FA Cup
The oldest domestic football competition in the world.
Semi-Finals.
Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal (1999)
Two footballing giants. One epic replay. And a moment of magic that would echo through generations. In the spring of 1999, Manchester United and Arsenal met in the FA Cup Semi-Final at Villa Park. Not just as fierce rivals, but as the dominant forces in English football. United were chasing the treble. Arsenal, the reigning FA Cup champions. David Beckham opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a signature strike curling the ball beyond David Seaman from the edge of the area. However, Arsenal struck back after the break, Dennis Bergkamp levelling with a drive from distance. United were dealt a major blow when captain Roy Keane saw red. Then, heartbreak looked inevitable. Phil Neville brings down Ray Parlour in the box. Arsenal have a penalty. Up steps Bergkamp. Peter Schmeichel dives. A strong right hand kept the ball out the back of the net to send the game to extra time.
Extra-time brought tension, but also one of the greatest solo goals in FA Cup history. In the 109th minute, Ryan Giggs pounced on a loose pass in his own half and charged forward. Gliding past four Arsenal defenders with pace and control before hammering the ball into the roof of the net. Que the iconic celebration. It wasn't just a goal, it was a moment that powered United toward a historic treble and cemented this match as one of the greatest ever played in the competition.
Chelsea 4-2 Tottenham (2017)
A Wembley basked in the sun, two fierce London rivals, and a place in the FA Cup Final on the line. A six-goal thriller stacked with world-class finishes and statement performances. Chelsea started quickly, with Willian opening the scoring with a curling free-kick that left Lloris rooted. Tottenham responded with a Harry Kane glancing header to level things up. Chelsea regained the lead just before the break—Willian again, this time from the penalty spot. Spurs fought back, levelling once more with a brilliant pass from Christian Eriksen, who picked out Dele Alli, timing his run to perfection and applying the finish.
The game swung Chelsea’s way once Eden Hazard came off the bench, scoring the third with a low drive into the corner from just inside the area to put Chelsea 3-2 up. Hazard then turned provider for the final blow, showing quick feet on the edge of the area before passing to Nemanja Matić, who produced one of the great FA Cup goals—a left-foot thunderbolt from distance that cannoned in off the bar. 4-2. Game over.
Crystal Palace 4-3 Liverpool (1990)
Crystal Palace walked into their FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool as massive underdogs. Just a few months earlier, the Eagles had been humiliated 9-0 by the champions-elect at Anfield. A defeat that looked impossible to overturn. Liverpool were cruising towards the league title and a potential double, and this was supposed to be another routine step on their path to glory. For Palace, it was a different script. And at Villa Park, they tore up the form book. When Ian Rush fired Liverpool ahead after just 14 minutes, it looked like the story would stick to the script. But this was the FA Cup, and the magic was just getting started. Steve Coppell’s Palace dug deep. Mark Bright dragged them level. Then, with just 20 minutes to go, Gary O’Reilly scored for Palace giving them an improbable 2-1 lead. Suddenly, the impossible dream was alive. However, Liverpool found a way back into the game first through Steve McMahon, then John Barnes, who swung the tie back in the Reds' favour with less than 10 minutes to play.
But Palace had other ideas. As Liverpool’s defence faltered, Andy Gray pounced to level at 3-3, sending the Palace fans into bedlam and dragging the tie into extra-time. And in extra-time, it was written for a new hero: Alan Pardew. Charging forward for a Palace corner, Pardew headed the ball into the net and the underdogs were in dreamland. Final whistle. Palace 4, Liverpool 3.
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