THE GAME THAT marked the coming of age of the then-21-year-old Michael Owen who scored both goals for Liverpool in the final seven minutes to turn the game around. The first half had been a slightly turgid affair as the only real bit of action came when Stéphane Henchoz stopped the ball going into the Liverpool net with his hand, but officials never spotted the defender’s foul.
Freddie Ljungberg gave the Gunners the lead with 18 minutes remaining, before Sander Westerveld made a superb point-blank save to deny Thierry Henry putting the game beyond doubt. In the final few minutes, Owen prodded in the equaliser, before using his electric pace to skip away from the Arsenal defence and fire past David Seaman. It was performances such as this that earned him the Ballon d’Or in 2001.
5. Arsenal 3 Hull 2, 2014
Aaron Ramsey celebrates his winning goal in last year's final. EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
Many will say that it was almost a bad thing for Hull to start last year’s final so well, as the prospect of winning the FA Cup became more apparent early in the game, but if they were offered a two-goal head-start before the match, they would have jumped at it.
Curtis Davies and James Chester sent Hull fans into dreamland with goals inside the opening 10 minutes, but it wasn’t long before they were pegged back, as Santi Cazorla scored a smashing free kick to reduce the deficit. Laurent Koscielny eventually equalised with 20 minutes to go and sent the game into extra time. With about 10 minutes left on the clock, Aaron Ramsey made a late run towards the Hull penalty area and drove a shot into the bottom corner to win Arsenal’s first trophy in nine years.
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4. Coventry City 3 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Chris Hughton lined out for Spurs in the 1987 final. EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
Back around the time when Spurs used to actually win quite a few trophies, they were attempting a third capture of the FA Cup in seven years. Coventry had a hugely contrasting history to the Londoners, as this was their first-ever appearance in a domestic cup final.
Clive Allen gave Spurs the dream start inside two minutes with his 49th goal of the season and although Dave Bennett pulled one back for Coventry, they trailed with 30 minutes to go after a Gary Mabbutt goal. Mabbutt became the villain by the end however, as after Keith Houchen had equalised for the sky blues, Mabbutt deflected a Lloyd McGrath cross into his own goal to give Coventry victory.
The prize back then was to play in the Cup Winners’ Cup, but seeing as English teams were not allowed enter European competition following the Heysel disaster, they ended up playing St Mirren in a newly set up Anglo-Scottish Challenge Cup. Only 5000 showed up to the first leg, and the second leg of the game was cancelled.
3. Crystal Palace 3 Manchester United 3, 1990
Ian Wright back in his Crystal Palace days. EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
Back when replays were the norm for FA Cup finals that finished in draws, Palace and United played out an extremely exciting drawn final. A team featuring players such as Nigel Martyn, Andy Gray, Alan Pardew and Ian Wright went into the game as slight underdogs against a Bryan Robson-led Man United.
At what was the first-ever all-seated game played in English football, Gary O’Reilly headed home the opener before Bryan Robson restored parity before half-time. Mark Hughes was on hand to put the Red Devils back into the lead but Ian Wright forced the game into extra time when he scored within three minutes of coming off the bench. Wright then put the Eagles ahead with his second goal, but Hughes was on hand to send the match to a replay with his second strike.
The replay was much less exciting, as United claimed a 1-0 win in a dour affair, and this marked the first major trophy of Sir Alex’s United career.
In what has always been regarded as the Stanley Matthews final, Blackpool managed to claw themselves back from a two-goal deficit in the final quarter of the game. The FA Cup was the major trophy in English football at the time, but it was the one trophy that the legendary Matthews had never won. At 38 years of age, this match represented his last chance.
With 22 minutes remaining Matthews dribbled down the right wing to cross for Stan Mortensen, who finished with aplomb. Mortensen grabbed his hat-trick to level matters in the 89th minute, before Bill Perry fired home the winner deep into stoppage time. Matthews’ performance is regarded as one of the greatest ever in an FA Cup final.
1. Liverpool 3 West Ham 3(Liverpool won 3-1 on penalties), 2006
If the 1953 final is known as the Stanley Matthews final, the 2006 edition belongs solely to Steven Gerrard. A year after inspiring his side to the miracle in Istanbul, Gerrard was at the peak of his powers, as he brought Liverpool back from the brink.
Jamie Carragher’s own goal and a poacher’s finish from Dean Ashton put the Hammers 2-0 up, before Djibril Cisse pulled one back. Gerrard then unleashed a stunning half-volley into the top corner to tie the game up but Paul Konchesky’s looping cross found the top corner of Pepe Reina’s net to put West Ham in pole position.
As the Hammers hung on for dear life, up stepped Gerrard, who released a 35-yard thunderbolt into the bottom corner to bring the game into extra-time. No one remembers what happened after that, but Pepe Reina’s save on Anton Ferdinand’s penalty in the shootout ensured Liverpool would be crowned champions.
Power ranking the 6 best FA Cup finals of all time
Updated at 21.55
6. Arsenal 1 Liverpool 2, 2001
THE GAME THAT marked the coming of age of the then-21-year-old Michael Owen who scored both goals for Liverpool in the final seven minutes to turn the game around. The first half had been a slightly turgid affair as the only real bit of action came when Stéphane Henchoz stopped the ball going into the Liverpool net with his hand, but officials never spotted the defender’s foul.
Freddie Ljungberg gave the Gunners the lead with 18 minutes remaining, before Sander Westerveld made a superb point-blank save to deny Thierry Henry putting the game beyond doubt. In the final few minutes, Owen prodded in the equaliser, before using his electric pace to skip away from the Arsenal defence and fire past David Seaman. It was performances such as this that earned him the Ballon d’Or in 2001.
5. Arsenal 3 Hull 2, 2014
Many will say that it was almost a bad thing for Hull to start last year’s final so well, as the prospect of winning the FA Cup became more apparent early in the game, but if they were offered a two-goal head-start before the match, they would have jumped at it.
Curtis Davies and James Chester sent Hull fans into dreamland with goals inside the opening 10 minutes, but it wasn’t long before they were pegged back, as Santi Cazorla scored a smashing free kick to reduce the deficit. Laurent Koscielny eventually equalised with 20 minutes to go and sent the game into extra time. With about 10 minutes left on the clock, Aaron Ramsey made a late run towards the Hull penalty area and drove a shot into the bottom corner to win Arsenal’s first trophy in nine years.
4. Coventry City 3 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Back around the time when Spurs used to actually win quite a few trophies, they were attempting a third capture of the FA Cup in seven years. Coventry had a hugely contrasting history to the Londoners, as this was their first-ever appearance in a domestic cup final.
Clive Allen gave Spurs the dream start inside two minutes with his 49th goal of the season and although Dave Bennett pulled one back for Coventry, they trailed with 30 minutes to go after a Gary Mabbutt goal. Mabbutt became the villain by the end however, as after Keith Houchen had equalised for the sky blues, Mabbutt deflected a Lloyd McGrath cross into his own goal to give Coventry victory.
The prize back then was to play in the Cup Winners’ Cup, but seeing as English teams were not allowed enter European competition following the Heysel disaster, they ended up playing St Mirren in a newly set up Anglo-Scottish Challenge Cup. Only 5000 showed up to the first leg, and the second leg of the game was cancelled.
3. Crystal Palace 3 Manchester United 3, 1990
Back when replays were the norm for FA Cup finals that finished in draws, Palace and United played out an extremely exciting drawn final. A team featuring players such as Nigel Martyn, Andy Gray, Alan Pardew and Ian Wright went into the game as slight underdogs against a Bryan Robson-led Man United.
At what was the first-ever all-seated game played in English football, Gary O’Reilly headed home the opener before Bryan Robson restored parity before half-time. Mark Hughes was on hand to put the Red Devils back into the lead but Ian Wright forced the game into extra time when he scored within three minutes of coming off the bench. Wright then put the Eagles ahead with his second goal, but Hughes was on hand to send the match to a replay with his second strike.
The replay was much less exciting, as United claimed a 1-0 win in a dour affair, and this marked the first major trophy of Sir Alex’s United career.
2. Blackpool 4 Bolton Wanderers 3, 1953
In what has always been regarded as the Stanley Matthews final, Blackpool managed to claw themselves back from a two-goal deficit in the final quarter of the game. The FA Cup was the major trophy in English football at the time, but it was the one trophy that the legendary Matthews had never won. At 38 years of age, this match represented his last chance.
With 22 minutes remaining Matthews dribbled down the right wing to cross for Stan Mortensen, who finished with aplomb. Mortensen grabbed his hat-trick to level matters in the 89th minute, before Bill Perry fired home the winner deep into stoppage time. Matthews’ performance is regarded as one of the greatest ever in an FA Cup final.
1. Liverpool 3 West Ham 3(Liverpool won 3-1 on penalties), 2006
If the 1953 final is known as the Stanley Matthews final, the 2006 edition belongs solely to Steven Gerrard. A year after inspiring his side to the miracle in Istanbul, Gerrard was at the peak of his powers, as he brought Liverpool back from the brink.
Jamie Carragher’s own goal and a poacher’s finish from Dean Ashton put the Hammers 2-0 up, before Djibril Cisse pulled one back. Gerrard then unleashed a stunning half-volley into the top corner to tie the game up but Paul Konchesky’s looping cross found the top corner of Pepe Reina’s net to put West Ham in pole position.
As the Hammers hung on for dear life, up stepped Gerrard, who released a 35-yard thunderbolt into the bottom corner to bring the game into extra-time. No one remembers what happened after that, but Pepe Reina’s save on Anton Ferdinand’s penalty in the shootout ensured Liverpool would be crowned champions.
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