Manchester City Lose FA Cup Final Again: Four Other Teams That Lost Back-to-Back Finals

Manchester City headed to Wembley on May 17th to contest the FA Cup final for the second straight season. Last term, they were shockingly beaten by Erik Ten Hag's misfiring Manchester United thanks to goals from youngsters Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Maino. But if the Blues were favorites for that clash 12 months ago, then they certainly would have been overwhelming frontrunners for the meeting with Crystal Palace one year later. 

However, just like last time under the arch, City were stunned again. England winger Eberechi Eze gave the underdog Eagles a shock first-half lead, and it was a lead they never surrendered. Pep Guardiola's Blues had the perfect chance to equalize from the penalty spot after Bernardo Silva was fouled in the area. However, January signing Omar Marmoush surprisingly took the penalty ahead of prolific striker Erling Haaland, and Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson made the save. 

The 1-0 victory saw Crystal Palace secure their first-ever piece of major silverware in the club's 119-year history, but for City, only one shot remains to save their season. That, of course, comes in the form of this summer's FIFA Club World Cup, and once again, online sports betting sites make the Blues a favorite for glory. The latest online sports betting at Bovada odds currently prices Guardiola's men as the +450 joint-favorite, level with Spanish giants Real Madrid. 

If the Blues are to live up to the billing, then they will have to shake off their recent poor form on the grandest stage, and quickly. But despite their recent woes, at least City supporters can take some solace in the fact that they aren't the only ones to have lost back-to-back marquee matches. Some have fared even worse. 

Chelsea Lose Three Straight FA Cup Finals 

Before Manchester City's recent plight, their Premier League rivals, Chelsea, were the ones in the unwanted hot seat. Between 2020 and 2022, the London outfit reached three straight FA Cup finals. Inexplicably, however, they lost all of them. 

The first of those came in a strange old campaign affected by global events, which saw them face off against London rivals Arsenal at Wembley in front of no spectators. Despite the Gunners side that Manager Mikel Arteta inherited being a million miles away from the one he has constructed in the years since, the Emirates outfit was still able to emerge with a surprise victory courtesy of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's brace. 

A year later, Chelsea faced off against 2016 Premier League champions Leicester City. Once again, the Blues were the favorites, but it was the Foxes that managed to leave Wembley with the victory and a maiden FA Cup triumph thanks to Youri Tielemans' second-half thunderbolt. 

In 2022, Chelsea were no longer the favorites. They faced off against Liverpool in both the League Cup and the FA Cup finals. The Reds won both, and they did so in identical fashion. Both games finished 0-0 after 120 minutes, only for the Merseysiders to win via penalty shootouts. 

Athletic Club Lose Two Copa Del Rey Finals In a Fortnight 

If you think losing cup finals in back-to-back seasons is bad, spare a thought for Athletic Club. Back in 2021, they played two Copa Del Rey finals in the space of as many weeks. And just like both the aforementioned Chelsea and Manchester City, they lost both. 

Once again, global events drastically hindered the 2019/20 season, and the Bilbao outfit was made to wait a whole year for them to contest the final. They eventually met arch-rivals Real Sociedad in April 2021, and they were beaten due to a second half Mikel Oyarzabal penalty. 

While the Basque outfit were waiting for their 2019/20 Copa Del Rey campaign to conclude, they were also actively playing fixtures in the 2020/21 installment of the competition. Once again, they went on to reach the final, and they were scheduled to meet Barcelona just two weeks after their defeat to Real Sociedad. Once again, they were beaten, and resoundingly so, suffering a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Lionel Messi's Barcelona. 

Inter Milan and AS Roma Go Toe-to-Toe 

Between 2005 and 2008, Inter Milan and AS Roma met each other in four straight Coppa Italia finals, and it initially looked to be a brutal run for the Giallorossi. The capital city side lost both of the first two finals, suffering a 3-0 aggregate defeat in 2005 and a 4-2 aggregate loss a year later. But just as their expectations reached an all-time low, they would suddenly get their shot at revenge in 2007. 

The two sides met for a third straight final that year, and Roma would finally have their moment in the limelight. They picked up a thumping 6-2 victory in the first leg of the final, and although the Nerazzurri won the second leg 2-1, it was Roma who secured the trophy with a 7-4 aggregate win. 

A year later, the two sides met in a fourth straight final for the first time in the competition's history. This time around, the final was played in a one-off game rather than over two legs, and Roma would manage to tie their epic series up at two wins apiece with a 2-1 victory in the Stadio Olimpico.