I've gone with something different for this weeks second top 10 and with this weekend being an FA Cup weekend, I've decided to do an FA Cup related top 10.
After doing winners a few weeks ago, this week I've decided to do top 10 losing finalists.
The losers of the the FA Cup final never get remembered for obvious reasons, but there have still been some great sides who have ended up losing the final.
Those great sides are often the teams that have won the top flight or have gone close to doing so. And some of them are in this list.
And here it is:
Newcastle - 1998
Liverpool - 1988
Chelsea - 2017
Everton - 2009
Man United - 2005
Man City - 2024
Arsenal - 2001
Tottenham - 1987
Man United - 2007
Chelsea - 2002
Newcastle - 1998
This team had to be in 10th because they finished 13th in the Premier League that season.
There were some good players in this side though including Gary Speed, John Barnes and Alan Shearer, who spent most of the season out injured with an ACL injury. He would managed just 7 goals in 21 appearances in all competitions that season.
This team would go on to make the final the following year where they would lose to Man United. That team probably should've been in the list instead of this one as they played better in that final than they did in 1998 against Arsenal.
Everton - 2009
This Everton side got off to the perfect start in the final in 2009 as Louis Saha put them ahead after just 25 seconds - the then record fastest goal in an FA Cup final. But they would later lose 2-1 to Chelsea courtesy of goals from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.
They finished 5th in the Premier League that season and had a very well drilled side under David Moyes which included the likes of Phil Jagielka, Leon Osman, Steven Pienaar, Tim Cahill, and Marouane Fellaini. It was a side who consistently competed near the top of the league.
They beat Liverpool in the fourth round and Man United in the semi finals on their way to the final, but they couldn't overcome Chelsea at the final hurdle.
Tottenham - 1987
Four years before they won the cup in 1991, Spurs were beaten in the final of 1987 by a Coventry side that finished 10th in the old First Division.
They were leading the final 2-1 at half time courtesy of goals from Clive Allen and Gary Mabbutt either side of Coventry's equaliser. But they would soon lose 3-2 in extra time with Mabbutt scoring an own goal to give Coventry the win.
They had a good enough side to win the final and it included players like Chris Waddle, Glenn Hoddle, Ray Clemence and Ossie Ardiles, the latter of who had a song named after him in the lead up to the final called Ossie's dream. Yeah, that one. A shame it didn't give them any luck.
Chelsea - 2002
Before all the money came in, Chelsea did actually win a few trophies and have a reasonably good team. But they didn't win the FA Cup in 2002 despite having a reasonably good team.
This team included a young John Terry and Frank Lampard, one of the best central defenders in Europe at the time in Marcel Desailly, one of the best midfielders in Europe at the time n Emmanuel Petit, and three top strikers in Gianfranco Zola, Eidur Gudjohnsen, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
They lost to an Arsenal side that did the double in 2002 and were second best throughout the final.
Man United - 2005
Man United won the FA Cup the year before against Millwall, but they couldn't make it two in a row as they were beaten by Arsenal on penalties and ended the season without a trophy.
They finished 3rd and a whopping 18 points behind Chelsea in the Premier League that season, but they still had a strong team which included players who achieved a lot of success with them including Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane, and young exciting players at the time in Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
They had a lot of chances in the final both in normal time and extra time, but they couldn't find the back of the net before being defeated in the shootout.
Arsenal - 2001
Arsenal looked set to win the final of 2001 heading into the final minutes of the game against Liverpool, until Michael Owen's quick fire double broke their hearts and won the cup for Liverpool.
They had a lot of great opportunities on the day and particularly in the second half which was their best spell of the game. But they didn't take them until Freddie Ljungberg took his to put them ahead before Owen's double for Liverpool.
They had a very strong team back in 2001 which included the likes of Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, who started the final on the bench. This was a side who were battling it with Man United for the Premier League title season after season, and a side who were approaching their prime under Arsene Wenger.
Liverpool - 1988
This Liverpool side won the league in 1988 and by some distance with a team boasting the likes of John Aldridge, John Barnes, Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson and Kenny Dalglish, who was player-manager.
But they couldn't beat Wimbledon of all teams in the final of the FA Cup.
The Wimbledon side they lost to made it incredibly difficult for them in the final and had players who were horrible to play against like Vinnie Jones.
The reds had a host of chances in the final including a missed penalty from John Aldridge which was saved by Dave Beasant. But despite the many chances they had, they couldn't find a way past a resolute Wimbledon defence.
Chelsea - 2017
Chelsea went into the 2017 final against Arsenal as massive favourites after comfortably winning the Premier League in Antonio Conte's first season in charge.
But they looked surprisingly off it as they gave Arsenal too much time on the ball and they never recovered from their slow start. A lot people were suggesting at the time that they over-celebrated their title win and if they did, their performance showed.
The team they fielded for the final was the team they fielded for most of the season in the league and when I look at it, it was more than good enough to win the final. It had quality players like Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and N'Golo Kante, all whom played a key role in their Premier League title win.
Man United - 2007
This Man United side were probably the favourites heading into the 2007 against Chelsea, who they finally knocked off the top of the Premier League by winning the title by six points.
That was the season where Cristiano Ronaldo was beginning to turn into the player he would later go on to become as he ended the season with 17 league goals.
Wayne Rooney was also developing as a player in a team which included quality players like Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand, as well as Ronaldo of course.
But Chelsea got their revenge on them with Didier Drogba's goal in extra time winning them the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley in what wasn't the greatest game.
Man City - 2024
This Man City side had to be my no.1 because of the quality they had, and the fact that they won the treble the season before. It was pretty much the same team, but without Ilkay Gundogan, who scored twice in the final the year before and left for Barcelona in the summer.
They were heavy favourites heading into the 2024 final as they went into it off the back of winning their fourth Premier League title in a row, and were playing a Man United side who had their worst Premier League season to date.
But they looked surprisingly off it as United put in a performance and made the most of City's rare off day. Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland of all people were both kept quiet, and the rest of the team just didn't perform at the level they were used to.
MY TOP 10:
Man City - 2024
Man United - 2007
Chelsea - 2017
Liverpool - 1988
Arsenal - 2001
Man United - 2005
Chelsea - 2002
Tottenham - 1987
Everton - 2009
Newcastle - 1998
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