The top four clubs in England have dominated the FA Cup in recent years but over its history many famous clubs have won the coveted trophy - Tottenham Hotspur and Everton

Another FA Cup competition but will it be won by any team other than a top 4 side – Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea? Those four clubs have so dominated the competition that between them they have won seventeen times in the last nineteen years. They have won the last twelve and Everton were the last team to break that monopoly in 1995 with Tottenham Hotspur in 1991, the only other club to get on the winners' roll of honour. That Final, when Spurs defeated Nottingham Forest, was the last game not to feature one of the top four clubs.

The last ‘unexpected’ winners were Wimbledon who defeated Liverpool in 1988 while Coventry City defeated FA Cup specialists, Tottenham, a year earlier.

F.A.Cup Winners

Manchester United (11 wins from 18 Finals – last win 2004)

Arsenal (10 from 17 – 2005)

Tottenham Hotspur (8 from 9 - 1991)

Aston Villa (7 from 10 – 1957)

Liverpool (7 from 13 – 2006)

Blackburn Rovers (6 from 8 – 1928)

Newcastle United (6 from 13 – 1955 )

Everton (5 from 12 – 1995)

The Wanderers (5 from 5 – 1878 )

West Bromwich Albion (5 from 10 – 1968 )

Bolton Wanderers (4 from 7 – 1958 )

Manchester City (4 from 8 – 1969 )

Sheffield United (4 from 6 – 1925 )

Wolverhampton Wanderers (4 from 8 – 1960)

Chelsea (4 from 8 – 2007)

Sheffield Wednesday (3 from 6 – 1935)

West Ham United (3 from 5 – 1980 )

Bury (2 from 2 – 1903)

Nottingham Forest (2 from 3 – 1959 )

Preston North End (2 from 7 – 1938 )

Old Etonians (2 from 6 – 1882)

Sunderland (2 from 4 – 1973)

• Twenty clubs have won the trophy once, including Wimbledon and Coventry City on their only Final appearance, Portsmouth, Derby County, Leeds United and Southampton. For all their history, Leeds United have only one success to their name, from four attempts, when they defeated Arsenal in 1972.
• Arsenal were the first team to win on penalties after extra time, defeating Manchester United in 2005, while Liverpool had similar success against West Ham United, a year later.
• The last Final requiring a replay was in 1993 when Arsenal needed extra time in the replay to defeat Sheffield Wednesday.
• Prior to the 1980s the competition was more open and a greater variety of clubs contested the Final and in the post-war years to 1980, twenty one different clubs won the trophy including many very famous teams – Blackpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United and Aston Villa.
• The last non-Premier League team to reach the Final was Millwall who lost in 2004 to Manchester United.
• The greatest shock in the Cup is when a club from outside the top division carries off the trophy and famously Sunderland’s last success was as a 2nd Division club when they defeated Leeds United in 1973. Southampton also created a similar surprise by defeating Manchester United in 1976.

F.A.Cup 'Giant-killers'

The FA Cup gives non-league teams the opportunity to make their way into the competition proper and after a number of preliminary rounds they may face league opposition. Over the years there have been Cup up-sets when the small clubs have become have become ‘giant-killers’. Sutton United defeating Coventry City less than two years after the Midlands club had won the trophy is a great example and Hereford United’s conquest of Newcastle United is another while Yeovil Town have numerous scalps to their name including Sunderland.

Last non-League Winner

However, the last non-League club to win the FA Cup is Tottenham Hotspur who defeated Sheffield United after a replay in 1901.

Former F.A.Cup Glories

Blackburn Rovers are a top Premier League club with six successes in the competition but their last success was in 1926 while their previous wins were in the early days of the competition. They won it on three successive occasions from 1884 and had a double success in 1890 and 1891.

The first winners of the trophy in 1872 were Wanderers FC and they dominated the competition in those early years, winning it the following year and for five of the first seven seasons.

As the Premier League clubs enter this year's competition, the top four clubs must once again be favourites to lift the trophy.