Bradford City has done it again. They’ve shocked the world by advancing to the FA Cup quarterfinal. But this isn’t the first time they knocked off a notable Premier League club in Cup play. The giant killers have now upset off five top-tier Premier League teams in just over two years of cup competitions, including Premier League leaders Chelsea in the fourth round just days before the win over Sunderland. And the clock hasn’t struck midnight on this Cinderella just yet.
This isn’t anything new for Bradford as they have a long history of surprising top-tier competition. With that in mind, let’s look back at some of their more memorable upsets:
Bradford 0-0 over Wigan Athletic (2012 Capital One Cup)
Wigan Athletic was battling for their dear lives to avoid relegation and remain in the Premier League when League Two side Bradford showed up at the DW Stadium in October of 2012 and handed them a memorable upset. The lower league Bantams did an excellent job tactically to keep the game scoreless through 120 minutes of action and the game was eventually decided in penalty kicks where Bradford prevailed 4-2. Bantams goalkeeper Matt Duke was the savior this time around as he robbed Jordi Gomez on the deciding spot kick to seal the upset.
Bradford 1-1 over Arsenal (2012 Capitals One Cup)
Even after upsetting Wigan Athletic, few people gave Bradford a chance to move beyond the last eight when they were paired with Arsenal – a much more formidable opponent, they said. While they carried a 1-0 lead for most of the match, it seemed like the end was near when Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen scored to tie it with just a couple of minutes to play. Momentum had shifted and Arsenal was supposed to prevail in the end. However, Bradford had other plans as they rallied again, this time in the penalty shootout. Karma sorted things out as Vermaelen missed the crucial penalty that gave Bradford the 3-2 edge and a spot in the final four.
Bradford 4-2 over Chelsea (2015 FA Cup)
Bradford’s run in the Capital One Cup was the stuff of legend and while it didn’t end in glory, it was a memorable run that won’t soon be forgotten. So when Bradford, now in League One, played Chelsea in the fourth round pairing for this year’s FA Cup, there was undoubtedly some fans that wondered whether or not the team would be able to capture that magic one more time. After going down 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, it seemed as though it wasn’t in the cards for Bradford. After all, they were merely the sixth-place team in League One while Chelsea was the top team in the Premier League table. But the moment was perfect for the Bantams to produce arguably the most shocking result in FA Cup history. Jon Stead, Filipe Morais, Andy Halliday and Mark Yeates all found the back of the net. The Blues supporters were nothing short of speechless at Stamford Bridge, watching Bradford rally for a 4-2 win that will live on forever. It’s arguably the most stunning upset in FA Cup history.
Bradford 2-0 over Sunderland (2015 FA Cup)
The emotional win over the Blues could have marked an end point for the Bantams but they had earned the nickname “FA Cup giant killer” and they certainly lived up to it again in a date with Sunderland. An early own goal from John O’Shea bolstered the momentum and confidence of the League One side and Jon Stead put the game away on the hour mark as Bradford’s fairytale run continued. While this win came easier for them than the Chelsea result, make no mistakes about it: they still weren’t expected to be here and they still weren’t expected to win, cashing as a +200 underdog.
The Bantams will compete in the FA Cup final eight for the first time since 1976 and all eyes will be squarely on them to see if their Cinderella story can continue for one or two more rounds.
