FA Cup History: Arsenal

Betting on Arsenal doesn’t always go too well in the Premier League and in Europe – but punters have a knack of nailing big profits when the Gunners compete in the FA Cup.

Arsenal have not been champions of England since the Invincibles of 2004 yet are one of the unstoppable forces in the FA Cup.

From breaking the FA Cup record to suffering humbling defeats, this competition has done a lot to shape the history of Arsenal and its stature in English football over the decades.

In this guide we’ll take you through the big events in the Arsenal FA Cup saga and unearth some weird and wonderful facts about the Gunners.

Arsenal FA Cup history

The history of Arsenal in the FA Cup is rich indeed but, while they now boast a record 14 trophies, it took the club 15 years to make it past the first round, and 30 years to make their first final.

Here's a quick history of Arsenal in the FA Cup, split into eras:

'30s success

Arsenal's first FA Cup triumph came in 1930 when manager Herbert Chapman oversaw a 2-0 victory against his former club Huddersfield Town Wembley. The win heralded a new dawn for Arsenal, who would go on to win the FA Cup again in 1936 and five league titles between 1931 and 1938.

Arsenal had already suffered defeat in an FA Cup final before their golden period, having lost to Cardiff City 1-0 in 1927. They would also fall short against Newcastle (1932) before the Chapman reign came to an end.

After the Second World War Arsenal made it back to Wembley to beat Liverpool. It was the third FA Cup Arsenal had won but they couldn;t make it four in 1952 as Newcastle edge them 1-0 in the final.

'70s dominance

Arsenal became a mainstay in the FA Cup during the 1970s. They beat Liverpool 2-1 after extra time to clinch a famous Double in 1971, with Charlie George netting the winner. They then suffered defeat to Leeds in the 1972 Centenary Final, and lost at Wembley in both 1978 (to Ipswich) and 1980 (to West Ham).

A 3-2 victory over Manchester United in the 1979 final, however, is still regarded as one of the most dramatic FA Cup finals of all time. Arsenal let slip a two-goal lead in the last four minutes of the game, only to then pinch the lead again through Alan Sunderland.

Wenger era

Arsenal won their sixth FA Cup in 1993 against Sheffield Wednesday on a replay. Five years later and the Arsene Wenger era kicked off with a Premier League and FA Cup double.

Wenger led Arsenal to three FA Cup triumphs in four years between 2002 and 2005. They also lost the memorable 2001 final to Liverpool in Cardiff.

Boss Wenger achieved the same feat again a decade later, winning the 2014, 2015 and 2017 finals before finally retiring. He remains the most successful manager in FA Cup history with seven trophies to his name.

Arsenal's most recent FA Cup triumph was in 2020 when they beat Chelsea 2-1 at an empty Wembley Stadium due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang grabbed both goals to extend the Gunners' FA Cup record to 14.

Arsenal FA Cup final history

Here’s a list of Arsenal’s FA Cup final appearances. To date, the Gunners have played in a joint-record 21 finals.

| DATE | OPPONENT | SCORE | ODDS | 1927 | Cardiff City | 0-1 | n/a | | 1930 | Huddersfield Town | 2–0 | n/a | | 1932 | Newcastle United | 1-2 | n/a | | 1936 | Sheffield United | 1-0 | n/a | | 1950 | Liverpool | 2-0 | n/a | | 1952 | Newcastle United | 0-1 | n/a | | 1971 | Liverpool | 2-1 | n/a | | 1972 | Leeds United | 0-1 | n/a | | 1978 | Ipswich Town | 0-1 | n/a | | 1979 | Manchester United | 3-2 | n/a | | 1980 | West Ham United | 0-1 | n/a | | 1993 | Sheffield Wednesday | 2-1 (1-1 first game) | n/a | | 1998 | Newcastle United | 2-0 | n/a | | 2001 | Liverpool | 1-2 | n/a | | 2002 | Chelsea | 2-0 | n/a | | 2003 | Southampton | 1-0 | n/a | | 2005 | Manchester United | 0-0 | (5-4 pens.) | n/a | | 2014 | Hull City | 3-2 | 2/7 | | 2015 | Aston Villa | 4-0 | 8/15 | | 2017 | Chelsea | 2-1 | 7/4 | | 2020 | Chelsea | 2-1 | 5/2 |

Best Arsenal FA Cup bets

Arsenal have endured their fair share of FA Cup upsets down the years but have also been there to reverse the odds and secure shock wins. Here are three of the best Arsenal FA Cup betting shocks in the history of the tournament:

Wrexham 2-1 Arsenal, FA Cup third round – January 1992

Arsenal hadn't made the FA Cup final for more than a decade heading into the 1991/92 campaign but they were still expected to wipe the floor with fourth-tier Wrexham.

Alan Smith put Arsenal in front and the Gunners flicked into cruise control. But they were not expecting Mickey Thomas and then Steve Watkin to flip the tie in the Welsh side's favour.

The bookies had Arsenal at ridiculously short odds to win that day but it became the third-round upset of the season.

Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool, FA Cup final – May 2001

Liverpool's dramatic late victory in Cardiff has gone down in history as one of the FA Cup's greatest ever moments. Yet for 83 minutes Arsenal weren't just in control, they totally dominated Liverpool.

Freddie Ljungberg had finally found the net on 72 minutes to give the Gunners a deserved lead. All they needed to do was see the same out.

But up popped Michael Own with a quick-fire double to break Arsenal hearts. In-play football betting was in its infancy then and the odds swung hugely in a matter of seconds.

Arsenal 3-2 Hull, FA Cup final – May 2014

Arsenal were overwhelming favourites to beat Hull in the 2014 FA Cup final but gave sportsbooks a heart attack that day. Hull raced into a 2-0 lead via goals from James Chester and Curtis Davies just eight minutes in. Were Arsenal about to implode? The odds suggested so.

Thankfully for boss Wenger, they steadied the ship and got one back through Santi Cazorla. Laurent Koscielny then equalised midway through the second half to force extra time, and Aaron Ramsey popped up with the winner on 109 minutes.

Defeat would have cost the bookies dear but Arsenal still caused trouble for sportsbooks as fans backed them at good odds in the live markets just 10 minutes into the final.

Fun Arsenal FA Cup facts and stats

There have been more Arsenal FA Cup wins (14) than any other team. However, the Gunners share the record for the most FA Cup final appearances with Manchester United (21).
Arsene Wenger is the most successful manager in FA Cup history with seven titles.
Arsenal's 2-1 win over Chelsea in 2020 is the only final to be played in front of zero fans, due to the Covid-19 pandemic
Arsenal played in the 1972 Centenary Final, losing 1-0 to Leeds United
The Gunners have won all three of their FA Cup final appearances against London rivals Chelsea (2002, 2017, 2020).
Arsenal share the record with Tottenham for the most FA Cup final victories without defeat (7).
Mikel Arteta is the second manager after George Graham to have led Arsenal to FA Cup victory after also playing for the team.

FAQs

How many FA Cups have Arsenal won?

Arsenal have won a record 12 FA Cups between 1930 and 2020. They have competed in 21 FA Cup finals as of 2023, a joint record with Manchester United.

When did Arsenal last win the FA Cup?

Arsenal last won the FA Cup in 2020 when they beat Chelsea 2-1. The final at Wembley Stadium was played in front of zero fans due to the Covid-19 pandemic.