1994 FA Cup Final


The 1994 FA Cup Final was the 49th FA Cup final to be held since the Second World War and was contested between Manchester United and Chelsea. Manchester United went into the final as Premier League champions, having won the title by eight points over Blackburn Rovers. They were bidding to become only the fourth team of the 20th century to complete "the Double" and the first in their own history. Chelsea, on the other hand, were playing in their first FA Cup Final since 1970 and first major final since the 1972 Football League Cup Final; they also finished 14th in the Premier League.

Summary

The match took place on a rainy May afternoon, and, in the first half, Chelsea were the better team. Gavin Peacock had the best chance of the opening 45 minutes when his half-volley hit the crossbar. In the second half, Manchester United took over with three goals in the space of nine minutes; two almost identical penalties by Eric Cantona and a shot by Mark Hughes, following a slip by Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair. Brian McClair scored a late fourth following an unselfish pass by Paul Ince. Referee David Elleray has since stated that he regrets giving the second penalty to Manchester United, stating "It was my big game and I made a disappointing decision."
This triumph was Manchester United's eighth success in the competition, matching the record set by Tottenham Hotspur three years earlier. Chelsea, despite losing their first FA Cup final since they won the trophy 24 years earlier, qualified for the 1994–95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup as United had also won the Premier League title and would be competing in the UEFA Champions League.
It was the third time that Mark Hughes had collected an FA Cup winner's medal. However, his teammate Bryan Robson was not included in the squad for the final and missed out on the chance of collecting his fourth winner's medal. Hughes won a fourth FA Cup winner's medal three years later with Chelsea.

Road to Wembley

Home teams listed first.

Chelsea

Round 3: Barnet 0–0 Chelsea
Round 4: Chelsea 1–1 Sheffield Wednesday
Round 5: Oxford United 1–2 Chelsea
Round 6: Chelsea 1–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Semi-final: Chelsea 2–0 Luton Town

Manchester United

Round 3: Sheffield United 0–1 Manchester United
Round 4: Norwich City 0–2 Manchester United
Round 5: Wimbledon 0–3 Manchester United
Round 6: Manchester United 3–1 Charlton Athletic
Semi-final: Oldham Athletic 1–1 Manchester United

Match details