a late winner, Roy Essandoh, a striker who had only been signed days earlier after manager Lawrie Sanchez put out a plea on teletext.
Sutton United 2-1 Coventry City (1989)
Until Luton Town’s win at Norwich City in the competition two years ago, the last time a Premier League team were felled by non-league opposition was in 1989 when Coventry City were slayed by Sutton United in the ramshackle surrounds of Gander Green Lane in South London. Goals from Tony Rains and Matt Hanlan were enough to secure what was, at the time, a seismic upset against the recent cup winners.
Manchester United 0-1 Leeds United (2010)
Leeds beating Manchester United would not have been a major shock for most of footballing history – but in 2010 things were different, as Simon Grayson’s side visited Old Trafford as a lowly third division outfit. They made a mockery of the huge gap between the sides, however, and clung on to a famous 1-0 victory after given an early lead by Jermaine Beckford in front of the Stretford End.
Wrexham 2-1 Arsenal (1992)
Arsenal were no strangers to lifting cups during George Graham’s time as manager in the early 1990s, but one of their defining results came in a tricky FA Cup tie against Football League basement side Wrexham. The Welsh outfit caused the Gunners all manner of problems on an awful pitch and came back from behind to secure a stunning 2-1 victory.
Bournemouth 2-0 Manchester United (1984)
A young, fresh faced Harry Redknapp was in the dugout for Bournemouth as they stunned Ron Atkinson’s giants of Manchester United in 1984, with goals from Milton Graham and Ian Thompson enough for the Cherries to pull off a genuinely astonishing result and send Dean Court into raptures.
Liverpool 1-2 Barnsley (2008)
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was left ashen faced in 2008 as his side were humbled by Championship side Barnsley on the Tykes’ incredible run to the semi-finals. The Yorkshire club came from behind to win at Anfield, with Stephen Foster cancelling out Dirk Kuyt’s opener before a fine striker from Brian Howard, in front of the Kop, gave them a truly memorable win.