2nd May 1953
On this day in 1953, Blackpool triumphed over Bolton Wanderers in a thrilling FA Cup Final at Wembley, winning 4-3. This match is famously known as the ‘Matthews Final’, named after Stanley Matthews, who at 38 years old, finally secured a club honour after previously being on the losing side in two FA Cup Finals. Despite Bolton leading 3-1 with less than 25 minutes remaining, Blackpool staged a remarkable comeback. However, it was Stan Mortensen, Matthews’ team-mate, who truly shone by scoring a hat-trick. This was only the third hat-trick in an FA Cup Final and the first to occur at Wembley, with the previous two taking place in the finals of 1890 and 1894.
2nd May 2016
Fast forward to 2016, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur faced off in a Premier League match that ended in a 2-2 draw. Tottenham had initially taken a two-goal lead, but Chelsea’s comeback resulted in dropped points for Spurs. This outcome had significant implications, as it confirmed Leicester City as the Premier Division champions. Leicester, who were 5000-1 outsiders at the start of the season, claimed the League title for the first time in their history. They concluded the season 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal, although this margin did not fully reflect the competitiveness of the title race. Leicester and Tottenham were closely matched as the season drew to a close, but while Leicester remained unbeaten in their last 12 matches, Spurs failed to secure a win in their final four games. This allowed Arsenal to overtake them for the runners-up position. Leicester’s achievement was hailed as one of the most improbable triumphs in the history of team sport. However, just nine months later, Claudio Ranieri, the manager who orchestrated this success, was dismissed from his position.