'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3: Upsets still happen
Despite there now being a monstrous gulf in quality between the Premier League and even the Championship – let alone League One and League Two – the FA Cup still regularly seems to throw up a handful of upsets each season, and those upsets alone make the competition relevant for both fans and smaller clubs alike.
2017/18’s edition of the cup saw a huge upset in the third round when League Two Coventry defeated Stoke – costing Mark Hughes his job in the process – and other shocking results included both League Two side Newport County and League One team Rochdale forcing Tottenham into replay fixtures before losing, and Wigan Athletic knocking out Premier League Champions elect Manchester City in the fifth round.
Admittedly, some of those bigger clubs probably saw the cup as more of a nuisance to their Premier League plans than anything else, but for those smaller clubs, their FA Cup runs were arguably the highlights of their season.
At the end of the day, football isn’t just about the huge superclubs at the top – it’s about a grassroots game too, and the FA Cup provides a wonderful opportunity for England’s smaller clubs to make their mark each season. And that alone makes it relevant.
