Big Four have dominated FA Cup as well as Premier League



The FA Cup interrupts the Premier League programme at the weekend and there will be many a manager hoping the most competitive title race in years will take the Big Four's mind off football's oldest cup competition.

The term "Big Four" has come to define Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool - the quartet who have dominated English football for the past 15 seasons or so.

Liverpool's struggles the past two campaigns have made the concept of a Big Four slightly more fluid.

While the FA Cup is famous for levelling the playing field and allowing smaller teams to spring surprises, it seems the magic does not spread as far as surprise winners. Since 1989, 19 of the 22 trophies have been lifted by the Big Four.

In fact six of those finals have been contest between Big Four sides and only three teams from outside the top flight have reached the final.

Maybe - hopefully for those who back underdogs - this will be the year that the Big Four's grip on the famous trophy finally slips.

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Mr Al Qassimi is 37 and lives in Dubai
He is a keen drummer and loves gardening
His favourite way to unwind is spending time with his two children and cooking