The defending champions were Championship side Wigan Athletic, who beat Manchester City 1–0 with an injury time winner by Ben Watson in the 2013 Final. Wigan were the first team to win the FA Cup and to be relegated in the same season. It was also the first time that they had won the FA Cup in their history. They entered the competition in the Third Round Proper alongside all the Premier League and Championship teams, advancing all the way to the semi-finals.