2016–17 FA Cup

The 2016–17 FA Cup (also known as the FA Challenge Cup) was the 136th edition of the oldest recognised football tournament in the world. It was sponsored by Emirates, and known as the Emirates FA Cup for sponsorship purposes. 736 clubs were accepted into the tournament, and it began with the extra preliminary round on 6 August 2016, and concluded with the final on 27 May 2017. The winner qualified for the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League group stage. Premier League side Manchester United were the defending champions, but were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Chelsea. Arsenal won a record-breaking 13th title following a 2–1 win over Chelsea in the final, winning their third FA Cup in 4 seasons. The tournament was also notable for the performance of Lincoln City from Level 5, who became the first non-league club to reach the quarter-finals since 1914. This edition of the FA Cup was the first in which quarter-final matches were played to a result on the day, instead of being subject to replay in case of a draw. However, all four matches were settled without the need for extra time.