Association football championship match between Arsenal and Manchester United, held in 2005
For the women's event, see 2005 FA Women's Cup final.
Football match
2005 FA Cup final
The match programme cover
Event
2004–05 FA Cup
Arsenal
Manchester United
0
0
After extra time Arsenal won 5–4 on penalties
Date
21 May 2005
Venue
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Man of the Match
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)[1]
Referee
Rob Styles (Hampshire)
Attendance
71,876
Weather
Mostly cloudy, rain showers 10 °C (50 °F)[2]
← 2004
2006 →
The 2005 FA Cup final was a football match played between Arsenal and Manchester United on 21 May 2005 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was the final match of the 2004–05 FA Cup, the 124th season of English football's primary cup competition, the FA Cup. Arsenal became the first team to win the FA Cup via a penalty shoot-out, despite being outplayed throughout the game, after neither side managed to score in the initial 90 minutes or in 30 minutes of extra time. The shoot-out finished 5–4 to Arsenal, with Patrick Vieira scoring the winning penalty after Paul Scholes' shot was saved by Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
As both teams were in the highest tier of English football, the Premier League, Arsenal and Manchester United entered the competition in the third round. Matches up to the semi-final were contested on a one-off basis, with a replay taking place if the match ended in a draw. Both clubs only needed one replay along the way to the final; Arsenal's tie against Sheffield United in the fifth round was decided by a penalty shootout, whereas Manchester United overcame non-league Exeter City in the third round, after the original tie ended goalless.
Protests over the impending takeover of Manchester United by American businessman Malcolm Glazer had threatened to overshadow the final, though demonstrations in Cardiff required little intervention from the police. Both managers for the final made surprising changes to their team; Arsène Wenger unconventionally deployed a defensive formation, while Sir Alex Ferguson left midfielder Ryan Giggs on the bench. Manchester United dominated the match, creating four times as many shots as their opponents, but struggled to find the breakthrough. In extra time, Arsenal's José Antonio Reyes was sent off for a second bookable offence, becoming only the second player to be sent off in an FA Cup final.
The British press unanimously agreed that Arsenal were fortunate to win; Wenger himself admitted so in his press conference afterwards. A television audience of over 480 million worldwide watched the final; in the United Kingdom, coverage of the match peaked at 12.8 million, making it the highest-rated FA Cup match since the 1996 final.
^Lawrence, Amy (22 May 2005). "Vieira holds his nerve to claim historic penalty prize for Arsenal". The Observer. London. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
^"History for Cardiff-Wales, United Kingdom". Weather Underground. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
The 2005FACupfinal was a football match played between Arsenal and Manchester United on 21 May 2005 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was the final...
The FACupFinal is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the most attended domestic football events in...
Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FACup, is a knockout competition in English football, organised by and named after The Football Association (the FA). It...
The 2023 FACupfinal was the final match of the 2022–23 FACup, the 142nd season of the oldest football tournament in the world, the Football Association...
The 2022 FACupfinal was an association football match played at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 14 May 2022. Chelsea and Liverpool were the finalists...
2024 FACupfinal will be a football match played at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 25 May 2024 to determine the winners of the 2023–24 FACup. It...
1987 FACupfinal between Coventry City and Tottenham Hotspur on 16 May 1987 at Wembley Stadium, London, England was the 106th Final of the FACup, English...
The 2013 FACupfinal was an association football match between Manchester City and Wigan Athletic on 11 May 2013 at Wembley Stadium in London, England...
The 1979 FACupfinal was a football match played on 12 May 1979 at Wembley Stadium. The match was contested by Arsenal and Manchester United. It is regarded...
The 2000 FACupfinal was the 119th final of the FACup, and the 72nd (excluding replays) and last to be played at the old Wembley Stadium. It took place...
The 2007 FACupfinal was played on Saturday, 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United. It was the 126th FACupFinal and the first to be played...
The 1983 FACupfinal was contested by Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Wembley Stadium. Manchester United were the favourites, as Brighton...
the 2005–06 FACup, the 125th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, the FACup. Liverpool were participating in their 13th final; they...
The 1997 FACupfinal was the 116th final of the FACup. It took place on 17 May 1997 at Wembley Stadium and was contested by Chelsea and Middlesbrough...
FACupfinal was an association football match that took place on 14 May 1994 at Wembley Stadium in London to determine the winner of the 1993–94 FA Cup...
1978 FACupfinal was an association football match between Arsenal and Ipswich Town on 6 May 1978 at the old Wembley Stadium, London. It was the final match...
The 1993 FACupfinal was contested by Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley. The original match, played on 15 May 1993, finished 1–1. Arsenal won...
The 2021 FACupfinal was an association football match played between Chelsea and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium, London, England on 15 May 2021. Organised...
The 1982 FACupfinal was the 101st final of the FACup and took place on 22 May 1982 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Tottenham Hotspur and...
The 2016 FACupfinal was an association football match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United on 21 May 2016 at Wembley Stadium in London, England...
The 1972 FACupfinal took place on 6 May 1972 at Wembley Stadium. It was the centenary final (although only the 91st final due to the world wars) and...
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FACup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football...
137th FACupfinal overall and was the showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (FACup), organised...
Global Information