Top FA Cup final moments: Gerrard, Di Matteo, Sanchez and Watson
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It’s the 139th FA Cup final this weekend, as Arsenal and Chelsea look to win the world’s oldest cup competition at Wembley.
Both sides are familiar with the tournament’s showpiece event. Arsenal have won the FA Cup more times than anyone else with 13 victories, while Chelsea have won it eight times.
We should be in for a cracker, and the FA Cup final has thrown up plenty of legendary moments over the years.
Ahead of Saturday’s showdown, we’ve picked out four of the best FA Cup final moments from the past 30 years or so. Have a read, take a stroll down memory lane and let us know what your favourite FA Cup final moment is over on Twitter @Ladbrokes!
Lawrie Sanchez – Wimbledon – 1988
Those of a certain age will never forget this one. Wimbledon’s victory over Liverpool in the 1988 final was one of the great David versus Goliath events.
Wimbledon only entered the Football League 10 years previously, while Liverpool were the team to beat throughout the 1980s.
But a memorable final at the old Wembley saw Lawrie Sanchez memorably head home Dennis Wise’s cross to give the Crazy Gang a famous and wholly unexpected victory.
Roberto Di Matteo – Chelsea – 1997
While Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Middlesbrough in 1997 was somewhat more expected, the nature of it was as spectacular as it gets in a cup final.
Barely 40 seconds were on the clock when Roberto Di Matteo dashed forward towards the ‘Boro defence, before unleashing a thunderous 25-yard worldie past Ben Roberts.
A stunned Middlesbrough couldn’t reply, as Chelsea lifted the cup for just the second time.
Steven Gerrard – Liverpool – 2006
Everyone remembers this one. The 2006 FA Cup showdown between West Ham United and Liverpool turned into a final for the ages.
The Hammers had played superbly throughout, and thought they had a 3-2 win in the bag in the dying moments. But then the ball dropped to a Liverpool player 30 yards out with seconds to go.
But not just any Liverpool player. Steven Gerrard.
Just 12 months after inspiring the Reds to the Champions League, the Reds skipper delivered a majestic, in-swinging beauty to level the game at the last. It was his second goal of the game, one of the FA Cup final’s finest goals, and inspired Liverpool to victory in the penalty shootout.
Ben Watson – Wigan – 2013
Just like Sanchez and Wimbledon all those years ago, Ben Watson ensured Wigan went down in folklore in 2013.
Wigan weren’t given much of a hope against mega-bucks Man City, but an inspired Latics matched Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Samir Nasri and Yaya Toure all the way at Wembley.
It had been a fine performance by the underdogs, which was capped off in fairytale style in stoppage time when Watson – on as a late substitute – popped up to head home Shaun Maloney’s cross to hand Wigan their first major trophy in stunning fashion.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication.
