Arsenals FA Cup final upsets
The Arsenal have heralded the FA Cup more times (14) than any other football team in England.
The Gunners last lifted the FA Cup in 2020 in Mikel Arteta’s first season at The Emirates, when we came back from an early goal to knock down Frank Lampard’s Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley.
Despite this impressive record The Gunners have slipped up in seven finals.
These are the following FA Cup finals The North Londoner’s have lost, some you’ll be able to remember and some before your time!
1927
Arsenal appeared in their first ever FA Cup final in 1927 against Cardiff City who had already lost in the final two years previously 1-0 versus Sheffield United. Herbert Chapman’s players would struggle to live up to the occasion, losing late on to a Hugh Ferguson strike which was partially let in by accident by the elbow of Dan Lewis in goal after struggling to hold the shot. The Cup was then paraded back to Wales for the one and only time in the history of the competition following the Bluebirds 1-0 victory.
Road to the final:
Third Round, Sheffield United 2-3 Arsenal
Goalscorer’s: James Brain, Charlie Buchan, Joe Hulme
Fourth Round, Port Vale 2-2 Arsenal, replay Arsenal 1-0 Port Vale
Goalscorer’s during first game: Brain, Buchan
Goalscorer’s for replay: Buchan
Fifth Round, Arsenal 2-0 Liverpool
Goalscorer’s: Brain, Buchan
Quarter-finals, Arsenal 2-1 Wolves
Goalscorer’s: Billy Blyth, Jack Butler
Semi-finals, Arsenal 2-1 Southampton
Goalscorer’s, Hulme, Buchan
1932
After having only won the tournament two years previously for the first time in history against Huddersfield Town, Chapman’s Gunners boiled under pressure this time round. Bob John handed Arsenal the opener after a quarter of an hour gone on the referees watch, Jack Allen then equalised for the Magpies before the break before snatching the eventual 2-1 winner with 18 minutes to go. Controversy ruined Arsenals hopes of silverware, Newcastle’s winger Jimmy Richardson crossed the ball after it went out of play to Allen who ended up scoring the leveller. The official stated at the time that the ball had not run out of play, but later on through the use of photographic technology, it was obvious the ball was not in play when crossed!
Road to the final:
Third Round, Arsenal 11-1 Darwen
Goalscorer’s: David Jack (3), Hulme (2), Cliff Bastin (4), Jack Lambert (2)
Fourth Round, Arsenal 4-2 Plymouth Argyl
Goalscorer’s: Lambert (2), Hulme and own goal
Fifth Round, Portsmouth 0-2 Arsenal
Goalscorer’s: Bastin, Hulme
Quarter-finals, Huddersfield Town 0-1 Arsenal
Goalscorer’s: Herbie Roberts
Semi-finals, Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
Goalscorer’s: Bastin
1952
Two decades later after having already lost to Newcastle once in an FA Cup final, the same happened again! A late finish from Chilean International George Robledo gifted The Tynesider’s the FA Cup again (1-0), with Thomas Whittakers’ Arsenal rather distraught. A year later though they would pick up the First Division!
Road to the final:
Third Round, Norwich City 0-5 Arsenal
Goalscorer’s, Don Roper, Peter Goring, Doug Lishman (2), Jimmy Logie
Fourth Round, Arsenal 4-0 Barnsley
Goalscorer’s: Reg Lewis (3), Lishman
Fifth Round, Leyton Orient 0-3 Arsenal
Goalscorer’s: Lewis, Lishman (2)
Quarter-finals, Luton 2-3 Arsenal
Goalscorer’s: Freddie Cox (2), Arthur Milton
Semi-finals, Arsenal 3-0 Chelsea
Goalscorer’s: Cox (2), Lishman
1972
Road to the final:
After having just won the double the season prior Bertie Mee’s Arsenal were the current Cup holders after beating Liverpool 2-1 in 1971 at Wembley. They would struggle to retain their honour with the all conquering Leeds United of the 1960s and early 1970s just about dismantling The Gunners 1-0. Allan Clarke jumped up with the winner in front of 100,000 spectators eight minutes into the second half with his close range header. This was the only time that Leeds have won the competition, ever!
Third Round, Swindon 0-2 Arsenal
Goalscorer’s: George Armstrong, Alan Ball
Fourth Round, Arsenal 2-1 Reading
Goalscorer’s: Pat Rice and own goals
Fifth Round, Derby 2-2 Arsenal, replay Arsenal 0-0 Derby, second replay Arsenal 1-0 Derby
Goalscorer’s: original game Charlie George (2), second replay Ray Kennedy
Quarter-finals, Orient (Leyton Orient) 0-1 Arsenal
Goalscorer’s: Alan Ball
Semi-finals, Arsenal 1-1 Stoke, replay Arsenal 2-1 Stoke
Goalscorer’s: original game, George Armstrong, replay, George, John Radford
1978
It was Arsenals first appearance in the FA Cup final since their earlier beating six years beforehand to Don Revie’s “dirty” Leeds United. Terry Neil’s men would suffer again at the hands of their opposition (Ipswich) with Bobby Robson in charge who would later take England to the World Cup semi-finals in 1990. After 77 minutes of fighting Roger Osborne flew in the 1-0 winner from inside the Arsenal box with no mercy.
Road to the final:
Third Round, Sheffield United 0-5 Arsenal
Goalscorer’s: Malcolm Macdonald (2), Davod O’ Leary, Frank Stapleton (2)
Fourth Round, Arsenal 2-1 Wolves
Goalscorer’s: Macdonald, Alan Sunderland
Fifth Round, Arsenal 4-1 Walsall
Goalscorers: Stapleton (2), Sunderland, Macdonald
Quarter-finals, Wrexham 2-3 Arsenal
Goalscorers: Macdonald, Sunderland, Willie Young
Semi-finals, Arsenal 3-0 Orient (Leyton Orient)
Goalscorers: Macdonald (2), Graham Rix
1980
The occasion marked Arsenals third consecutive FA Cup final on the trot which would see only one win come in 1979 versus Manchester United 3-2 in dramatic fashion. In the 1980 final West Ham’s Sir Trevor Brooking scored the goal which would win the East Londoner’s their latest FA cup (1-0) after only 13 minutes in ferocious style.
Route to the final:
Third Round, Cardiff 0-0 Arsenal, replay Arsenal 2-1 Cardiff
Goalscorer’s: replay, Alan Sunderland (2)
Fourth Round, Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
Goalscorer’s: Sammy Nelson, Brian Talbot
Fifth Round: Bolton Wanderer’s 1-1 Arsenal, replay Arsenal 3-0 Bolton
Goalscorer’s: original game, Frank Stapleton, replay Sunderland (2), Stapleton
Quarter-finals, Watford 1-2 Arsenal
Goalscorer’s: Stapleton (2)
Semi-finals: Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool, first replay 1-1 Liverpool, second replay Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool, third replay Arsenal 1-0 Liverpool
Goalscorers: first replay, Sunderland, second replay Sunderland, third replay Talbot
2001
Arsene Wenger would go onto win a record seven FA Cups however it could’ve been eight had The Gunners not let go against Liverpool. After a tough first half in the final, Freddie Ljungberg came out of his shell to hand Arsenal the opener after 72 minutes but in the final seven minutes a young Michael Owen came into his own netting twice to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory for Liverpool.
Route to final:
Third Round, Carlisle 0-1 Arsenal
Goalscorer: Sylvain Wiltord
Fourth Round, QPR 0-6 Arsenal
Goalscorer’s: Christopher Plummer Own goal, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Wiltord (2) ,Matthew Rose
Fifth Round, Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea
Goalscorers: Thierry Henry, Wiltord (2)
Quarter-finals, Arsenal 3-0 Bolton
Goalscorer’s: Wiltord, Pires, Tony Adams
Semi-Finals, Arsenal 2-1 Spurs
Goalscorer’s: Pires, Patrick Vieira
Liam Harding
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