2002–03 FA Cup
| Country |
 England Wales
|
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|---|---|---|---|
| Champions | Arsenal (9th title) | ||
| Runners-up | Southampton | ||
| Top goal scorer(s) |
Nigel Jemson (5 goals) |
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|
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The 2002–03 FA Cup was the 122nd staging of the world's oldest cup competition, the FA Cup. The competition was won by Arsenal with a 1–0 victory in the final at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff against Southampton, courtesy of a Robert Pirès goal.
At this stage the 48 Second and Third Division clubs joined the 32 non-league clubs who came through the qualifying rounds.
The matches were scheduled to be played on the weekend of Saturday, 16 November 2002, with replays in the week commencing 25 November.
The matches were scheduled to be played on the weekend of Saturday, 7 December 2002, with replays in the week commencing 16 December.
This round was the first in which Division 1 and Premier League (top-flight) teams entered the competition. The matches were scheduled to be played on the weekend of Saturday, 4 January 2003, with replays in the week commencing 13 January.
Shrewsbury, who ended the season with relegation from the Football League, achieved the biggest upset of the round (if not the whole competition), with a surprise 2-1 win over an Everton side who were pushing for a place in Europe and featuring a 17-year-old striker called Wayne Rooney - one of the most promising young players in the game.
Holders Arsenal moved closer to retaining the trophy by beating Chelsea 3-1 in a replay that followed a 2-2 draw. They were paired in the semi-finals with Sheffield United, while the other semi-final would be contested between Southampton and Watford.
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