Of course, there could well be a familiar winner of the FA Cup this season, with seven-time champions Manchester City still very much in contention – three of those coming since 2011.
But should they be upset by Bournemouth on Sunday then the final four would be absent of City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United – the sides who have hogged the FA Cup trophy in recent decades.
The table above shows how such sides have dominated in the modern era, with only Aston Villa of the remaining clubs in the competition able to compete in terms of wins, although all seven of theirs came before 1958.
It isn’t actually that long ago since a side who hasn’t lifted the FA Cup before – or won it for the first time in a long time – last clinched it.
That happened just four years ago, when Leicester City triumphed over Chelsea.
However, that Foxes win is just the third time since Everton won the FA Cup 30 years ago that a side other than Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United won it.
The others were surprise triumphs for Wigan in 2013 and Portsmouth five years earlier.
That 2008 showpiece was also the last time a final did not include one of the aforementioned five Premier League sides, with Harry Redknapp’s Portsmouth beating Cardiff.
“I think it could happen this season,” former Everton midfielder Fara Williams said on Football Focus.
“If you look how the Premier League has unfolded this season, there have been some real surprise packages.
“This may be the year we have two teams in the final we haven’t seen in recent seasons.”
