Manchester United 4-0 Chelsea
FA Cup final, May 14, 1994
In the days before these two became fierce rivals both at home and in Europe, Chelsea, in their first major final since 1971, were bidding to de-rail Manchester United's bid for the the club's first Double.
Eric Cantona (60, pen)
Eric Cantona (66, pen)
Mark Hughes (69 )
Brian McClair (90)
FA Cup final,
May 14, 1994
Wembley ,
Referee: David Elleray,
Att: 79,634
On a rainy afternoon, Chelsea surprised most onlookers by playing the better football in the first half, with Gavin Peacock almost opening the scoring with a dipping half-volley that crashed against the crossbar.
But United's 1994 vintage were renowned for their mental toughness and the game was all over as a contest when they scored three goals in just nine minutes midway through the second half. Eric Cantona stroked home a pair of identical penalties, while Mark Hughes capitalised on a slip by Frank Sinclair.
Blues player-manager Glenn Hoddle came on in an effort to change things but Brian McClair completed the rout with a late goal courtesy of an unselfish pass from Paul Ince in the final minute.
Key Figures
Eric Cantona
The mercurial Frenchman is credited as the catalyst for United's resurgence in the the 90s. And he was at his brooding and brilliant best at Wembley, scoring twice from two nerveless penalties and unsettling the Chelsea defence all afternoon. The final was the culmination of a brilliant season in which he was crowned PFA Player of the Year.
Frank Sinclair
The Chelsea defender had an afternoon to forget as he was given a torrid time by United's potent front-line. His foul on Andrei Kanchelskis led to Cantona opening the scoring from the penalty spot, and he was also at fault for United's third goal.
Mark Hughes
If it hadn't been for Hughes, United would never have made the final in the first place. His late volley in the dying moments of extra-time against Oldham in the semi-finals forced a replay, which United won 4-1. He was equally effective in the final as he claimed his third FA Cup winners' medal.
Did You Know...?
This was United's eighth win in the competition, taking them level with Tottenham. They have since added another three to become the FA Cup's most successful team with 11 wins.
Despite losing their first FA Cup final since winning the competition 24 years earlier, Chelsea qualified for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup as United had already won the Premier League and would be competing in the Champions League.
Manchester United almost completed a unique domestic Treble that season but missed out by losing 3-1 to Aston Villa in the League Cup final. United would go on to complete a more illustrious Treble of League, FA Cup and the Champions League in 1999.
What Happened Next
This was just the beginning of United's domestic dominance. Although they failed in their defence of the FA Cup, losing the following season in the final to Everton, they followed that up with another domestic double in 1995-96.
Chelsea has to wait three years before returning to Wembley for another FA Cup final, but this time their day ended on a high note as they beat Middlesbrough 2-0 to claim their first major trophy for 26 years.
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