Ranking the 10 biggest upsets in FA Cup history | OneFootball

10 biggest upsets in FA Cup history

'The magic of the FA Cup', is a saying that is used repeatedly when a new year begins as the top teams enter the competition in round three. The famous competition never fails to disappoint, and always throws up a cup upset each season, with lower-ranked sides determined to make an impression and write their club's name into the history books.

Some of the biggest names in English football have suffered a giant-killing or two, and it's what makes the FA Cup one of the best cup competitions in world football. The unique stories the competition creates are hard to find anywhere else in the world of football. And now, GIVEMESPORT has taken a look at ten of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.

Ranking factors

Some teams have ranked higher in the rankings due to not only producing a giant-killing, but lifting the FA Cup at the end of it. A cup upset in an earlier round, while unforgettable, will rank lower than the sides that have gone on to lift the trophy. So with that all in mind, here are the ten biggest upsets in FA Cup history.

10 Stoke City 2 Blyth Spartans 3

Fourth Round, 1978

Six years before this, Stoke City were celebrating lifting the League Cup and involved in a UEFA Cup tie against Ajax. However, come 1978, the tables had very much turned. The Potters were playing their first season outside the top division for fifteen years, and it only got worse for them with a defeat against the only non-league side left in the competition, Blyth Spartans.

The game was postponed twice due to a waterlogged pitch, and once the game did go ahead, the visitors were well-prepared for the occasion. Terry Johnson gave Blyth a first-half lead, but second-half goals from Viv Busby and Garth Crooks looked to have sent Stoke on their way. Steve Carney scrambled home an equaliser to drag Blyth back into the tie before Johnson volleyed in the winner two minutes from time, to send the away supporters barmy, with Blyth progressing into the fifth round of the FA Cup.

9 Oldham Athletic 3 Liverpool 2

Fourth Round, 2013

Liverpool paid Oldham the ultimate respect by fielding a strong side that included Luis Suarez, Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge, and had little to fear against a League One outfit that had lost seven of their previous eight games. The FA Cup provided a distraction from Oldham's struggles in the league, and Matt Smith's brace either side of a fine solo goal from Suarez gave the home side a 2-1 lead and sent the home crowd into dreamland.

Reece Wabara extended Oldham's lead at Boundary Park before Joe Allen pulled one back for the visitors. They had to endure some nervy moments before securing their place in the fifth round, with Steven Gerrard smashing the crossbar to leave Oldham supporters' nerves jangling. The home side managed to hold on for a famous win and their reward was another home tie against Merseyside opposition, Everton. Oldham forced a replay before finally being beaten at Goodison Park. Their triumph over Liverpool however, stands the test of time.

8 Sutton United 2 Coventry City 1

Third Round, 1989

This upset gets bigger and bigger as time goes by. At the time, Coventry were in Division One and had lifted the FA Cup just 18 months earlier. Sutton though brought them back down to earth with a bang when Tony Rains gave the home side a half-time lead. Coventry weren't to be denied and showed their quality with a superb counter-attacking equaliser, finished off by David Phillips seven minutes into the second half.

Matthew Hanlan volleyed home to retake the lead for a determined Sutton who would eventually see out the game. Coventry's defeat remained the only time a non-league side were victorious over a top-flight team in the competition until Luton Town beat Norwich City in 2012/13. Sutton's reward for dumping Coventry out of the FA Cup was an 8-0 thrashing at the hands of Norwich in the fourth round.

7 Wrexham 2 Arsenal 1

Third Round, 1992

Wrexham hosted then English top division champions Arsenal in the third round, in a tie many thought would only go one way, and it certainly wasn't to the side propping up the Division Four table. Alan Smith gave Arsenal a lead, and thoughts turned to an FA Cup hammering, but in the true style of this crazy competition, Wrexham turned the tie on its head.

Mickey Thomas scored an outrageous free-kick 10 minutes from time before Steve Watkin headed in a late winner for Wrexham - a tale that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney would be proud of. The victory is still spoken about today, and it is unsurprisingly featured in the documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'.

6 Manchester United 0 Leeds United 1

Third Round, 2010

Leeds United were having a torrid time of it, and were relegated five years before this fixture, and were plying their trade in the third tier of English football. Due to Leeds' demise, the fierce rivals had not faced each other in quite some time until the FA Cup draw worked its magic once again.

It was dubbed the tie of the round due to its history and the circumstances at the time of the fixture. There were 42 places separating the two sides, and an infamous Jermaine Beckford goal gave Leeds a notable victory over their arch-rivals. The victory was made all the more sweet for the Whites as it was the first time Manchester United had ever lost in the Third Round of the FA Cup. It was also the first time ever under Sir Alex Ferguson's management that the club had been beaten by a lower-division side, representing the sheer scale of what Leeds had done.

5 Norwich City 0 Luton Town 1

Fourth Round, 2013

In today's world, this result wouldn't have had the same amount of traction and shock. However, in 2013, Norwich City were in the Premier League, while Luton Town were battling it out in the Conference, and all the odds were stacked against them ahead of this game. Nobody gave the visitors a chance.

The game was tightly contested and the visitors kept themselves in the game throughout, before Scott Rendall's 80th-minute strike sent the whole of Luton into dreamland. The goal was a decisive one and it meant the club became only the seventh side to reach the fifth round from non-league after the Second World War.

The records continued to tumble though, with it also being the first time a non-league side had been victorious over a top-flight team in 24 years, and the first time a non-league team had beaten a side from the Premier League. It's an upset that is right up there with one of the biggest, but also one that has arguably been played down over time due to Luton Town's rise up the leagues.

4 Chelsea 2 Bradford City 4

Fourth Round, 2015

At the time Chelsea were top of the Premier League in Jose Mourinho's second spell in charge of the club and were well on their way to lifting the league title. Bradford weren't given a chance against Chelsea and those early predictions looked accurate as the home side eased to a 2-0 first-half lead thanks to goals from Gary Cahill and Ramires.

Jon Stead's fine finish gave the visitors a little hope, but there was still a feeling of inevitability that Chelsea would go on to win the tie. However, former Chelsea youngster, Felipe Morais, turned the game on its head as he pulled the visitors level. It only got better for Bradford as Andrew Halliday put the visitors ahead for the first time in the game.

Didier Drogba and Kurt Zouma then went close to breaking Bradford's hearts, but Stead set up Mark Yeates to cement a wonderful victory for the visitors and a stunning comeback win. Bradford faced another Premier League side in the fifth round in the shape of Sunderland and caused another upset before being eliminated by Reading in the quarter-finals.

3 Hereford 2 Newcastle United 1

Third Round, 1972

A result still talked about to this day. This is ranked as one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history due to the lengths Hereford went to secure the famous win. The home side had earned a replay after an impressive 2-2 draw at St James' Park, and the Southern League side saw their replay postponed three times due to awful weather conditions.

The pitch was horrendous, incredibly muddy following the weather conditions that had previously caused the game to be postponed, and it perhaps played into Hereford's hands. However, the visitors thought they had scraped through with a win when Malcolm Macdonald headed Newcastle into an 82nd-minute lead. It would take something special for Hereford to turn this tie around so late on, and what came certainly was special.

Ronnie Radford lashed a venomous strike from all of 30 yards to pull the home side level. It sparked a huge pitch invasion following the full-time whistle, with extra time still to play. Ricky George's expert finish completed the historic comeback, and it's quite something that his goal is somewhat forgotten even though it sent the home side through. Radford's goal is still shown every time the FA Cup comes around.

2 Manchester City 0 Wigan Athletic 1

Final, 2013

This was just over a year after Sergio Aguero scored his infamous goal to clinch Manchester City their first Premier League title in dramatic fashion. There was hope and an expectation that City would ease to victory against Wigan who were facing relegation from the relegation after a troubled season in the league.

The build-up to the game wasn't ideal for City, as it was dominated by the news circulating that Manuel Pellegrini was set to replace Roberto Mancini as manager. Wigan, despite riding their luck in the final took advantage of City's nerves. Pablo Zabaleta saw red, to give Wigan more hope of pulling off a famous win.

Ben Watson was the hero for Wigan as he headed home from a corner, to send Wigan fans potty. Wigan managed to hold on for the win and cement themselves in FA Cup history. The following seven days saw changes for both sides, with Wigan's relegation from the Premier League confirmed and Pellegrini's arrival as City manager.

1 Liverpool 0 AFC Wimbledon 1

Final, 1988

On the surface, this doesn't look like a huge upset - at the time, Wimbledon were seventh in England's top-flight, while Liverpool sat top, so not a huge gulf by any means. But this was an upset like no other. Wimbledon were famous for their rough and ready style, literally battering their way up the football pyramid.

Liverpool played a completely different style of football, easy on the eye, and for most neutrals, the main reason to back the Reds. Liverpool were a dominant force in the 80s, and Kenny Dalgish's side had romped to the Division One title and hoped to add the FA Cup to their trophy haul. Wimbledon had other ideas and Lawrie Sanchez's header gave his side a half-time lead.

Despite their best efforts, there was no way back for Liverpool. Dave Beasant became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty during a Wembley FA Cup Final, saving John Aldridge's strike from the spot. Following the full-time whistle, BBC commentator John Motson famously said "The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club." And there you have it. The FA Cup's greatest ever upset.