Ace Football presents a detailed look at the most successful clubs in the history of the FA Cup.
Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup) is one of the oldest competitions in football history. Several teams from different tires of English football have won the competition, with over 700 teams participating at least once.
As FA Cup miracles continue to steal the headlines, let’s take a look at the most successful clubs in the competition’s history.
5- Liverpool- 7 FA Cup Titles
As the most successful British club in the Champions League, it is not surprising to see Liverpool among the FA Cup frontrunners. The Reds lost their first two FA Cup finals against Burnley and Arsenal in 1914 and 1950, respectively.
It took them 15 more years to reach another FA Cup final, where they defeated Leeds United 2-1. Following the tragic Heysel disaster in 1985, UEFA banned English clubs from participating in European competitions.
Liverpool used the opportunity to focus more on domestic competitions. They won the FA Cup two more times in 1986 and 1989, beating Everton in both finals. The club’s latest FA Cup title came in 2006 when Steven Gerrard scored an equalizer to send his side into a Cup-winning penalty shootout.
4- Tottenham- 8 FA Cup Titles
Tottenham are the next ‘big six’ team on our list with 8 FA Cup wins. Following the club’s foundation in 1882, the Spurs quickly raised to prominence in the regional competitions. They became the first non-league club to win the FA Cup in 1901.
The Spurs waited 20 years to taste FA Cup glory once again. They defeated Wolves 1-0 in the final to win the trophy for the second time. During the club’s heyday in the 60s, Tottenham managed to win the FA Cup three more times in 1961, 1962, and 1967.
The Spurs have the highest win rate among all the FA Cup finalists. In their nine finals, the north London side has suffered only one defeat, which came against Coventry City in 1987. Tottenham have not won the FA Cup since 1991 when they defeated Nottingham Forest 2-1 in the Wembley final.
3- Chelsea- 8 FA Cup Titles
Similar to Liverpool, Chelsea are famous for their Cup victories. The Blues are the only English side that have won all three of the UEFA trophies: Champions League, UEFA Cup, and the Cup Winners’ Cup.
Chelsea fans spent five decades without trophies after the club’s foundation. However, they were already among the most popular English clubs when they won their first FA Cup title in 1970. The final win against Leeds United was a big statement from the club as they charged toward finding their place among the English football giants.
Twenty-five years after their maiden FA Cup title, Chelsea repeated their success after beating Middlesbrough 2-0 in 1997. The club built on their success during the 2000s, winning the competition four more times. The club’s latest FA Cup win came after a 1-0 win over Manchester United in 2018. The game was the first use of VAR in an FA Cup final.
2- Manchester United- 12 FA Cup Titles
As the most decorated English club, Manchester United have marked their prominence in the FA Cup. The Red Devils played their first FA Cup final in 1909, winning the trophy after beating Bristol City.
United could not repeat their FA Cup success in the next 39 years. Their second trophy came after beating Blackpool 4-2 in their second FA Cup final in 1948. United won the competition five more times before their well-known dominance during the 90s.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side won the FA Cup five times during the 90s while also finishing as runner-ups in 1995. The historic treble in 1999 ended the club’s most glorious decade with a memorable Champions League victory against Bayern Munich. The last time United won the competition was in 2016 when Louis Van Gaal celebrated the trophy two days before his sacking.
1- Arsenal- 14 FA Cup Titles
Arsenal are the most successful team in the history of the FA Cup. The Gunners won the tournament for the first time in 1930 after beating Huddersfield 2-0 in the final. Following their bitter defeat against Newcastle in the 1932 final, the London outfit won the competition four years later.
Arsenal won the FA Cup five more times before their glorious days in the 2000s started. The ‘Invincibles’ started the decade with a stunning FA Cup hat trick after winning the Cup in 2001,2002 and 2003. The unstoppable Gunners won the competition again in 2005 by beating United in the final.
Despite their inconsistent form since the early 2010s, Arsenal have still managed to retain their place as one of the main favourites in the FA Cup. Since 2010, they have won the competition four more times in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2020.
Arsene Wenger have led the Gunners to seven of their 14 FA Cup triumphs, which is the most by any manager in the history of the tournament.
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