The FA Cup final has always been a competition many fans look towards seeing their favorite team play as it marks the end of the season for English football.
Subsequently after the final between City and United at Wembley, we look back at some of the most memorable decisions in the competition.
We saw an impossible job being done by Erik Ten Hag who overcame the dominance of City by beating them 2-1 at Wembley Stadium to claim the title.
Table of Contents
Blackpool 4-3 Bolton – 1953
Presume not obtaining any recognition for a hat-trick in a final. Even worse, the game is later called after one of your teammates.
Stan Mortensen, however, undoubtedly wasn’t disappointed since he still won a medal and was heavily involved in one of the greatest FA Cup finals ever.
READ MORE – Bayer Leverkusen Run: The Five Longest Unbeaten Runs Of All-time In Europe’s Top Four Leagues
That day, Stanley Matthews was so excellent that his performance could not be disregarded. Going into the final, Matthews, who had finished second twice in his career, was 38 years old.
One of the most remarkable comebacks in history was completed by Blackpool with two more goals from Mortensen and an injury-time winner from Bill Perry.
The game was dubbed the “Matthe” ‘s Final” forever”r because Matthews set up the winning goal.
Later in the decade, Bolton triumphed when they defeated Man United in the 1958 final.
Liverpool 0- 1 Wimbledon – 1988
Dave Beasant, the Wimbledon goalie, created history by saving a penalty.
Despite their no-nonsense style and team spirit in rising from the Southern League to the top division, the Dons were not given much chance against a Liverpool squad expected to win the double.
Lawrie Sanchez gave the underdogs the lead in the 37th minute as he headed in a Dennis Wise free kick.
“The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club,” said “BC announcer John Motson as Wimbledon celebrated the most unexpected of triumphs as the full-time whistle sounded.
Arsenal 3-2 Manchester United – 1979
For most of the game, which was somewhat ordinary, Arsenal led by two goals to Frank Stapleton and Brian Talbot until the eightieth. It was after that, dubbed the Five-minute Final.
Gordon McQueen restored Man United’s lead but Sammy McIlroy equalized a short while spectacularly after.
The spectacular happenings in front of them, when a final that had seemed lost was suddenly back on level terms, sent the audience into a frenzy.
But it was the briefest of pleasures as Alan Sunderland helped Arsenal recover the lead at the opposite end. A football game is emotional and flow has never been observed to change so quickly.
Coventry City 3-2 Spurs – 1987
Tottenham Hotspur was waging three frontal battles for silverware as they started one of their best-ever seasons.
They faltered in the end, but Clive Allen’s 49-goal total had them on course to become the first English team to win the domestic triple.
But the FA Cup, in which they played Coventry City in the final, offered one last opportunity for triumph.
Spurs, who placed tenth in the league that season, were the overwhelming favorites coming into the game and, due to an Allen goal in the second minute, got off to the ideal start.
But the match was back and forth until one of the best FA Cup goals ever, a diving header by Keith Houchen, gave the Sky Blues a 2-2 lead.
Allen never scored his 50th goal, and Coventry won their first major championship.
That year, Spurs had a chance to be among the greatest outstanding teams ever. Rather, they vanished into the background of one of the most well-known cup shocks.
Tottenham 3-2 Manchester City (replay) – 1981
Tottenham and Manchester City had drawn 1-1 in the 100th FA Cup final, therefore five days later they played a rematch at Wembley.
After Villa pounced on a rebound after eight minutes, City equalized when Steve McKenzie scored a long-range shot.
After Kevin Reeves gave City the lead from the penalty spot, Glenn Hoddle’s pass allowed Garth Crooks to tap in the equalizer for Spurs.
A Villa stroke of wizardry with fifteen minutes remaining won the championship.
Arsenal 3-2 Hull – 2014
With an Aaron Ramsey goal, Arsenal overcame a 2-0 deficit to win a thrilling FA Cup final in extra time and snap their nine-year trophy drought.
Hull had previously upset the Gunners at a sun-baked Wembley when James Chester and captain Curtis Davies scored 2-0 within eight minutes after taking advantage of some shoddy defense from passes into the penalty box.
Arsenal, however, fought and cut the lead thanks to a brilliant 30-yard free kick from Santi Cazorla.
Olivier Giroud of France slammed a header against the crossbar in extra time, but Ramsey pulled off an incredible comeback in the 109th.
Man United 3-3 Crystal Palace – 1990
This storyline, at least; had the Scot not won the FA Cup in 1990.
He would have allegedly been unemployed because of the animosity that certain supporters had against him because of the team’s, which was embodied in the infamous “TA RA “ERGIE” banne”.
When Gary O’Reilly Crystal Palace the lead in the eighteenth minute, Ferguson was undoubtedly under pressure early on.
The upset was on after the South London team had previously shocked everyone that year by eliminating league winners Liverpool in the semi-finals.
However, United was never going to give up so lightly, as Mark Hughes gave the side in white the lead in the second half after Bryan Robson headed in to equalize 10 minutes before the break.
Despite playing only four times in the previous 22 games because of injuries, the striker still could completely change the course of the game.
He sensationally put Palace ahead again two minutes after the restart with back backpost slide.
Wright’s were fruitless in a game that neither side deserved to lose since Hughes scored again to force a rematch. United expertly finished the game 1-0 to win the more subdued return encounter.
Liverpool 3-3 West Ham (AET) – 2006
Taking against the European champions from the previous year, West Ham United would need a little miracle to beat Liverpool in the 2006 Millennium Stadium final. It also seemed as if the gods were beaming at them for a while.
The Hammers stunned the Merseyside team with two goals thanks to howlers from Jamie Carragher and goalie Pepe Reina.
But the favorites called up their vivid memories of Istanbul from the summer before, as Djibril Cisse and Steven Gerrard’s long half-volleyleveledd the score.
However, the Londoners seemed to be enjoying all the luck when a long, looping Paul Konchesky pass wound up in the Liverpool goal.
The cup upset was on, legs tightening up and time running down when Gerrard appeared with another one of his trademark clutch moments.
Unstoppable, the powerful long-range shot flew past the defenseless Shaka Hislop to bring this amazing match into overtime.
Teddy Sheringham and Bobby Zamora were in the squad, but West Ham just lacked the same amount of firepower ihe shootout, and Reina’s of saves helped the Reds prevail on penalties.