The six most iconic FA Cup replay moments: The giant killings and unforgettable winning goals

The Football Association’s sudden plan to introduce radical reform to the FA Cup threatens to rob fans of any repeat of the iconic moments that have made the famous tournament what it is today.

The plan to remove all replays from the first round onwards next season not only costs lower league sides their potential cash-cow ties against top flight opposition, but will also prevent the type of cut-throat moments of glory we have come to expect from the Cup.

Here, Telegraph Sport recounts the six most iconic moments in FA Cup history, the memory of which will only fuel the backlash to the sudden shake-up.

6. Jan 22, 1979: Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Arsenal

Nowadays, top-flight teams can lift the FA Cup after five matches of football. But in January 1979, it took Arsenal that many games to get past Sheffield Wednesday in the third round. After four draws in 12 days at three different venues, Arsenal finally advanced past Sheffield in their fifth match-up. 

The tie produced 16 goals through ten different scorers with an overall combined attendance of more than 140,000 fans across the five games. Multiple replays would eventually be abolished in 1990, but legendary ties such as this one will not be easily forgotten.