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The '''Premier Cup''' was a one-off football tournament held to mark the coronation of [[Alexandra of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Queen Alexandra]] on 1 August 2019. Contested between eight {{wp|English}} football clubs, the tournament lasted for over four weeks, beginning on 18 May 2019 and ending on 5 June 2019.  
The '''Premier Cup''' was a one-off football tournament held by the {{wp|United Kingdom}}'s football associations to mark the coronation of [[Alexandra, Queen of the British|Queen Alexandra]] on 1 August 2019. Contested between sixteen football clubs, the tournament lasted for four weeks, beginning on 18 May 2019 and ending on 30 May 2019.  


Initially envisioned to include clubs from the {{wp|Scottish Premiership}} as well, the tournament ultimately came to include eight {{wp|Premier League}} clubs, namely:
Consisting of a total of sixteen clubs, in alphabetical order, the teams that competed in the tournament were:
* {{wp|Manchester City}}: 2017-18 {{wp|Premier League}} champions
* {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}
* {{wp|Manchester United}}: 2017-18 {{wp|Premier League}} runner-up
* {{wp|Bohemian F.C.|Bohemian}}
* {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}: 2017-18 {{wp|FA Cup}} champions
* {{wp|Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City}}
* {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}: 2018-19 {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} runner-up
* {{wp|Celtic F.C.|Celtic}}
* {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}: 2018-19 {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} champions
* {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}
* {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}: 2018-19 {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} runner-up
* {{wp|Dundalk F.C.|Dundalk}}
* {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}}: 2018-19 {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} qualifiers
* {{wp|Hamburger SV}}
* {{wp|Wolverhampton Wanderers}}: 2019-20 {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} qualifiers
* {{wp|Hannover 96}}
* {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}
* {{wp|Manchester City}}
* {{wp|Manchester United}}
* {{wp|Rangers F.C.|Rangers}}
* {{wp|SV Werder Bremen}}
* {{wp|Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers}}
* {{wp|Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City}}
* {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}


In total, the tournament consisted of three stages, namely the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals along with the third-place playoffs, all of which, barring the finals and the third-place playoffs, are two-legged occasions played at both home and away. Meanwhile, the clubs that compete in the tournament are drawn against one another at random via a televised lucky draw and their fixtures in the quarter-finals and semi-finals are played simultaneously. Meanwhile, the finals were held at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, {{wp|London}} while the third-place playoffs were held at {{wp|Old Trafford}}, {{wp|Manchester}}.
In total, the tournament consisted of four stages, namely the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals, all of which are one-legged occasions. Meanwhile, the clubs that compete in the tournament are drawn against one another at random via a televised lucky draw, and their fixtures in the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals are played simultaneously. In the aftermath of the tournament, the finals were held at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, {{wp|London}}.


Similar to most football tournaments, penalty shootouts were used to break any potential deadlocks while a player who has accumulated two cumulative yellow cards or simply a red card is declared ineligible for the next match and must therefore wait out the suspension period before being allowed to return.
Similar to most football tournaments, penalty shootouts were used to break any potential deadlocks. Meanwhile, a player who has picked up two cumulative yellow cards or a red card is declared ineligible for the next match and must therefore wait out the suspension period before being allowed to return.


Having been planned for at least several months in advance, the tournament resulted in the delays of both the {{wp|2019 FA Cup Final}} and the {{wp|2019 UEFA Champions League Final}} which were otherwise rescheduled to take place after the tournament had ended so as to ensure that the competing clubs could focus solely on the tournament.
==Venue==
Being a nationwide event, a total of fourteen stadiums across the {{wp|United Kingdom}} were used. For the round of 16 matches, the eight venues chosen were {{wp|Tottenham Hotspur Stadium}}, {{wp|Old Trafford}}, {{wp|Celtic Park}}, {{wp|Ibrox Stadium}}, {{wp|Swansea.com Stadium}}, {{wp|Windsor Park}}, {{wp|Eintracht-Stadion}}, and {{wp|Volkswagen Arena}}. Then, for the quarter-finals, the venues for the four ensuing matches were {{wp|Cardiff City Stadium}}, {{wp|Aviva Stadium}}, {{wp|Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena}}, and {{wp|London Stadium}}. Following this, for the two matches in the semi-finals, {{wp|Wembley Stadium}} and {{wp|Hampden Park}}, which houses the national football teams of {{wp|England}} and {{wp|Scotland}} respectively, were chosen as the host venues. Lastly, owing to its outsized reputation and its status as the country's biggest stadium, {{wp|Wembley Stadium}} was chosen to host the final match.


==Venue==
==Draw==
For the purpose of the tournament, it was officially agreed that the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, both of which are two-legged occasions, would take place at the grounds of both clubs so as to establish a sense of parity. In the meantime, it was decided that the finals, as the tournament's main highlight, would be held at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}} in {{wp|London}} as {{wp|England}}'s largest football stadium while the third-place playoffs, considered secondary in importance to the finals, would be played at the country's second-largest stadium which is {{wp|Old Trafford}} in {{wp|Manchester}}.  
For the round of 16, the clubs competing in the tournament were randomly paired against each other via a lucky draw held on 14 May 2019. The results of the draw, which was televised live on multiple channels including {{wp|BBC Sport}}, {{wp|Sky Sports}}, and {{wp|beIN Sports}}, are as follows:
 
* {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} v {{wp|Dundalk F.C.|Dundalk}}
* {{wp|Bohemian F.C.|Bohemian}} v {{wp|Manchester City}}
* {{wp|Rangers F.C.|Rangers}} v {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}
* {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} v {{wp|Hannover 96}}
* {{wp|Celtic F.C.|Celtic}} v {{wp|Hamburger SV}}
* {{wp|Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers}} v {{wp|Manchester United}}
* {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} v {{wp|Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City}}
* {{wp|SV Werder Bremen}} v {{wp|Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City}}


Initially, it was suggested that the recently-opened {{wp|Tottenham Hotspur Stadium}}, the country's third-largest stadium in terms of capacity, should host the third-place playoffs given its proximity to {{wp|Wembley Stadium}} before it was decided that two major events expected to draw in enormous crowds should be held at a considerable distance from each other so as to prevent potential overcrowding and congestion in the capital city of {{wp|London}}. In addition, by hosting the third-place playoffs somewhere further north of {{wp|London}}, a sense of parity in the tournament could be theoretically established, with {{wp|Manchester United}}, the biggest {{wp|English}} club in the northern region of {{wp|England}}, particularly lobbying for {{wp|Old Trafford}} to be used as the venue for the third-place playoffs over other likely competitors such as rivals {{wp|Manchester City}}'s {{wp|Etihad Stadium}} and {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}'s {{wp|Anfield}}. Eventually, on 10 May 2019, the organising committee announced {{wp|Wembley Stadium}} and {{wp|Old Trafford}} as the venues for the finals and the third-place playoffs respectively.
==Round of 16==
On 18 May 2019, the first four rounds of 16 matches took place. In this, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} kicked off the tournament with a comfortable 4-0 win over {{wp|Dundalk F.C.|Dundalk}}, followed by {{wp|Manchester City}} similarly defeating {{wp|Bohemian F.C.|Bohemian}} 2-0. Meanwhile, the stage's biggest victory so far was seen in {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s dominant 4-0 victory over {{wp|Rangers F.C.|Rangers}} with {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} also proving successful against their opponents in a 3-1 win over {{wp|Hannover 96}} whose striker {{wp|Niclas Füllkrug}} provided the lone goal for his side in the 51st minute that ultimately proved insufficient.


==Draw==
On 19 May 2019, the last four rounds of 16 matches took place. In this, a 20th-minute goal from {{wp|Odsonne Édouard}} allowed {{wp|Celtic F.C.|Celtic}} to narrowly see off {{wp|Hamburger SV}} while {{wp|Manchester United}}'s {{wp|Ashley Young}} similarly scored the only goal in the match to give his side a 1-0 win over {{wp|Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers}}. Meanwhile, in a surprisingly tight contest, {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}'s {{wp|Daniel Sturridge}} scored a brace in the 101st minute to complement a goal from just a minute earlier by teammate {{wp|Fabinho (footballer, born 1993)|Fabinho}} to mark a 3-1 win over {{wp|Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea City}} while lone goals from {{wp|SV Werder Bremen}}'s {{wp|Milot Rashica}} and {{wp|Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City}}'s {{wp|Bruno Ecuele Manga}} respectively resulted in a 1-1 draw and an ensuing penalty shootout that eventually ended in a 3-1 win for {{wp|SV Werder Bremen}}.
For the quarter-finals, the eight clubs competing in the tournament were randomly grouped into four groups of two via a lucky draw held on 14 May 2019. The results of the draw, which was televised live on {{wp|BBC Sport}} and {{wp|Sky Sports}}, are as follows:
* {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} v {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}
* {{wp|Manchester United}} v {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}
* {{wp|Manchester City}} v {{wp|Wolverhampton Wanderers}}
* {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}} v {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}


==Quarter-finals==
==Quarter-finals==
On 18 May 2019, the first leg of the quarter-finals of the tournament took place with {{wp|Manchester City}} starting the tournament off with a dominant 4-0 win over minnows {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}}. Similarly, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} also made a strong start to the tournament, defeating {{wp|Manchester United}} 3-0 via a brace from {{wp|Dele Alli}}. In the meantime, {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} were held to a 0-0 draw against {{wp|Wolverhampton Wanderers}} while {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} emerged narrowly triumphant, defeating {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} 2-1. In this, {{wp|Manchester United}} midfielder {{wp|Paul Pogba}} was sent off, rendering him ineligible for the second leg.
On 21 May 2019, the first two quarter-final matches took place. In this, following an initial 76th-minute goal from {{wp|Kevin De Bruyne}}, {{wp|Manchester City}} was ultimately eliminated by a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory from {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} whose players {{wp|Son Heung-min}} and {{wp|Lucas Moura}} scored within two minutes of each other to help the club qualify for the semi-finals. Likewise, derby rivals {{wp|Manchester United}} were also eliminated by the {{wp|London}}-based {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} whose midfielder {{wp|Mateo Kovačić}} scored once and later assisted a goal from {{wp|N'Golo Kanté}} in a 2-0 win.  


Then, on 22 May 2019, the second leg of the quarter-finals took place. In this, {{wp|Manchester City}} mostly met expectations in a 2-1 win over {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}} to defeat the latter 6-1 on aggregate. Meanwhile, after being initially held to a draw, {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} subsequently destroyed {{wp|Wolverhampton Wanderers}} 5-0 in the second leg to advance to the next round. On the other hand, in spite of a previously dominant performance in the first leg, a 2-3 defeat in the second leg saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} almost eliminated from the tournament if not for a final 5-3 win on aggregate, thereby eliminating {{wp|Manchester United}}. Lastly, despite a 1-1 draw in the second leg, {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} successfully defeated {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} 3-2 on aggregate courtesy of their previous 2-1 lead. In the meantime, {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} midfielder {{wp|Mesut Özil}} was sent off although this ultimately proved negligible as they were effectively eliminated by their defeat to {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}.
On 22 May 2019, the last two quarter-final matches took place. In this, a brace from {{wp|Fabinho (footballer, born 1993)|Fabinho}} and an additional goal from {{wp|Sadio Mané}} saw {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} comfortably defeat {{wp|SV Werder Bremen}} 3-1. Otherwise, in a dramatic and lengthy affair, {{wp|Héctor Bellerín}} scored a last-minute 120th-minute corner for {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}, thereby narrowly avoiding a penalty shootout in a 1-0 win over {{wp|Celtic F.C.|Celtic}} whose defence held stubbornly throughout the entirety of the match in the face of twenty-six attempts, eleven of which were on target, by {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}.


==Semi-Finals==
==Semi-Finals==
On 26 May 2019, the first leg of the semi-finals took place. Consisting of two matches in total, the first saw {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} marking a dominant 3-0 win over {{wp|Manchester City}} while the second saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} mark a similarly dominant 3-1 win over {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}. In the meantime, {{wp|Manchester City}} midfielder {{wp|David Silva}} was sent off, rendering him ineligible for the second leg.
On 26 May 2019, the two semi-final matches took place. In this, goals from longtime striker {{wp|Harry Kane}} and defender {{wp|Ben Davies (footballer, born 1993)|Ben Davies}} allowed {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} to defeat {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} 2-0 while a lone goal from {{wp|Sadio Mané}} saw {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} narrowly defeat {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} 1-0 in a close contest between the two sides in which {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}'s victory meant the end of a potential {{wp|North London derby}} in the finals between the defeated semi-finalists {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and eventual champions {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}.


On 30 May 2019, the second leg of the semi-finals took place. In the end, despite an otherwise strong performance that saw them draw 4-4 with their opponents, {{wp|Manchester City}} were ultimately defeated by {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} 4-7 on aggregate courtesy of the latter's previous 3-0 advantage from the first leg. Otherwise, despite losing 1-2 in the second leg, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} profited well from their initial 3-1 lead in the first leg to ultimately defeat {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} 4-3 on aggregate, thereby advancing to the finals to face {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} while {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} were left to face {{wp|Manchester City}} in the third-place playoffs. In the midst of this, {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} midfielder {{wp|Naby Keïta}} was sent off, thereby leaving him ineligible for the finals, a fate also suffered by {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} midfielder {{wp|Cesc Fàbregas}} who was consequently unable to participate in the third-place playoffs.
==Final==
 
On 30 May 2019, the final match took place at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, {{wp|London}}, between {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} and {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}. In this, following a series of unsuccessful attempts from {{wp|Son Heung-min}} in finding a breakthrough, a 79th-minute goal from {{wp|Dele Alli}} saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} mark a 1-0 victory over {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} to win the tournament outright. However, in a brief moment of controversy, {{wp|Serge Aurier}}, who came on as a substitute for {{wp|Ben Davies (footballer, born 1993)|Ben Davies}}, was sent off late into the 94th minute although this did not ultimately affect the final outcome of the match.
==Finals & Third-Place Playoffs==
On 5 June 2019, the final match of the tournament was held at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, {{wp|London}}, pitting {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} and {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}. In the end, {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} emerged victorious over {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, defeating them 2-0.
 
On that same day, the third-place playoffs were held at {{wp|Old Trafford}}, {{wp|Manchester}}, contested between the semi-finals losers {{wp|Manchester City}} and {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}. In the end, {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} successfully secured a third-place finish via a 3-0 win over their opponents, with {{wp|Willian (footballer, born 1988)|Willian}}, {{wp|Eden Hazard}}, and {{wp|N'Golo Kanté}} scoring a goal each.


==Aftermath==
==Aftermath==
By the end of the tournament, the designation of top goalscorer and top assister respectively were awarded to {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}'s {{wp|Roberto Firmino}} (who shares the award with {{wp|Manchester City}}'s {{wp|Sergio Agüero}}) and {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}'s {{wp|Cesc Fàbregas}} with 3 goals and 4 assists respectively. In the meantime, {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}'s {{wp|Alisson Becker}} was named the tournament's best goalkeeper. Otherwise, in terms of discipline, the tournament saw a total of 44 yellow cards handed out, with both {{wp|Cesc Fàbregas}} and {{wp|Naby Keïta}} tied for the most yellow cards (3), while only three players were ever sent off, namely {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s {{wp|Mesut Özil}}, {{wp|Manchester United}}'s {{wp|Paul Pogba}}, and {{wp|Manchester City}}'s {{wp|David Silva}}.
With the tournament's conclusion, {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}'s {{wp|Fabinho (footballer, born 1993)|Fabinho}} finished as the tournament's top goalscorer with three goals while {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s {{wp|Belgian}} defensive pair {{wp|Jan Vertonghen}} and {{wp|Toby Alderweireld}} shared the honour of being the tournament's top assisters with two assists each. Meanwhile, having only conceded once throughout the entirety of the tournament, namely in his side's 2-1 win over {{wp|Manchester City}}, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s {{wp|Hugo Lloris}} was named the tournament's best goalkeeper.
 
Given their victory in the tournament, calls for Premier Cup champions {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} to face {{wp|Coronation Cup (football)|Coronation Cup}} champions {{wp|Celtic F.C.|Celtic}} gradually grew in popularity with the main intention being to decide the "official champions of {{wp|Britain}}" given that the {{wp|Scottish}} side had previously been declared "unofficial champions" as victors of the {{wp|Coronation Cup (football)|Coronation Cup}}. Eventually, it was agreed upon by both clubs that a two-legged match would take place to decide the final outcome with the first leg being held at {{wp|Anfield}} and the second leg at {{wp|Celtic Park}} on 16 and 20 June 2019 respectively. To that end, in the first leg at home, despite a dominant performance, goals from {{wp|Leigh Griffiths}} and {{wp|Scott Sinclair}} saw {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} unexpectedly find themselves down by 2-0 at match's end. However, in the second leg at {{wp|Celtic Park}}, goals from {{wp|Sadio Mané}} and {{wp|James Milner}}, with the latter scoring an 88th-minute penalty, effectively denied the {{wp|Scottish}} club a quick victory and which subsequently led to a penalty shootout where an error by {{wp|Celtic F.C.|Celtic}}'s {{wp|James Forrest (footballer, born 1991)|James Forrest}} in the fourth attempt was capitalised upon by {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}'s {{wp|Virgil van Dijk}} to ultimately make it 5-4 for the {{wp|English}} side who were subsequently crowned "official champions of {{wp|Britain}}".
 
==Reception==
Despite the fact that the event resulted in the postponement of the finals of two major tournaments, it was otherwise received warmly by most of the public who praised the competitive and gripping nature of some of the matches including the quarter-finals fixture between {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}, the semi-finals fixtures between {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} and {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} and {{wp|Manchester City}} and {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}, particularly the second legs in which the respective victors emerged as winners by considerably tight margins. The final fixture between {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} and {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} was also widely received. Similarly, the ensuing match between {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} and {{wp|Celtic F.C.|Celtic}} was also met with positive praise that mostly centered around the gripping penalty shootout. In addition, {{wp|Celtic F.C.|Celtic}} were also praised for their performance against the more superior {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} who were initially tipped by many to easily dominate their {{wp|Scottish}} opponents.


Coincidentally, {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}'s 2-0 win over {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} in the tournament's finals was later emulated when the two clubs faced each other again in the {{wp|2019 UEFA Champions League Final}} where {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} once again defeated {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} 2-0. As a result, {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} head coach {{wp|Jürgen Klopp}} later jokingly described his club's win in the Premier Cup over {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} as "part one of us defeating {{wp|THFC|Spurs}} in a major final" with the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} final fixture being referred to as "part two".
Considered by most media outlets and observers to be an overwhelming success, {{wp|BBC News}} later reported that the tournament garnered an estimated profit of £58.5 million, an amount that was later funneled towards further developing towards both men's and women's football as per the [[Alexandra, Queen of the British|Queen]]'s request.

Latest revision as of 11:08, 15 August 2024

The Premier Cup was a one-off football tournament held by the United Kingdom's football associations to mark the coronation of Queen Alexandra on 1 August 2019. Contested between sixteen football clubs, the tournament lasted for four weeks, beginning on 18 May 2019 and ending on 30 May 2019.

Consisting of a total of sixteen clubs, in alphabetical order, the teams that competed in the tournament were:

In total, the tournament consisted of four stages, namely the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals, all of which are one-legged occasions. Meanwhile, the clubs that compete in the tournament are drawn against one another at random via a televised lucky draw, and their fixtures in the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals are played simultaneously. In the aftermath of the tournament, the finals were held at Wembley Stadium, London.

Similar to most football tournaments, penalty shootouts were used to break any potential deadlocks. Meanwhile, a player who has picked up two cumulative yellow cards or a red card is declared ineligible for the next match and must therefore wait out the suspension period before being allowed to return.

Venue

Being a nationwide event, a total of fourteen stadiums across the United Kingdom were used. For the round of 16 matches, the eight venues chosen were Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Old Trafford, Celtic Park, Ibrox Stadium, Swansea.com Stadium, Windsor Park, Eintracht-Stadion, and Volkswagen Arena. Then, for the quarter-finals, the venues for the four ensuing matches were Cardiff City Stadium, Aviva Stadium, Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena, and London Stadium. Following this, for the two matches in the semi-finals, Wembley Stadium and Hampden Park, which houses the national football teams of England and Scotland respectively, were chosen as the host venues. Lastly, owing to its outsized reputation and its status as the country's biggest stadium, Wembley Stadium was chosen to host the final match.

Draw

For the round of 16, the clubs competing in the tournament were randomly paired against each other via a lucky draw held on 14 May 2019. The results of the draw, which was televised live on multiple channels including BBC Sport, Sky Sports, and beIN Sports, are as follows:

Round of 16

On 18 May 2019, the first four rounds of 16 matches took place. In this, Tottenham Hotspur kicked off the tournament with a comfortable 4-0 win over Dundalk, followed by Manchester City similarly defeating Bohemian 2-0. Meanwhile, the stage's biggest victory so far was seen in Arsenal's dominant 4-0 victory over Rangers with Chelsea also proving successful against their opponents in a 3-1 win over Hannover 96 whose striker Niclas Füllkrug provided the lone goal for his side in the 51st minute that ultimately proved insufficient.

On 19 May 2019, the last four rounds of 16 matches took place. In this, a 20th-minute goal from Odsonne Édouard allowed Celtic to narrowly see off Hamburger SV while Manchester United's Ashley Young similarly scored the only goal in the match to give his side a 1-0 win over Shamrock Rovers. Meanwhile, in a surprisingly tight contest, Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge scored a brace in the 101st minute to complement a goal from just a minute earlier by teammate Fabinho to mark a 3-1 win over Swansea City while lone goals from SV Werder Bremen's Milot Rashica and Cardiff City's Bruno Ecuele Manga respectively resulted in a 1-1 draw and an ensuing penalty shootout that eventually ended in a 3-1 win for SV Werder Bremen.

Quarter-finals

On 21 May 2019, the first two quarter-final matches took place. In this, following an initial 76th-minute goal from Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City was ultimately eliminated by a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory from Tottenham Hotspur whose players Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura scored within two minutes of each other to help the club qualify for the semi-finals. Likewise, derby rivals Manchester United were also eliminated by the London-based Chelsea whose midfielder Mateo Kovačić scored once and later assisted a goal from N'Golo Kanté in a 2-0 win.

On 22 May 2019, the last two quarter-final matches took place. In this, a brace from Fabinho and an additional goal from Sadio Mané saw Liverpool comfortably defeat SV Werder Bremen 3-1. Otherwise, in a dramatic and lengthy affair, Héctor Bellerín scored a last-minute 120th-minute corner for Arsenal, thereby narrowly avoiding a penalty shootout in a 1-0 win over Celtic whose defence held stubbornly throughout the entirety of the match in the face of twenty-six attempts, eleven of which were on target, by Arsenal.

Semi-Finals

On 26 May 2019, the two semi-final matches took place. In this, goals from longtime striker Harry Kane and defender Ben Davies allowed Tottenham Hotspur to defeat Chelsea 2-0 while a lone goal from Sadio Mané saw Liverpool narrowly defeat Arsenal 1-0 in a close contest between the two sides in which Liverpool's victory meant the end of a potential North London derby in the finals between the defeated semi-finalists Arsenal and eventual champions Tottenham Hotspur.

Final

On 30 May 2019, the final match took place at Wembley Stadium, London, between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. In this, following a series of unsuccessful attempts from Son Heung-min in finding a breakthrough, a 79th-minute goal from Dele Alli saw Tottenham Hotspur mark a 1-0 victory over Liverpool to win the tournament outright. However, in a brief moment of controversy, Serge Aurier, who came on as a substitute for Ben Davies, was sent off late into the 94th minute although this did not ultimately affect the final outcome of the match.

Aftermath

With the tournament's conclusion, Liverpool's Fabinho finished as the tournament's top goalscorer with three goals while Tottenham Hotspur's Belgian defensive pair Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld shared the honour of being the tournament's top assisters with two assists each. Meanwhile, having only conceded once throughout the entirety of the tournament, namely in his side's 2-1 win over Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur's Hugo Lloris was named the tournament's best goalkeeper.

Considered by most media outlets and observers to be an overwhelming success, BBC News later reported that the tournament garnered an estimated profit of £58.5 million, an amount that was later funneled towards further developing towards both men's and women's football as per the Queen's request.

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