Manchester United will take on Crystal Palace on May 21st in the 2016 FA Cup final at Wembley, with this the 135th final in the competition’s long and illustrious history.
The match will be a repeat of the 1990 FA Cup final in which Manchester United triumphed over Palace 1-0 in a replay, with the first tie ending in a 3-3 draw. It will be United’s 19th final appearance, with the club bidding to become the joint most successful club in the history of the competition with 12.
They are currently one title behind Arsenal who won the previous two tournaments. Palace, meanwhile, are still searching for their first FA Cup triumph, with the upcoming clash their second ever appearance in the final.
The FA Cup final is one of the most important club games in the English season and one of the most recognisable events in world football. Since the opening of the new Wembley stadium in 2007, there have been nine finals packed with drama and excitement.
Chelsea have been the most successful side at the new Wembley, winning four titles in the nine years. Arsenal have been FA Cup holders since 2014, with minnows Portsmouth and Wigan winning in 2008 and 2013 respectively.
The first final at the new Wembley saw Chelsea take on Manchester United in 2007, with a goal in extra-time from Didier Drogba enough to give Jose Mourinho’s side the title and complete a domestic cup double that season. The Blues had actually won the last ever FA Cup final at the old Wembley seven years before, beating Aston Villa 1-0 in 2000.
Portsmouth defeated Cardiff 1-0 in the 2008 season, with this arguably the most unusual FA Cup final pairing of modern times. Chelsea returned to FA Cup prominence for the next two seasons, beating Everton and Portsmouth respectively to achieve consecutive final wins.
Manchester City, who had not appeared in an FA Cup final since 1981, won the 2011 edition against Stoke, with Chelsea claiming the trophy once again a season later after beating Liverpool in 2012.
Unfavoured Wigan beat Manchester City in 2013 thanks to a dramatic late header from Ben Watson, with the result hailed as one of the biggest ‘cupsets’ of modern times.
Arsenal then went on to win consecutive titles in 2014 and 2015, making them the FA Cup’s most decorated side.
Check out the highlights of the nine FA Cup finals in the new Wembley below:
2015 Final: Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa
2014 Final: Arsenal 3-2 Hull City
2013 Final: Wigan 1-0 Manchester City
2012 Final: Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool
2011 Final: Manchester City 1-0 Stoke
2010 Final: Chelsea 1-0 Portsmouth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DbLHGys-uM
2009 Final: Chelsea 2-1 Everton
2008 Final: Portsmouth 1-0 Cardiff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-v984syjaY
2007 Final: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfFEzZ-JaNM
Click here for Soccerlens’ guide to FA Cup history and records
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