2004–05 FA Cup


The 2004–05 FA Cup was the 124th season of the world's oldest football competition, the FA Cup. The competition began on 28 August 2004, with the lowest-ranked of the entrants competing in the Extra Preliminary Round. For England's top 44 clubs, from the 2004–05 Premier League and 2004–05 Football League Championship, the FA Cup began at the third round in January.
Ties were all single-legged and took place at the stadium of the club drawn first. If scores were level at the end of a match, the match was replayed at the away club's stadium, usually in the middle of the following week. If the scores are still level, extra-time and penalties are used to determine a winner. From the semi-finals onwards, the ties take place at a neutral stadium, and there are no replays. That is to say, extra-time and penalties are played if necessary to determine a winner in a single match.
The new Wembley Stadium was still at least a year away from being ready for use, so the final was staged at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on 21 May 2005. The final was won by Arsenal on penalties after a goalless draw with holders Manchester United, the first time that the FA Cup Final had been decided on penalties.

Calendar

First round proper

This round is the first in which Football League teams from League One and League Two compete with non-league teams.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance
1Blackpool1 – 0Port Vale4,669
2Bournemouth2 – 1Carlisle United5,815
3Histon1 – 3Yeovil Town2,564
4Swindon Town1 – 1Notts County5,768
replayNotts County2 – 0Swindon Town3,770
5Stockport County0 – 0Swansea City2,680
replaySwansea City2 – 1Stockport County5,572
6Wycombe Wanderers0 – 3Luton Town4,767
7Northampton Town1 – 0Bury4,415
8Hull City4 – 0Macclesfield Town9,831
9Oldham Athletic4 – 0Leyton Orient4,657
10Exeter City2 – 1Doncaster Rovers4,797
11Scunthorpe United2 – 0Wrexham5,698
12Halifax Town1 – 3Chester City4,497
13Hereford United2 – 3Boston United3,601
14Peterborough United2 – 0Bath City4,187
15Slough Town1 – 3Yeading2,418
16Cambridge City0 – 1Milton Keynes Dons2,000
17Hartlepool United5 – 1Aldershot Town4,556
18Stevenage Borough0 – 2Rochdale2,700
19Rushden & Diamonds2 – 5Colchester United3,077
20Hinckley United0 – 0Brentford2,661
replayBrentford2 – 1Hinckley United4,002

Third round proper

This round marks the first time Championship and Premier League teams play. Matches were played on the weekend of Saturday, 8 January 2005.
One of the surprise results of this round came at Old Trafford where holders Manchester United were held to a 0-0 home draw against Conference National side Exeter City, although United won the replay 2-0.
United's neighbours City suffered humiliation at the hands of League One strugglers Oldham Athletic, who defeated them 1-0 at Boundary Park.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance
1Arsenal2 – 1Stoke City36,579
2Notts County1 – 2Middlesbrough13,671
3Manchester United0 – 0Exeter City67,551
replayExeter City0 – 2Manchester United9,033
4Plymouth Argyle1 – 3Everton20,112
5Leicester City2 – 2Blackpool16,750
replayBlackpool0 – 1Leicester City6,938
6Derby County2 – 1Wigan Athletic14,457
7Sunderland2 – 1Crystal Palace17,536
8Wolverhampton Wanderers2 – 0Millwall12,566
9Yeading0 – 2Newcastle United10,824
10Hull City0 – 2Colchester United14,027
11Tottenham Hotspur2 – 1Brighton & Hove Albion36,094
12Reading1 – 1Swansea City13,642
replaySwansea City0 – 1Reading7,354
13Birmingham City3 – 0Leeds United25,159
14Hartlepool United0 – 0Boston United5,342
replayBoston United0 – 1Hartlepool United3,653
15Milton Keynes Dons0 – 2Peterborough United4,407
16Oldham Athletic1 – 0Manchester City13,171
17Chelsea3 – 1Scunthorpe United40,019
18Cardiff City1 – 1Blackburn Rovers14,145
replayBlackburn3 – 2Cardiff City9,140
19Charlton Athletic4 – 1Rochdale13,955
20West Ham United1 – 0Norwich City23,389
21Sheffield United3 – 1Aston Villa14,003
22Preston North End0 – 2West Bromwich Albion13,005
23Rotherham United0 – 3Yeovil Town5,397
24Burnley1 – 0Liverpool19,033
25Bournemouth2 – 1Chester City7,653
26Coventry City3 – 0Crewe Alexandra7,629
27Watford1 – 1Fulham14,896
replayFulham2 – 0Watford11,306
28Ipswich Town1 – 3Bolton Wanderers20,080
29Portsmouth1 – 0Gillingham14,252
30Northampton Town1 – 3Southampton7,183
31Queens Park Rangers0 – 3Nottingham Forest11,140
32Luton0 – 2Brentford6,681

Fourth round proper

Ties played during the weekend of 29 January 2005

Fifth round proper

Matches played weekend of 19 February 2005 - replays played week commencing 28 February 2005.
The only non-Premiership side to win in this round were Leicester City, who triumphed 2-1 at Premier League side Charlton Athletic.

Sixth round proper

Matches played on the weekend of Saturday, 12 March 2005.
Leicester City, the only remaining non-Premiership side in the competition, lost 1–0 to Blackburn Rovers.
----
----
----

Semi-finals

----

Final

The 2005 FA Cup Final was contested between Manchester United and Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Manchester United dominated the game but failed to take any of their opportunities and ultimately they went on to lose in the first FA Cup Final penalty shoot-out. Paul Scholes had his kick saved by Jens Lehmann, leaving Patrick Vieira with the opportunity to win the Cup for the Gunners.

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Cristiano RonaldoManchester United4
1 Peter CrouchSouthampton4
1 Jermain DefoeTottenham Hotspur4
4 Shola AmeobiNewcastle United3
4 Robert EarnshawWest Bromwich Albion3
4 Bryan HughesCharlton Athletic3
4 Robbie KeaneTottenham Hotspur3
4 Andy LiddellSheffield United3
4 Morten Gamst PedersenBlackburn Rovers3
4 Wayne RooneyManchester United3
4 Paul ScholesManchester United3
4 Robin van PersieArsenal3

Media coverage

In the United Kingdom, the BBC were the free to air broadcasters for the fourth consecutive season while Sky Sports were the subscription broadcasters for the seventeenth consecutive season.. In this new contract period of television rights, the BBC's coverage increased further to three live matches from rounds 3 to 6, plus one live replay in the same rounds where applicable.
The matches shown live on the BBC were Thurrock 0–1 Oldham Athletic ; Hinckley United 0–0 Brentford ; Sheffield United 3–1 Aston Villa, Plymouth Argyle 1–3 Everton and Yeading 0–2 Newcastle United ; Exeter City 0–2 Manchester United ; Southampton 2–1 Portsmouth, Manchester United 3–0 Middlesbrough and Oldham Athletic 0–1 Bolton Wanderers; Tottenham Hotspur 3–1 West Bromwich Albion ; Arsenal 1–1 Sheffield United, Everton 0–2 Manchester United and Burnley 0–0 Blackburn Rovers ; Sheffield United 0–0 Arsenal ; Bolton Wanderers 0–1 Arsenal, Southampton 0–4 Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers 1–0 Leicester City ; Newcastle United 1–4 Manchester United ; and Arsenal 0–0 Manchester United.