FA Cup 2021–22 was the 141st season and marked the 150th anniversary of the first Football Association Challenge Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world, started in the 1871–72 season. It was sponsored by Emirates and was known as the Emirates FA Cup for sponsorship purposes. Premier League side Leicester City were the holders, having beaten Chelsea in the 2021 FA Cup Final. They were eliminated by Nottingham Forest in the fourth round.
Liverpool beat the two-time defending runners-up Chelsea on penalties in the final to win their 8th FA Cup overall and first since 2006. This was the fifth FA Cup final that has gone to extra time, with Chelsea becoming the first team to lose three consecutive finals. As winners, Liverpool would have qualified for the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League group stage; however, as they had already qualified for European competition via the league standings, the spot was passed down to the 6th-placed Premier League team.
Champions: Liverpool (8th title)
Runner-up: Chelsea
Top goal scorer: Adam Boyes , 11 goal
Qualification: Teams that are not members of either the Premier League or English Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 32 available places in the first round proper. The six-round qualifying competition began with the Extra preliminary round on 6 August 2021.
FA Cup 2021–22 Fourth Round Matches
The draw for the fourth round was held on 9 January 2022 at Wembley Stadium, and was done by David James and Leah Williamson. The lowest-ranked team in the fourth round were Kidderminster Harriers of the sixth-tier National League North.
Date Team 1 Result Team 2
4 February 2022 Manchester United 1–1 (a.e.t.)
7–8 (penalties) Middlesbrough
5 February 2022 Chelsea 2–1 (a.e.t.) Plymouth Argyle
5 February 2022 Kidderminster Harriers 1–2 (a.e.t.) West Ham United
5 February 2022 Crystal Palace 2–0 Hartlepool United
5 February 2022 Huddersfield Town 1–0 Barnsley
5 February 2022 Peterborough United 2–0 Queens Park Rangers
5 February 2022 Southampton 2–1 (a.e.t.) Coventry City
5 February 2022 Everton 4–1 Brentford
5 February 2022 Stoke City 2–0 Wigan Athletic
5 February 2022 Manchester City 4–1 Fulham
5 February 2022 Wolves 0–1 Norwich City
5 February 2022 Cambridge United 0–3 Luton Town
5 February 2022 Tottenham Hotspur 3–1 Brighton
6 February 2022 Liverpool 3–1 Cardiff City
6 February 2022 Nottingham Forest 4–1 Leicester City
6 February 2022 AFC Bournemouth 0–1 Boreham Wood
FA Cup 2021–22 Fifth Round Matches
The draw for the fifth round was held on 6 February 2022 at Wembley Stadium, and was done by Andy Cole. The matches were played during the week commencing Monday 28 February 2022. The lowest-ranked team in the fifth round were Boreham Wood of the fifth-tier National League.
Date Team 1 Result Team 2
1 March 2022 Peterborough United 0–2 Manchester City
1 March 2022 Crystal Palace 2–1 Stoke City
1 March 2022 Middlesbrough 1–0 (a.e.t.) Tottenham Hotspur
2 March 2022 Luton Town 2–3 Chelsea
2 March 2022 Southampton 3–1 West Ham United
2 March 2022 Liverpool 2–1 Norwich City
3 March 2022 Everton 2–0 Boreham Wood
7 March 2022 Nottingham Forest 2–1 Huddersfield Town
FA Cup 2021–22 Quarter Final Matches
The draw was held on 3 March 2022 at Wembley Stadium, and was conducted by England national football team manager Gareth Southgate. The lowest-ranked teams in the quarter-finals were Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest, both of the second-tier EFL Championship.
Date Team 1 Result Team 2
19 March 2022 Middlesbrough 0–2 Chelsea
20 March 2022 Crystal Palace 4–0 Everton
20 March 2022 Southampton 1–4 Manchester City
20 March 2022 Nottingham Forest 0–1 Liverpool
FA Cup 2021–22 Semi Final
The draw for the semi-finals was held on 20 March 2022 by former England international Robbie Fowler.
Date Team 1 Result Team 2
16 April 2022 Manchester City 2–3 Liverpool
17 April 2022 Chelsea 2–0 Crystal Palace
FA Cup 2021–22 Final match
14 May 2022 16:45 BST, Wembley Stadium, London
Chelsea | 0 – 0 (a.e.t.) | Liverpool |
Alonso Azpilicueta James Barkley Jorginho Ziyech Mount |
Penalties 5 – 6 |
Milner Alcântara Firmino Alexander-Arnold Mané Jota Tsimikas |
FA Cup 2021–22 Top Goal scorers
Following the conclusion of the competition, Marske United player Adam Boyes was awarded the FA Cup Golden Ball Award, commemorating him as the top scorer of the season from the extra preliminary round through to the final with eleven goals.
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Riyad Mahrez Manchester City 4
2 Jayden Stockley Charlton Athletic 4
3 Ryan Bowman Shrewsbury Town 3
4 Jordon Garrick Plymouth Argyle 3
5 Harry Kane Tottenham Hotspur 3
6 Callum Lang Wigan Athletic 3
7 Romelu Lukaku Chelsea 3
8 Emiliano Marcondes AFC Bournemouth 3
9 Bryan Mbeumo Brentford 3
10 Takumi Minamino Liverpool 3
11 Ollie Palmer AFC Wimbledon 3
12 Scott Quigley Stockport County 3
13 James Wilson Port Vale 3