"The early rounds of the FA Cup are supposed to be straightforward. While every lower-division team that faces Premier League opposition dreams of pulling off the unexpected, these matches tend to look more like Manchester City's 10-1 thrashing of League One side Exeter City on Saturday. The money and talent gap between divisions is just too ginormous for upsets to be much more than pipe dreams."
"But the thing about dreams is that sometimes they do come true, especially in a low-scoring sport like soccer, and especially especially in a single-leg knockout match. Just ask reigning FA Cup champions Crystal Palace, who went into Saturday's match against sixth-tier Macclesfield FC expecting to win comfortably, only to see its cup defense end in stunning fashion at the hands of a semi-professional side."
Early FA Cup rounds usually favor higher-division teams because of a large money and talent gap between divisions. Dominant results, such as Manchester City's 10-1 win over Exeter City, are common. Occasional surprises occur, often in single-leg knockout games where low scoring can produce upsets. Sixth-tier Macclesfield FC beat reigning FA Cup champions Crystal Palace at Macclesfield's small home ground, halting Palace's cup defense. Macclesfield did not get overwhelmed, managing eight shots and substantial possession (39%) against Palace's 61%, and led 2-0 before Palace scored a 90th-minute consolation.
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