The 2024/25 FA Cup is down to the quarter-final stage after the last 16 concluded on Monday, 3rd March. It has been a strange year in the competition, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Newcastle all failing to make it to the last eight. The Gunners, Chelsea and Spurs have won this competition a massive 30 times between them, with 17 of those wins coming since Spurs triumphed in 1991.
It is unusual, certainly in recent times, to have none of the capital’s finest three clubs still involved at the quarter-final stage. Returning to the notion that this is a funny year for the FA Cup, Preston North End, the sole non-Premier League club left in the competition, have made the quarters for the first time since 1966. Moreover, Man City are the only really high-class club in the last-eight lineup and they have had more than their fair share of problems this year.
That means that the other teams may never get a better chance of lifting the FA Cup. Someone will have to beat City, but if Pep Guardiola’s men do get knocked out – and they face a tough test away at Bournemouth – then the trophy really will be there for the taking.
Eight Remaining Teams
Of the eight remaining teams, Bournemouth, Brighton, Fulham and Crystal Palace have never lifted the FA Cup before. It may be surprising that Fulham and Palace have never won this competition but with them meeting in the quarters, one of them is guaranteed a semi-final place. Given City’s many issues this term no side would view Pep’s men as invincible and so this really is a great chance for one of those smaller, less illustrious London teams to get their hands on the trophy.
They will join a fairly lengthy list of London teams in lifting the FA Cup if they manage to have success in three more rounds. Obviously we have already discussed the biggest and most successful of those, but how many of the capital’s teams have managed to get their hands on this massively important domestic cup?
Arsenal Are the Most Successful FA Cup Team Ever
Whilst North West giants Man United and Liverpool lead the way in terms of top-flight league title successes, it is the Gunners who have lifted the FA Cup more times than any other club. Arsenal have an astonishing 14 FA Cup wins to their name, meaning they are one ahead of Man United and six clear of three teams who all have eight wins.
The Gunners claimed their first win in 1930 and their most recent in 2020 and in total they have made the final a massive 21 times (Man United have played in a record 22 finals). In the past 30 years or so they have been particularly successful, winning the competition on nine occasions since 1993, with seven wins this millennium.
Chelsea and Spurs Both Have Eight Wins
Chelsea and Spurs, plus Liverpool, are the three clubs tied in third place in terms of overall FA Cup successes with eight each. Tottenham’s last success came in 1991, exactly 90 years after their first. Remarkably they have been decidedly un-Spursy in finals, winning eight of the nine in which they have appeared. Their win percentage in finals is far and away the best of any club to have won at least six FA Cups.
Chelsea’s eight victories, the most recent of which came in 2018, have come from almost twice as many finals. The Blues have made the showpiece game 16 times, with only Arsenal and Man United appearing in more FA Cup finals. Chelsea’s wins have been particularly condensed too, with their first success only coming relatively recently, in 1970. In fact, seven of their victories have come since they beat Middlesbrough in the final in 1997.
Wandering Who Has Best Win Percentage in Finals?
Only one team with more than two FA Cup victories has a 100% record in finals and that is another of the capital’s competition winners, the no-longer existing Wanderers. Initially called Forest Football Club and based in Leytonstone, they were founded in 1859 and ceased to exist in 1887.
Their history was short and sweet though, and they won the FA Cup five times, in 1872, 1873, 1876, 1877 and 1878. Their win in 1872 was the FA Cup’s first season, giving them a place in the record books thanks to their 1-0 win over the Royal Engineers, an army team based in Kent.
Happy Hat-Trick for Hammers
West Ham won the FA Cup three times between 1964 and 1980 in what was a golden era for them. They beat Preston North End to claim the cup for the first time, with a team led by Bobby Moore, and also featuring Geoff Hurst, who scored in the final, and managed by Ron Greenwood. Their second success came in 1975, when they beat Fulham 2-0 in the big game, with their most recent victory courtesy of a 1-0 win over Arsenal in 1980, club legend Trevor Brooking getting the decisive goal.
Three Clubs Boast a Win Each
Three other London teams, one no longer with us, one sort of still here, and the other fully functioning, have won the FA Cup once each. Clapham Rovers won in 1880, against Oxford University, having lost the final the previous year against Old Etonians. Those were the days, old boy!
Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang caused perhaps the FA Cup’s greatest-ever upset when they beat Liverpool 1-0 in their only appearance in the final. That game was in the 1987/88 final, which is remembered for many things, including Man of the Match David Beasant saving an FA Cup final penalty for the first time. The club was officially dissolved in 2004 with the creation of the MK Dons, but the Crazy Gang spirit lives on through AFC Wimbledon, who have risen through the ranks to play in League Two.
And last but not least we have Charlton, who won their only trophy of note when they lifted the 1946/47 FA Cup. They beat Burnley 1-0 after extra time.
Conclusion
As things stand, a total of eight different London clubs have won the FA Cup, as per the list below.
- Arsenal – 14
- Chelsea – 8
- Spurs – 8
- Wanderers – 5
- West Ham – 3
- Clapham Rovers – 1
- Charlton – 1
- Wimbledon – 1