What have been the biggest FA Cup Fifth Round upsets?

The FA Cup is the oldest and is widely regarded as the greatest cup competition in the world. It's built its reputation on massive, giant killings across its 155-year history.

The "magic of the cup" happens every year up and down the country, and in every round, on any given weekend, a side that's struggling in a lower division could knock out one of the biggest teams in the country.

With the FA Cup fifth round getting underway tonight as Liverpool takes on Wolves, DAZN News takes a look back at four times where the underdog overcame the big dog in the fifth round.

Burnley 0-1 Lincoln City, 2016-17(C)Getty Images

Non-League Lincoln took the trip to Turf Moor to take on Premier League side Burnley after beating Championship opposition in Ipswich and Brighton in the previous rounds.

After being under pressure for the majority of the game, Sean Raggett flipped the script, scoring the winner a minute out from time, sending the Imps into the quarter finals for the first time.

It proved to be a historic season for Lincoln, gaining promotion back to the Football League and becoming the first non-league team to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals since 1914.

This would reward them with a trip to the Emirates to play Arsenal, but their magical cup run would end in the quarter-finals after a 5-0 defeat by the Gunners.

Southampton 1-2 Grimsby, 2023-24

League Two side Grimsby knocked out Premier League Southampton as they became shock quarter-finalists, with a brace of penalties from Gavan Holohan, either side of half-time, before Duje Caleta-Car pulled one back for the Saints, but it wouldn't be enough.

Grimsby made history by knocking out five teams from higher divisions in a single campaign, and would have another chance to create an upset, taking on Premier League opposition again, taking on Brighton. 

This also meant that they reached the last eight of the cup competition since 1939.

Arsenal 0-1 Blackburn Rovers, 2012-13

Off the back of being dumped out of the League cup earlier in the season by League Two Bradford, Arsene Wenger's side would succumb to another side in a lower division, being knocked out by Championship Blackburn.

Colin Kazim-Richards' late goal would be enough to send Rovers to the quarter finals for the first time since 2007.

It was a performance that summed up Arsenal under Arsene Wenger towards the end of his tenure, creating chances but unable to finish them, drawing good saves out of Blackburn keeper Jake Kean, and having 12 shots on target but were unable to find the back of the net.

Liverpool 1-2 Barnsley, 2007-08(C)Getty Images

Brian Howard's dramatic injury-time winner sent Barnsley through to the FA Cup quarter finals. 

Liverpool had already escaped two cup upsets in previous rounds, being taken to a replay by Luton and coming from behind twice against Havant and Waterlooville, but this time wouldn't be able to come back from a deficit.

Dirk Kuyt had put the Reds 1-0 up, but emergency goalkeeper Luke Steele put in a heroic performance to keep Barnsley in the tie. Stephen Forster would equalise for the Tykes before captain Howard fired Barnsley through to the next round.

They would make the semi-finals after defeating Chelsea in the next round, before losing to Cardiff in the semi-finals. This is still the furthest they've got in the FA cup since they won it back in 1911/12. 

 

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