FA Cup Football

Greatest FA Cup Fifth Round Upsets

FA Cup Fifth Round

The FA Cup Fifth Round is where teams start dreaming of lifting the famous trophy at Wembley Stadium.

If a lower league side reaches this stage, it is often lauded as a sizeable football achievement – and rightly so.

And due to the fact it is not always the big boys playing each other in the Fifth Round, there have been a number of shocks down the years.

So, read on as NetBet takes you through five of the biggest upsets in history…

Southampton 1-2 Grimsby (2023)

The most recent example of a FA Cup Fifth Round upset saw Grimsby reach the quarter-finals against all the odds.

No one gave the League Two side a chance against the Premier League outfit at St Mary’s, but the ‘Magic of the Cup’ reared its head once again.

Two penalties from Gavan Holohan put Grimsby 2-0 ahead and although Duje Caleta-Car pulled one back, the visitors managed to hold on.

Absolute scenes on the South Coast!

Burnley 0-1 Lincoln City (2017)

Another match involving a team which was struggling at the foot of the Premier League table at the time.

But even so, no one foresaw Lincoln pulling off a victory at Turf Moor to become the first non-league side to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals in 103 years.

And the win came under the most dramatic of circumstances, Sean Raggett scoring in the 89th minute of play as Lincoln just about held on to the lead while under enormous pressure in stoppage time.

Lincoln went on to lose 5-0 to eventual winners Arsenal at the Emirates, but their 2016-17 FA Cup journey will never be forgotten!

Liverpool 1-2 Barnsley (2008)

Liverpool looked to be cruising into the quarter-finals when Dirk Kuyt put them 1-0 ahead at Anfield.

But Rafa Benitez’s side, who perhaps had their minds more focused on other matters, were powerless to stop a sensational second-half comeback from Barnsley.

The Championship side at the time equalised just after the interval through Stephen Foster, which set us up for a grandstand finish.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Brian Howard scored a sublime long-range winner to stun the footballing world and spark scenes of pure joy in the away end.

Arsenal 0-1 Blackburn (2013)

Arsenal in cup competitions during 2012-13 was a pretty sorry story.

After exiting the Carabao Cup in the quarter-finals to Bradford, the Gunners suffered a demoralising home defeat to Blackburn.

A late goal from Colin Kazim-Richards was enough to secure a memorable victory for the Championship side.

It was a result that pretty much summed up the end of the Arsene Wenger era at the Emirates, with the Gunners having 12 shots on target but unable to find the back of the net.

Colchester 3-2 Leeds (1971)

An FA Cup Fifth Round shock from a few years back!

Fourth Division Colchester somehow managed to secure a memorable victory over Don Revie’s Leeds in what remains an all-time classic.

Amazingly, Colchester stormed into a 3-0 lead but were pegged back to 3-2 courtesy of goals from Norman Hunter and Michael Giles.

But the minnows held on for a victory that is still heralded in the present day.

 

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