Classic Cupsets
The Emirates FA Cup third round is one of the biggest weekends in the English football calendar, and as the 2025-26 campaign heads into that stage, we look back at some memorable giant-killings from down the years...
We've all got them...our favourite FA Cup third round ties and upsets.
Whether it's seeing the brave and fearless underdogs taking on a top-flight team, or a plucky non-League side giving an EFL club a run for their money, FA Cup history is full of great stories, images and moments from down the years.
And the third round proper is where many of these moments take place, as all clubs from the top two divisions join those teams who have often played through multiple qualifying rounds to take their place in the hat for the draw.
Once there, it's a chance of glory and to seal a place in the fourth round with an opportunity to make a name for themselves with a Cup upset or even simply pitting their wits against the best at a venue many players might only dream of gracing.
While there's many classic ties to choose from, we've picked out a few of the biggest third round upsets from years gone by, so keep scrolling down to see them.
Remember, it's the 2025-26 third round between Friday 9 January and Monday 12 January 2026.
Macclesfield 2-1 Crystal Palace
9 January 2026, Moss Rose
The 2025-26 third round proper saw one of the FA Cup's greatest upsets, when the 2025 Cup winners Crystal Palace were knocked out by Macclesfield at Moss Rose, the first time a top-flight club had been beaten by a sixth-tier team in the competition's long history.
A first-half goal from Macc captain Paul Dawson put the hosts ahead, before Isaac Buckley-Ricketts flicked home a second to put them in control. Yeremy Pino's late goal gave Palace hope, but the Cheshire team, 117 places below Palace in the English League pyramid, held on to secure a famous victory.
Ironically, the last time the current FA Cup holders were knocked out by a non-League team came in the 1908-09 campaign when Wolverhampton Wanderers were toppled by...Crystal Palace
Sutton United 2-1 Coventry City
7 January 1989, Gander Green Lane
Coventry City had been FA Cup holders just 18 months earlier, when they travelled south to take on Sutton United.
The Sky Blues arrived in Surrey with confidence after a solid start to their season in the top division, so few expected to see what happened occur when the competition came back to remind them how it can work both ways.
Coventry were left stunned, as goals from Tony Rains and Matthew Hanlan helped secure victory for the non-League side who were managed by English teacher Barrie Williams.
Hereford United 2-1 Newcastle United
5 February 1972, Edgar Street
Ah, the original classic FA Cup giant-killing. A bobbly pitch and bad weather, a non-League team hosting a top-flight club, a packed crowd at fever pitch and a stunning strike to live long in the memory. This one ticked all the boxes.
Hereford of the Southern League had already caused an upset when they secured a replay with a 2-2 draw in the first tie at St James' Park.
They were still given little hope of progressing, and despite Newcastle taking the lead, Hereford bounced back thanks to Ronnie Radford’s world famous long-range strike to settle it at 1-1 and take the tie to extra time.
And when Ricky George hit the winner to seal a 2-1 win for the Bulls, it created a legacy of Cup upsets.
Relive Radford's wonderful goal, and John Motson's famous commentary, below...
Shrewsbury Town 2-1 Everton
4 January 2003, Gay Meadow
The Shrews were battling it out at the bottom of the Football League when they faced an upwardly-mobile Everton team challenging for Europe and boasting a young Wayne Rooney in their ranks.
But David Moyes’ side were dealt a shock as the Toffees came unstuck thanks to a brace from Nigel Jemson on the banks of the River Severn.
His first was a measured free-kick in the first half, and after Niclas Alexandersson had levelled things up, it looked like a replay at Goodison Park was on the cards.
And with just a minute left on the clock, Jemson glanced home a header to seal a fourth round tie with Chelsea.
West Bromwich Albion 2-4 Woking
5 January 1991, The Hawthorns
Woking, then of the Isthmian League, were given little chance of progress when they made the journey to face West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.
But the Baggies, then in the old Second Division, were caught cold as Woking found a Cup hero in the shape of Tim Buzaglo. A computer specialist by day and a former cricket player for Gibraltar, Buzaglo’s hat-trick in this tie saw him leave the West Midlands with the match ball and also set up a fourth round clash with Everton.
The Cards had found themselves behind at the break too, before a scintillating second-half show and a further goal from Terry Worsfold saw them applauded off the pitch by the Hawthorns crowd at full time.
Burnley 1-0 Liverpool
18 January 2005, Turf Moor
Our list is full of heroic, memorable and often majestic goals that will forever be part of FA Cup folklore.
And the winning goal in this tie proves just as memorable, even though it was an own goal from Liverpool’s Djimi Traore which settled the game in Burnley’s favour at an icy Turf Moor.
It was Reds boss Rafa Benitez’s first taste of the competition in his maiden season at Anfield, and when he rested a number of his first-choice players, Steve Cotterill’s Clarets were given all the encouragement they needed.
The game was won in the second half, when a low cross from Richard Chaplow prompted Traore to attempt a 360-degree drag back at the far post but unfortunately for the Frenchman he miscued it completely before ending up wrapped in the netting along with the ball.
Manchester United 0-1 Leeds United
3 January 2010, Old Trafford
There’s never been any love lost between the cross-Pennine rivals and when they were paired together at Old Trafford, it became a must-watch tie.
With Leeds having slumped from their previous top-flight status into League One at the time, not many gave them much of a chance against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Reds.
But backed by a large travelling support from Yorkshire, a well-taken strike from Jermain Beckford secured a stunning victory against their bitter rivals on 3 January, a date which is still celebrated by Leeds fans to this day…
4 January 1992, The Racecourse Ground
Another classic FA Cup tie, as Arsenal arrived in North Wales as reigning League champions to face a Wrexham team who were rooted to the foot of the old Fourth Division.
The Gunners edged ahead thanks to an Alan Smith goal but that was as good as it got for George Graham’s team as 37-year-old veteran Mickey Thomas unleashed a stunning 25-yard free-kick past David Seaman to equalise.
It was left to young striker Steve Watkin to score the winner and send their illustrious opponents crashing out.
Newport County 2-1 Leicester City
6 January 2019, Rodney Parade
Newport County of the fourth tier sprung a massive surprise in 2019, when they knocked out their Premier League guests in a fantastic tie at Rodney Parade.
Jamille Matt put Michael Flynn’s Exiles ahead in the first half, before Rachid Ghezzal equalised in the last ten minutes to set up what most thought would be a replay.
But Newport weren’t finished, and Irish striker Padraig Amond restored their lead and a famous Cup victory with a cooly converted penalty with five minutes remaining.
Stevenage 3-1 Newcastle United
8 January 2011, Lamex Stadium
The Magpies became only the fourth top-flight team since the formation of the Premier League to lose to fourth-tier opposition during what was Stevenage's first season in the EFL. Stacy Long gave them the lead, before Michael Bostwick added a second.
Cheick Tiote's dismissal didn't help Newcastle's cause and, even though Joey Barton pulled one back, Peter Winn sealed a famous victory in injury time.
Oxford United 3-2 Swansea City
10 January 2016, Kassam Stadium
Kemar Roofe was the hero as League Two Oxford knocked Premier League Swansea out of the competition at the Kassam Stadium. Swansea took the lead after 23 minutes but three Oxford goals in the space of 14 minutes, including two for Roofe, sealed a memorable win for the U’s.
Derby County 1-3 Bristol Rovers
6 January 2002, Pride Park
Bristol Rovers became the first Third Division club to win an FA Cup tie against Premier League opposition away from home, when they defeated Derby at Pride Park in 2002. Nathan Ellington was the hat-trick hero for Rovers, who sat 87th out of 92 League clubs at the time.
If you've enjoyed our feature and want to see more Emirates FA Cup action this season, make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all of the action and more from this season's competition.
Built with Shorthand