FA Cup, 2021

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FA Cup 2020-21 season review

  • The final of the 140th edition of the FA Cup was held at Wembley Stadium on 15 May 2001.
  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the previous season's final was not played until 1 August 2020.
  • Usually, the Extra preliminary round would start in early August but was delayed in 2020 until 31 August.
  • Defying fears of reduced participation, 737 clubs entered: an increase of two from 2019-20. Due to Macclesfield Town going into liquidation, 736 clubs duly played.
  • Because of the reduced timescale, replays were removed from all rounds. The 5th round ties were all played in midweek.
  • The prize fund returned to the levels of the 2017-18 season. With strict restrictions imposed on attendances at games (mostly played behind closed doors), the prize money was split by a ratio of 75% to the winners and 25% to the losers.
  • From the total FA Cup prize fund of £15.9million, the winners received £3.4million.
  • When restrictions began to be eased in the spring of 2021, the second Semi-final (Leicester City versus Southampton) was selected by the UK government as part of a pilot scheme to allow spectators to return to sporting events.
  • 4,000 spectators could attend with the allowance increased to 21,000 for the Final.
  • In their 137-year history, Leicester City had lost all their four previous FA Cup Finals. In reaching the Final for the first time since 1969, the Foxes became the 44th different winners.
  • This was Chelsea's 15th FA Cup Final; only Arsenal (21) and Manchester United (20) had now played in more. They became the first team to lose consecutive FA Cup Finals since Newcastle United in 1999.
  • FA president Prince William was presented to the teams before kick-off but, to minimise the risk of spreading coronavirus, the players collected the trophy and medals on the pitch without a presentation party.
  • As with the previous season, the officials' families would not be allowed to attend so Michael Oliver became the second referee to take charge of more than one FA Cup final since Arthur Kingscott in 1901.
  • The domestic broadcasting rights were awarded to the BBC and BT Sport.
  • This was the sixth year of a sponsorship deal with a Dubai-based airline when the FA Cup was rebranded as the Emirates FA Cup.
  • As only Premier League stadiums contained the required permanent camera angles, VAR was only made available at selected ties, in addition to the Semi-finals and Final at Wembley.
  • Previous IFAB approved amendments to regulations allowed nine players to be selected on the substitutes bench with up to five allowed to be used (a sixth could be used in extra-time, if required).
  • The traditional alternative-style format was used for penalty shoot-outs.
  • Details shown under the 'Goal scorers' tab on this page refer to Premier League clubs in the 2020-21 season only.