2012–13 FA Cup
The 2012–13 FA Cup was the 132nd season of the FA Cup, the main domestic cup competition in English football, and the oldest football knock-out competition in the world. It was sponsored by Budweiser for a second consecutive season, thus the competition name was The FA Cup with Budweiser.
| The Football Association Challenge Cup | |
|---|---|
Members of the Wigan Athletic executive with the FA Cup trophy | |
| Tournament details | |
| Country | England Wales |
| Dates | 11 August 2012 – 11 May 2013 |
| Teams | 758 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Wigan Athletic (1st title) |
| Runner-up | Manchester City |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 156 |
| Attendance | 2,015,202 (12,918 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Danny Hylton (8 goals) |
A total of 833 clubs applied to enter, with 758 clubs being accepted into the competition. The preliminary rounds commenced on 11 August 2012, with the first round proper played on 3 November 2012. The final was played on 11 May 2013 at Wembley Stadium in London between Manchester City and Wigan Athletic. In what was described as the biggest upset since Wimbledon's win over Liverpool in the 1988 final, Wigan defeated Manchester City 1–0 to claim the trophy for the first time in their history.
As a result, Wigan Athletic participated in the group stage of the following season's UEFA Europa League. Chelsea were the defending champions, having beaten Liverpool 2–1 in last season's final, but were eliminated in the semi-finals by Manchester City.
Three days after winning the cup, Wigan made history by becoming the first side to win the cup and be relegated in the same season, after they lost 4–1 to Arsenal.