Who Will Win the 2022-23 FA Cup?

The clubs that are contending for the Premier League sometimes do not put the same amount of effort to win the FA Cup, as the league is seen as more valuable, but there are also top clubs that want to win the domestic double, and will do whatever it takes to do so. The lower ranking clubs in the FA Cup usually take the competition very seriously, as it is their chance to gain some recognition, and the chance for younger players to be noticed by the bigger clubs.

This has led to some huge upsets in the cup that have gone down in history. Despite the occasional upset, when punters are trying to predict which team will win the FA Cup, then historical examples are always useful, and it is important to spot which teams have a better track record when it comes to playing FA cup ties.

Potential FA Cup Winners

Manchester City

Manchester City have won six FA Cups to date, winning their last cup in 2018/19 when they won the domestic double. Manchester City have always favoured cup ties, and they definitely have the squad depth to afford using some key players in the FA Cup tie line-up. Manchester City is one of the teams that can try to win a domestic double, or even a treble with the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. So far only Manchester United has managed to win the treble, which will definitely give Manchester City enough incentive to try and match their neighbour’s record.

Liverpool

To date, Liverpool have won the FA Cup 7 times, with the last title coming in 2005/06. Liverpool never do poorly in an FA Cup, having reached the finals in 2011/12 and reaching the finals again in 2022, but it has been a while since they have won. If Liverpool win the 2022 FA Cup Final, they will reaffirm themselves as a top team that is capable of focusing on the domestic cup and serve as a reminder to other teams that it is possible to win multiple tournaments, even with a slightly diminished depth of squad.

Chelsea

Chelsea have won the FA Cup a total of 8 times, with 5 of those wins coming in the past 20 years. Interestingly though, there has never been a Chelsea manager who has won the FA Cup twice with the London based team. Managers who have won the competition with Chelsea include Dave Sexton, Ruud Gullit, Gianluca Vialli, Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink, Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Di Matteo and Antonio Conte. Having won the competition so many times, there is nothing Chelsea would like more than to add more silverware to their FA Cup trophy cabinet.

Arsenal

Arsenal are the leading club with the most FA Cup titles. They have won the competition fourteen times, with three of those titles won in domestic doubles. They won their first FA Cup in 1936, and following that, they only won it six more times in the years before manager Arsene Wenger came to Arsenal. Wenger won the cup seven times with Arsenal, beating opponents such as Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and more. Arsenal usually fall back on the FA Cup to try and win at least one trophy during each season if their league or European campaigns do not go according to plan. They definitely have the experience and they would enjoy adding to their list of FA Cup titles.

Manchester United

Manchester United completed the treble in 1999, becoming the only English team to ever do so. They have won the FA Cup a total of 12 times, and tie with Arsenal for having the most doubles, with three each. Manchester United also hold the record for the most lost finals in the FA Cup, losing 8 finals. Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United's most successful manager, and arguably the most successful manager in English football, won the competition a total of 5 times with United, but he also lost 4 finals. In recent years Manchester United have struggled to go beyond the quarter finals or semi-finals, focusing on the Premier League instead. They last won the competition in 2016, though they did reach the finals in 2018 under manager Jose Mourinho, though they lost to Chelsea.

Other Teams

The FA Cup is open to many teams, and there are teams such as Crystal Palace, Watford, Hull City and Aston Villa who have all reached the finals in recent years. In 2012/13, Wigan Athletic, who were a Premier League side that had recently been relegated, beat Manchester City 1-0 in the finals to the surprise of almost everyone.

This is not the only major upset in the tournament, which shows that there are also a handful of mid-table or bottom of the table sides who may be able to go all the way and win the FA Cup.