On May 19, 2007, the official unveiling of Wembley Stadium took place ahead of the FA Cup final after six years of the fixture taking place at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
The 90,000-seater venue was soon known as "the new Wembley," and immediately began a new tradition though it'll be a few years yet before it comes close to matching the longevity of its predecessor, which hosted the FA Cup final from 1923 through 2000. Over its first decade, the stadium has hosted the FA Cup final, League Cup finals, England matches, play-off finals, plus other sporting and entertainment events.
But the 2007 FA Cup final, between Chelsea and Manchester United, will always be the first. Here, Newsweek takes a look back at how each of those 10 finals finished ahead of Saturday's match between Chelsea and Arsenal.
1. Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United—2007
Last winner at the old Wembley, Chelsea was the first team to lift the trophy at the new stadium. The two teams were possibly over-awed by the occasion at the new arena as a cagey game trudged into extra time after Ryan Giggs had missed a glorious chance to win it in normal time. The game provided few moments to live long in the memory. Didier Drogba's winning goal, four minutes from penalties, is the only standout moment. The ball pinged around the United half until Drogba's smart touch flicked it round the corner to Frank Lampard, whose return ball fell into the path of the Ivorian striker. An on-running Edwin van der Sar was beaten by Drogba who poked home and celebrated with the Chelsea fans behind the goal. It was Jose Mourinho's first and only FA Cup title.
2. Portsmouth 1-0 Cardiff City—2008
Two of the most unexpected finalists ended up seeing a scrappy goal win the match, and the trophy for Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth—the first silverware of his 25-year career. A cross from John Utaka in the 37th minute was fumbled by Cardiff goalkeeper Peter Enckelman and Kanu pounced to win the FA Cup for the club, its first in 69 years. Although Portsmouth has experienced its troubles, falling down to League Two at one point, this team was full of talent, including Kanu, Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin in defense. Cardiff was aiming to become the first club since West Ham in 1980 to win the cup as a team from the second tier, but couldn't match the quality of the Premier League team.
3. Chelsea 2-1 Everton—2009
Louis Saha's cleanly hit volley in the 25th second of the game broke the record for the fastest goal in FA Cup final history. But it still wasn't enough to prevent Chelsea, led by interim coach Guus Hiddink, picking up the trophy for the second time in three years at a sweltering Wembley Stadium. Midway through the first half, Drogba darted into the penalty box and rose above four Everton defenders to power a header past Tim Howard and bring Chelsea back into the game. Hiddink's team turned up the pressure on the underdog and came close through a Nicolas Anelka lob and long-range effort from Frank Lampard. The warning signs were there, and, with 18 minutes remaining, Lampard picked up the ball 30 yards out and drilled a spectacular left-footed shot into the roof of the net to win the cup.
4. Chelsea 1-0 Portsmouth—2010
Chelsea, now managed by Carlo Ancelotti, became the first club to retain the cup since Tottenham in 1982, as it also completed the Premier League and cup double. Once again, Drogba provided the winning goal for the west London club with a free-kick from just outside the penalty area that looped over the wall and nestled into the bottom of David James' net. Chelsea had been fortunate not to be behind after Kevin Prince Boateng's poorly hit penalty was saved by the legs of Petr Cech. Lampard missed a penalty of his own three minutes from time, but the game was already won.
5. Manchester City 1-0 Stoke City—2011
Manchester City's victory at Wembley Stadium six years ago was the club's first major trophy since 1976 when it won the Football League Cup. It was the start of City's movement into the big leagues. One of the key players in the past decade at the Etihad Stadium, Yaya Toure, had the defining moment in this match. He had threatened from early on with a long-range drive. Then, with 15 minutes to play, the ball was pinging around in the Stoke City penalty area before Toure came and lashed the ball past Thomas Sorensen.
6. Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool—2012
While Liverpool was making its first appearance in an FA Cup final since 2006, Chelsea was at Wembley for the third time in four years in the competition. This was the second time Chelsea had won the FA Cup at the new Wembley under an interim manager, this time Roberto Di Matteo. Brazilian Ramires put the London club ahead with a slick counter-attack in the 11th minute. Drogba, scoring his fourth goal at Wembley in FA Cup finals, scored the decisive goal seven minutes into the second half.
7. Manchester City 0-1 Wigan Athletic—2013
Against the reigning Premier League champion, which featured talent including Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, David Silva, Samir Nasri, newly relegated Wigan Athletic conquered. Roberto Martinez's team tested Joe Hart in the City goal and then scored a dramatic injury-time winner through a Ben Watson header. It is one of the most memorable stories of the new Wembley given the circumstances as City continued to pump money into its team and Wigan fell into the second tier of English football.
8. Arsenal 3-2 Hull City—2014
Another underdog story looked to be told after Steve Bruce's Hull City went 2-0 up against Arsenal inside eight minutes, through James Chester and Curtis Davies. But Arsenal hit back quickly with a Santi Cazorla goal and Laurent Koscielny equalized with 19 minutes to go. Hull held on into extra time but in the 109th minute, a smart back-heel from Olivier Giroud was hit first time by Aaron Ramsey to win Arsenal its first trophy in nine years.
9. Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa—2015
Tim Sherwood had taken over from Paul Lambert at Aston Villa midway through the Premier League season. He had steered the club away from the relegation zone and to its first FA Cup final in 15 years, but then also went down to the worst defeat at the new Wembley. Shay Given, in the Villa goal, made some superb saves but ended up being beaten four times — and it could have been more. Theo Walcott scored the first five minutes before the end of the first half as he latched onto a knock down, and then Villa capitulated in the second half. Alexis Sanchez hit a lethal drive from long distance that swerved past Given, before Per Mertesacker and Giroud finished off the scoring.
10. Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United—2016
The moment that will live longest in the memory from this game took place on the touchline. With 12 minutes of the final remaining, Jason Puncheon latched onto a looping cross and lashed the ball past David De Gea to prompt his manager Alan Pardew into a dance. His shoulders bobbed and his hips shook, but the celebration was premature. Juan Mata's deflected volley equalized for United and then Jesse Lingard scored the winner in Louis van Gaal's final match as manager of the club.
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