2016 FA Cup final
The 2016 FA Cup final was an association football match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United on 21 May 2016 at Wembley Stadium in London, England, organised by the Football Association. It marked the 135th final of the Football Association Challenge Cup and was the showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition. It was Manchester United's first FA Cup final appearance since 2007, when they lost 1–0 to Chelsea. Crystal Palace were playing their second FA Cup final, the previous occasion being in 1990, when they lost to Manchester United after a replay following a 3–3 draw in the first match.
Mark Clattenburg, from Consett, County Durham, was the referee for the match, which was played in front of 88,619 spectators. The first half was goalless although Clattenburg was the subject of some controversy when he awarded Crystal Palace a free kick instead of playing advantage after Manchester United's Chris Smalling was adjudged to have fouled Connor Wickham. After coming on as a second-half substitute, Jason Puncheon gave Crystal Palace the lead when he scored from close range past David de Gea in the Manchester United goal. The lead lasted three minutes before Juan Mata's deflected volley beat Wayne Hennessey, the Crystal Palace goalkeeper. Regular time ended with a scoreline of 1–1, sending the final into extra time. Just before the interval in the additional period, Smalling was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, becoming the fourth player to be dismissed in an FA Cup final. Jesse Lingard, who had been brought on to replace Mata close to the end of regular time, then shot from distance, sending the ball into the top corner of the Crystal Palace goal to give Manchester United a 2–1 victory, and their twelfth FA Cup.
Manchester United's Wayne Rooney was named as man of the match. The victory was Louis van Gaal's only trophy as Manchester United's manager and he was sacked two days after the final, to be replaced by José Mourinho. By winning the final, Manchester United qualified for both the 2016 FA Community Shield and the group stage of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League.
Background
The FA Cup is an annual knockout tournament involving professional and amateur men's football clubs in the English football league system. It is the world's oldest football cup competition. The 2016 final was the 135th final to be played since it was first held in 1872.In the two league matches between the sides during the regular season, the fixture at Selhurst Park in London in October 2015 ended in a goalless draw while the game at Old Trafford the following April ended in a 2–0 victory to Manchester United. Crystal Palace's top scorer during the regular season was Dwight Gayle who had scored 7 goals in 11 appearances in all competitions, while three players – Yannick Bolasie, Yohan Cabaye and Connor Wickham – had 6 each. Anthony Martial was Manchester United's leading scorer, with 17 goals, including 2 in the FA Cup, followed by Wayne Rooney on 15. Manchester United went into the final with a record of 11 wins from 18 FA Cup finals, one behind Arsenal in both FA Cup wins and FA Cup Final appearances. United last played a final in 2007, the first at the new Wembley, where they lost 1–0 after extra time to Chelsea. Their last title victory was in 2004, a 3–0 win against Millwall at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Crystal Palace's only previous FA Cup final was the 1990 final, which they lost to Manchester United after a replay when the first match had ended in a 3–3 draw.
Route to the final
Crystal Palace
As a Premier League team, Crystal Palace started their campaign in the third round. There, they were drawn against fellow Premier League team Southampton away at St Mary's Stadium on 9 January 2016. Crystal Palace took the lead when Joel Ward scored in the 29th minute from a Jason Puncheon pass. Six minutes after half time, Oriol Romeu equalised for Southampton following Cuco Martina's saved shot. Midway through the second half, Wilfried Zaha restored Crystal Palace's lead, scoring with a volley after the Southampton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg had kept out Puncheon's shot. No further goals were scored and the match ended 2–1 to Crystal Palace. In the fourth round, Crystal Palace hosted another top-flight team in Stoke City at Selhurst Park on 30 January. Zaha scored in the first half after beating the Stoke City defence, striking the ball past Jakob Haugaard for the only goal of the game. The visiting side had made eight changes to their team from their previous league match, prompting their manager Mark Hughes to say "We were a little bit stretched, we had a number of players unavailable."
In the fifth round, Crystal Palace were drawn against their third consecutive Premier League opposition, meeting Tottenham Hotspur on 21 February away at White Hart Lane. Although Tottenham Hotspur had a number of chances to score, including two shots from Harry Kane which were saved by Wayne Hennessey and Dele Alli striking both goalposts with a shot, Crystal Palace secured a 1–0 victory. Martin Kelly scored his first goal since 2011 in first-half stoppage time from close range after receiving the ball from Zaha. The win meant Crystal Palace advanced to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since the 1994–95 competition. There, they had their first game against a lower-division team, facing Championship side Reading at the Madejski Stadium on 11 March. Although Crystal Palace dominated possession, the first half ended goalless. With five minutes of the game remaining, Reading defender Jake Cooper was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, fouling Bolasie and conceding a penalty which was scored by Cabaye. Fraizer Campbell secured the win with a goal from close range four minutes into stoppage time. Crystal Palace won 2–0 and progressed to the semi-final for the first time in 21 years.
On 24 April, Crystal Palace faced Watford at Wembley Stadium, a neutral venue, in a repeat of the 2013 Football League Championship play-off final. Bolasie gave Crystal Palace an early lead when he headed the ball into the Watford goal after Damien Delaney flicked on a corner from Cabaye. Watford's Étienne Capoue was stretchered off the pitch in the 30th minute following a tangle with Bolasie. Ten minutes into the second half, Troy Deeney equalised for Watford when he scored with a header from José Manuel Jurado's corner. Six minutes later, Crystal Palace retook the lead when Wickham converted Pape Souaré's cross to make it 2–1 which remained the final score.
Manchester United
As a Premier League team, Manchester United also entered 2015–16 FA Cup in the third round, hosting Sheffield United of League One at Old Trafford on 9 January 2016. Substitute Memphis Depay was fouled in second-half stoppage time by Dean Hammond for a penalty kick, from which Rooney scored the only goal of the match. Manager Louis van Gaal was under pressure for Manchester United's poor form prior to the match. In the fourth round, Manchester United travelled to Pride Park to play Derby County who were in a play-off place in the Championship. Rooney scored the first goal in the 16th minute from outside the penalty area, but George Thorne equalised eight minutes before half time. Midway though the second half, Daley Blind restored Manchester United's lead, scoring with a low strike from Jesse Lingard's cross. Juan Mata's 83rd-minute goal after a run from Martial secured a 3–1 victory for Manchester United and relieved Van Gaal of further pressure; it was the first time in 15 games that the team won by a margin of more than one goal.
On 22 February, Manchester United played the fifth round against Shrewsbury Town, who were in 21st position in League One, away at New Meadow. Chris Smalling opened the scoring for Manchester United with his first goal in the FA Cup eight minutes before half-time. Mata doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time with a direct free kick before Lingard confirmed a 3–0 win just after the hour mark, converting Ander Herrera's pass. Manchester United were forced to play with only ten players for the final fourteen minutes of the match after Will Keane came off injured and no substitutes remained. Manchester United hosted their sixth-round match against top-flight opponents West Ham United on 13 March. The visitors took the lead midway through the second half after Dimitri Payet's free kick beat David de Gea in the Manchester United goal. With seven minutes remaining, the hosts equalised when Martial scored from a cross from Herrera, ending the match 1–1. Due to the draw, a replay was required. This took place the following month at the Boleyn Ground, the final FA Cup match at the ground. After a goalless first half, Marcus Rashford gave Manchester United the lead in the 54th minute when he curled a shot past Darren Randolph, the West Ham United goalkeeper, into the top corner of the net. Marouane Fellaini made it 2–0 midway through the second half, scoring from Martial's cross. West Ham halved the deficit in the 79th minute when James Tomkins scored with a header. Although West Ham dominated the closing stages, including having a goal by Cheikhou Kouyaté disallowed, the match ended 2–1 to Manchester United.
On 23 April, Manchester United faced Everton at Wembley, a neutral venue, in the semi-finals. Fellaini gave Manchester United the lead in the 34th minute when he scored from close range against his former team. After the interval, Timothy Fosu-Mensah fouled Everton's Ross Barkley, but de Gea saved Romelu Lukaku's subsequent penalty kick. With 15 minutes to go, Everton substitute Gerard Deulofeu sent in a cross which was deflected into Manchester United's goal off Smalling for an own goal which levelled the score. Three minutes into stoppage time, Herrera set up Martial who struck the ball past the Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles to secure a 2–1 win for Manchester United and progression to a record-breaking 19th FA Cup final.
A bomb scare at Old Trafford on the final day of the Premier League on 15 May meant that Manchester United's final league game, against Bournemouth, was postponed and rearranged for 17 May. This left Manchester United with four days to prepare for the final, two days fewer than Crystal Palace.