2018–19 FA Cup

Dates11 August 2018 – 18 May 2019Teams736 (overall)
644 (qualifying competition)
124 (main competition)Final positionsChampionsManchester City (6th title)Runner-upWatfordTournament statisticsMatches played126Goals scored360 (2.86 per match)Attendance1,200,703 (9,529 per match)Top goal scorer(s)
(5 goals each)(Note: All statistics do not include qualifying play-offs)

The 2018–19 FA Cup (also known as the Football Association Challenge Cup) was the 138th edition of the oldest football tournament in the world. It was sponsored by Emirates and known as The Emirates FA Cup for sponsorship purposes. It started with the extra preliminary round on the weekend of 11 August 2018 and concluded with the final on 18 May 2019.

Premier League side Chelsea were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Manchester United, whom they beat in the previous season's final, in the fifth round. Manchester City won their sixth FA Cup title and their first since 2011. Having won the EFL Cup and the Premier League earlier in the season, they became the first English club to complete a domestic treble.^[1]

Teams

Round	Clubs remaining	Clubs involved	Winners from previous round	New entries this round	Leagues entering at this round
First round proper	124	80	32	48	24 EFL League One teams 24 EFL League Two teams
Second round proper	84	40	40	none	none
Third round proper	64	64	20	44	20 Premier League teams 24 EFL Championship teams
Fourth round proper	32	32	32	none	none
Fifth round proper	16	16	16	none	none
Quarter-finals	8	8	8	none	none
Semi-finals	4	4	4	none	none
Final	2	2	2	none	none

Round and draw dates

Phase	Round	Draw date	First match date	Ref.
Qualifying rounds	Extra preliminary round	6 July 2018	10 August 2018	[2]
	Preliminary round		24 August 2018
	First round qualifying	28 August 2018	8 September 2018
	Second round qualifying	10 September 2018	22 September 2018
	Third round qualifying	24 September 2018	6 October 2018
	Fourth round qualifying	8 October 2018	20 October 2018
Main tournament	First round proper	22 October 2018	10 November 2018
	Second round proper	12 November 2018	1 December 2018
	Third round proper	3 December 2018	4 January 2019
	Fourth round proper	7 January 2019	26 January 2019
	Fifth round proper	28 January 2019	16 February 2019
	Quarter-finals	18 February 2019	16 March 2019
	Semi-finals	17 March 2019	6 April 2019
	Final		18 May 2019

Qualifying rounds

All of the competing teams that are not members of either the Premier League or English Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 32 available places in the first round proper. The qualifying competition began with the extra preliminary round on 11 August 2018.^[2] The fourth and final qualifying round was played over the weekend of 20 October 2018.^[2]

First round proper

The first round draw took place on 22 October and was made by Dennis Wise and Dion Dublin. All 40 first round proper ties were to be played on the weekend of 10 November with 13 replays to be played on 20 and 21 November. 32 teams from the qualifying competition joined 48 teams from League One and League Two to compete in this round. This round included three teams from Level 7, the lowest-ranked teams still in the competition at that point: Metropolitan Police, Haringey Borough and Hitchin Town.^[3]

Second round proper

The second round draw took place on 12 November. The 40 winners of the first round proper played in 20 second round proper ties on the weekend of 1 December. This round included five teams from Level 6 (Guiseley, Slough Town, Southport, Stockport County and Woking), who were the lowest-ranked teams still in the competition. This round included an all-Welsh tie, Wrexham at home against Newport County, the first such tie in the FA Cup since the latter took on Swansea City in the first round of the 2006–07 tournament.

Third round proper

The third round draw took place on 3 December 2018 and was broadcast live on BBC One and BT Sport before the final second round tie between Guiseley and Fleetwood Town. All 32 third round proper ties took place on the weekend of 4–7 January 2019. A total of 64 clubs played in the third round; 20 winners of the second round, and 44 teams from the Premier League and EFL Championship entering in this round. This round included one team from Level 6, Woking, the lowest-ranked team still in the competition.^[4]

The scheduling for the third round was controversial, due to the number of games scheduled outside the traditional kick-off slot of 15:00 GMT on Saturday. Only 10 of 32 third round proper matches kicked off at that time. This was a result of the FA signing a new overseas television deal in October 2016, which came into force this season. The new contract caused a number of matches to be moved to other time-slots to accommodate viewers outside the UK.^[5][6]

Fourth round proper

The draw for the fourth round took place on 7 January following the Southampton–Derby County game. It was shown on BBC and was conducted by Carl Ikeme and Robbie Keane.^[7] All 16 fourth round ties were played on the weekend of 25–28 January 2019. This round included one team from Level 5, Barnet, the lowest ranking and only non-League side left in the competition.^[8]

Fifth round proper

The draw for the fifth round took place on 28 January 2019. Matches were played on the weekend of 15–18 February 2019. This round included one team from Level 4, Newport County, the lowest ranking side left in the competition. As of this season, extra time and penalties replaced replays as the method for resolving a drawn tie.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Quarter-finals

The draw for the quarter-finals took place on 18 February 2019. Matches were played on the weekend of 16–17 March 2019. This round included two teams from Level 2, Millwall and Swansea City, the lowest ranking sides left in the competition.

Semi-finals

The draw for the semi-finals took place on 17 March 2019.

Final

The final was played on 18 May 2019 at Wembley Stadium, London.

Bracket

The following is the bracket which the FA Cup resembled. Numbers in parentheses next to the match score represent the results of a replay, except for the quarter-finals stage onwards. Numbers in parentheses next to the replay score represents the results of a penalty shoot-out except for the quarter-finals stage onwards.

	Third round proper 4–7 January 2019 15–16 January 2019 (replays)				Fourth round proper 25–28 January 2019 5–6 February 2019 (replays)				Fifth round proper 15–18 February 2019				Quarter-finals 16–17 March 2019				Semi-finals 6–7 April 2019				Final 18 May 2019
	Aston Villa	0
	Swansea City	3
					Swansea City	4
					Gillingham	1
	Gillingham	1
	Cardiff City	0
									Swansea City	4
									Brentford	1
	Sheffield United	0
	Barnet	1
					Barnet	3
					Brentford	3 (3)
	Brentford	1
	Oxford United	0
													Swansea City	2
													Manchester City	3
	Middlesbrough	5
	Peterborough United	0
					Middlesbrough	1 (0)
					Newport County	1 (2)
	Newport County	2
	Leicester City	1
									Newport County	1
									Manchester City	4
	Manchester City	7
	Rotherham United	0
					Manchester City	5
					Burnley	0
	Burnley	1
	Barnsley	0
																	Manchester City	1
																	Brighton & Hove Albion	0
	Fleetwood Town	2
	AFC Wimbledon	3
					AFC Wimbledon	4
					West Ham United	2
	West Ham United	2
	Birmingham City	0
									AFC Wimbledon	0
									Millwall	1
	Millwall	2
	Hull City	1
					Millwall	3
					Everton	2
	Everton	2
	Lincoln City	1
													Millwall	2 (4)
													Brighton & Hove Albion (p)	2 (5)
	Bournemouth	1
	Brighton & Hove Albion	3
					Brighton & Hove Albion (a.e.t.)	0 (3)
					West Bromwich Albion	0
	West Bromwich Albion	1
	Wigan Athletic	0
									Brighton & Hove Albion	2
									Derby County	1
	Accrington Stanley	1
	Ipswich Town	0
					Accrington Stanley	0
					Derby County	1
	Derby County (p)	2 (2) (5)
	Southampton	2 (2) (3)
																				Manchester City	6
																					Watford	0
	Norwich City	0
	Portsmouth	1
					Portsmouth	1 (0)
					Queens Park Rangers	1 (2)
	Queens Park Rangers	2
	Leeds United	1
									Queens Park Rangers	0
									Watford	1
	Newcastle United (a.e.t.)	1 (4)
	Blackburn Rovers	1 (2)
					Newcastle United	0
					Watford	2
	Woking	0
	Watford	2
													Watford	2
													Crystal Palace	1
	Preston North End	1
	Doncaster Rovers	3
					Doncaster Rovers	2
					Oldham Athletic	1
	Fulham	1
	Oldham Athletic	2
									Doncaster Rovers	0
									Crystal Palace	2
	Crystal Palace	1
	Grimsby Town	0
					Crystal Palace	2
					Tottenham Hotspur	0
	Tranmere Rovers	0
	Tottenham Hotspur	7
																Watford (a.e.t.)	3
																	Wolverhampton Wanderers	2
	Bristol City	1
	Huddersfield Town	0
					Bristol City	2
					Bolton Wanderers	1
	Bolton Wanderers	5
	Walsall	2
									Bristol City	0
									Wolverhampton Wanderers	1
	Shrewsbury Town	2 (3)
	Stoke City	2 (2)
					Shrewsbury Town	2 (2)
					Wolverhampton Wanderers	2 (3)
	Wolverhampton Wanderers	2
	Liverpool	1
													Wolverhampton Wanderers	2
													Manchester United	1
	Chelsea	2
	Nottingham Forest	0
					Chelsea	3
					Sheffield Wednesday	0
	Sheffield Wednesday	0
	Luton Town	0 (0)
									Chelsea	0
									Manchester United	2
	Blackpool	0
	Arsenal	3
					Arsenal	1
					Manchester United	3
	Manchester United	2
	Reading	0

Top scorers

Rank	Player	Club	Goals[17]
1	Padraig Amond	Newport County	5
	Gabriel Jesus	Manchester City
3	Matt Doherty	Wolverhampton Wanderers	4
	Connor Jennings	Tranmere Rovers
	Raúl Jiménez	Wolverhampton Wanderers
	Paddy Madden	Fleetwood Town
	Alfie May	Doncaster Rovers
	Ivan Toney	Peterborough United
9	18 players		3

Broadcasting rights

The domestic broadcasting rights for the competition were held by the BBC and subscription channel BT Sport. The BBC held the rights since 2014–15, while BT Sport since 2013–14. The FA Cup Final was required to be broadcast live on UK terrestrial television under the Ofcom code of protected sporting events.

The following matches were broadcast live on UK television:

Round	BT Sport	BBC
First round proper	Maidenhead United v Portsmouth Port Vale v Sunderland Hampton & Richmond Borough v Oldham Athletic Oxford City v Tranmere Rovers (replay) Salford City v Shrewsbury Town (replay)	Haringey Borough v AFC Wimbledon
Second round proper	F.C. Halifax Town v AFC Wimbledon Wrexham v Newport County Guiseley v Fleetwood Town Southport v Tranmere Rovers (replay) Blackpool v Solihull Moors (replay)	Solihull Moors v Blackpool
Third round proper	Tranmere Rovers v Tottenham Hotspur Manchester United v Reading Blackpool v Arsenal Woking v Watford Blackburn Rovers v Newcastle United (replay)	Newport County v Leicester City Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool Southampton v Derby County (replay)
Fourth round proper	Accrington Stanley v Derby County AFC Wimbledon v West Ham United Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur Barnet v Brentford Newport County v Middlesbrough (replay)	Arsenal v Manchester United Millwall v Everton Chelsea v Sheffield Wednesday West Bromwich Albion v Brighton & Hove Albion (replay)
Fifth round proper	Queens Park Rangers v Watford Brighton & Hove Albion v Derby County Newport County v Manchester City Bristol City v Wolverhampton Wanderers	Doncaster Rovers v Crystal Palace Swansea City v Brentford (BBC Wales) Chelsea v Manchester United
Quarter-finals	Watford v Crystal Palace Swansea City v Manchester City	Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United Millwall v Brighton & Hove Albion
Semi finals	Watford v Wolverhampton Wanderers	Manchester City v Brighton
Final	Manchester City v Watford

Notes

References

External links

• The official FA Cup website