Published 20:03 IST, May 11th 2020
Throwback to Man City falling to a shock defeat vs Wigan in the FA Cup final in 2013
Manchester City endured a shock defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup 2013 final at Wembley through a Ben Watson header late in injury time.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
On this day, six years ago, Wigan Athletic enjoyed one of their most successful days since the formation of the club in 1932 by defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup 2013 final at Wembley. At the time, Wigan Athletic were still in the Premier League albeit facing a relegation battle and were up against the reigning champions of England - Manchester City. The final produced arguably one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history with Manchester City and their array of superstars misfiring on a day that evoked glorious emotions of joy among the Latics.
FA Cup 2012-13: Road to the FA Cup 2013 final for Manchester City
Under then Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, the cash-rich English giants breezed past their FA Cup opponents from Round 3 onwards until the semi-final against Chelsea. The Blues were the only side to score against Manchester City in the competition until that game but Mancini's men were too good for the west London outfit and progressed to the final with a 2-1 win with goals from Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero. Manchester City made it to the FA Cup 2013 final and were favourites to lift the cup against minnows Wigan Athletic.
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FA Cup 2012-13: Road to the FA Cup 2013 final for Wigan Athletic
Under the guidance of Roberto Martinez, Wigan Athletic made it to the semi-finals by eliminating Huddersfield Town and Everton respectively in Round 5 and 6. The Latics overcame Milwall in the semi-final to set up an FA Cup final date with Manchester City on May 11, 2013. The iconic Wembley stadium was set to witness another classic and Wigan were no doubt the underdogs in the final.
FA Cup 2013 final: Wigan Athletic vs Manchester City
In a game where the resulted mattered more than a commanding performance, the two Robertos led their teams out at Wembley. Although Mancini was feeling the pinch of expectations at Man City, the favourites to lift the trophy never really managed to get a foothold in the game and were in fact outplayed by Wigan Athletic. The FA Cup 2013 final was in the balance until the last minute of normal time. Ben Watson's injury-time header sent the Wigan fans in the stadium into ecstasy and Man City were staring down the barrel of a shock loss in a prestigious competition. The game ended 1-0 to cap off a dramatic upset and a special night for Wigan fans.
Man City vs Wigan 2013 FA Cup final: Highlights
Although the 1-0 win was enough for Wigan to win the FA Cup, there was heartbreak that followed in the Premier League. Martinez' side were thrashed 4-1 by Arsenal and relegated from the English top tier. Wigan became the first club to experience the bittersweet feeling of winning the FA Cup and getting relegated in the same season.
Updated 20:03 IST, May 11th 2020