Biggest upsets in FA Cup history

The FA Cup is known for delivering magical moments year after year, and we take a look at five upsets that shook the footballing world.

5) Burnley 0-1 Lincoln (2017)

Heading into the fifth round, Lincoln had the opportunity to become the first non-league side to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup since 1914, and that is exactly what they did.

Burnley had an XI littered with experience. However, clearly not enough.

A deep corner was guided back into a Burnley six-yard box that was filled with claret and sky blue shirts. Despite this, it was a green shirt who got their head to the ball in the form of Sean Raggett.

Lincoln's central defender headed the ball past Tom Heaton who, despite his best efforts, could not keep the header out.

History was made as Lincoln progressed into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

4) Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Liverpool (2025)

Liverpool's quadruple aspirations were at an all time high heading into their fourth round FA Cup tie with Plymouth, topping the Premier League standings, through to the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League and having already pencilled in a trip to Wembley for the EFL Cup final.

Plymouth, however, sat rock bottom of the Championship, and had won just five league games all season, so victory over Liverpool wasn't to be expected.

In the mix of a title race, the Reds would rest a number of players from their customary starting XI on their travels to Home Park, though would still field the likes of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliot.

The two sides couldn't be separated after 45 minutes, and Plymouth's hopes of causing an upset were growing.

It would take just eight minutes in the second half for the home side to take the lead, with Caoimhin Kelleher diving the wrong way for Ryan Hardie's perfectly executed penalty.

While Miron Muslic's Plymouth displayed immense grit and resilience, Arne Slot's side were unresponsive, failing to create many clear-cut chances. Despite finishing the match with five forwards on the pitch, the Reds still couldn't find the net, exiting the competition in the fourth round for the third time in five years.

A dream come true for Plymouth, as they had defeated Premier League opposition for the second time in the 2024/25 FA Cup campaign after overcoming Brentford in the third round.

3) Wrexham 2-1 Arsenal (1992)

1991 First Division winners Arsenal were seeking more silverware the following season, and most likely thought that Wrexham weren't going to get in the way of their pursuit for the FA Cup.

With just under 10 minutes to go at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham (who were bottom of the fourth tier at the time) needed a miracle to advance into the next round.

With the ever-present magic of the FA Cup, a miracle was served. Mickey Thomas dispatched an outstanding free kick from 25 yards out, just minutes before Steve Watkin sent the Red Dragons into the lead.

They held onto their 2-1 lead and recorded a win they only could have dreamt of before the game.

2) Wigan 1-0 Man City (2013)

Wigan's 2013 FA Cup final victory remains one of the most remarkable stories in English football.

The Latics had failed to win a major trophy in the 81 years preceding the final, and facing a side who had won the cup just two years prior to this contest, not many anticipated what was about to happen.

Shaun Maloney's perfectly weighted corner found the head of Ben Watson, who guided the ball into the top left corner. Watson's goal was enough to hand Wigan their first ever FA Cup trophy.

Astonishingly, relegation from the Premier League that season meant that FA Cup winners Wigan would be playing European football in the Championship the following season.

1) Chelsea 2-4 Bradford (2015)

When the draw for the fourth-round was made, it was assumed that Chelsea would advance to the next round without breaking a sweat.

Despite a comfortable Chelsea win expected, Jose Mourinho fielded a strong side, including the likes of Didier Drogba, Oscar, Gary Cahill and Mohamed Salah.

Cahill and Ramires fired the Blues into a 2-0 lead, before Jon Stead hit back in the 41st minute. While Bradford's goal may have been a first-half scare for Chelsea fans, at this stage, it was only expected to be a consolation.

Bradford, however, had other ideas. Nerves grew inside Stamford Bridge as Chelsea failed to take the game out of Bradford's reach by adding a third goal. Instead, it was the Bantams who next found the net.

As Chelsea aimed to save face by netting a winner, they left the game wide open for Bradford. Bradford took advantage of this and scored not once, but twice, to earn the club a famous 4-2 win and produce one of the competition's biggest upsets, defeating a side 49 places above them in the football pyramid.