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Arsenal are in the FA Cup for a joint record 18th time with a chance of creating a joint record 11th win (both with Manchester United). With an opportunity to get a humvee sized monkey off their back and end a 9 year trophy drought. With that in mind, Arsenal won't treat Hull like the rank outsiders the papers are making them out to be.Winning the FA Cup will be a huge psychological boost to Arsenal's players and will certainly lift the fans but if you believe an FA Cup win will the media treat Arsenal a little more favourably you'd be sorely mistaken. The headlines are already written and an Arsenal win will be met with cries of "it was only Hull" which is a bit disrespectful to Hull.Hull might not have had as treacherous a route to the final as Arsenal but they are in the final for a reason and aren't a mug team.Even if they were a mug team, it's the FA Cup final and history tells us thatanything can happen on this ocassion. Here are 5 of what we consider to be Arsenal's greatest FA Cup finals.
#1 1993 - Wembley - Sheffield Wednesday
Arsenal lined up against conquered League Cup final opponents, Sheffield Wednesday, in the first FA Cup Final to feature names and numbers on players’ shirts. Wednesday weren't willing to let Arsenal take a second cup off them and forced a draw which meant a replay was required.
5 days later on a wet Thursday and after a 30 minute delay Arsenal took the lead once again before Wednesday equalised and threatened to take the match to penalties. Faced with a historic shoot out’ a lone hero, nursing a broken nose from an earlier tussle, arose to tip the balance in the Gunners’ favour. That hero was Andy Linighan; nine minutes before what seemed to be an inevitable shootout Paul Merson's corner was met firmly by Andy Linighan to send the Arsenal supporters into delirium and secure Arsenal a domestic cup double.
#2 2005 Millenium Stadium - Manchester United
This may seem like an odd inclusion due to the manner of the win but that is the very reason it is included and for whom it was against. Arsenal were coming off a slightly stunted league campaign having stuttered for the next 7 games after Manchester United put an end to their 49 unbeaten run in contentious circumstances. It took Arsenal a while to put some wins together and regain a bit of defensive solidity. Finishing 12 points behind Chelsea as reigning and undeated Champions knocked the team a bit and that could be seen in the way the team took to the field in the final.
United absolutely domintated proceedings and could have easily won the game 3 or 4 nil but a combination of gutsy determination and blind luck saw United held throughout extra time and taken to penalties against 10 men Arsenal. Paul Scholes missed his penalty and it fell to our soon to depart captain, Patrick Vieira, to take the cup. Paddy smashed the winning penalty into the back of the net to leave Arsenal a champion. A fitting end to his Arsenal career and what a final kick of the ball to have.
#3 1971 Wembley - Liverpool
Five days after winning the title at White Hart Lane (for the first of two times) Arsenal faced Liverpool looking to secure their first domestic double. Liverpool took the lead early in extra time but Arsenal fought back to equalise through Kelly in the 100th minute. It was going to take something special from either team to take this final and it was Arsenal who supplied it.
A fewmiutes later, Charlie George picked up the ball twenty-five yards from goal and rocketed the ball into the goal before sinking down onto the turf with this arms spread in what is probably the most recognisable and iconic goal celebration in Arsenal history.
#4 1979 Wembley - Manchester United
The five-minute final. Arsenal looked to be cruising to one of their easiest final wins ever courtesy of a first half goals from Talbot and Judas Mark I when United scored what seemed to be a consolation goal about 5 minutes from time. Within a minute Arsenal were struck dumb by a coruscating and spectacular goal by McIlroy.
From the resulting kickoff, Liam Brady ran through the midfield with Rix bursting past on the outside of him, Brady stroked the ball to Rix whose cross was met by the grateful and ecstatic Alan Sunderland who hooked in an incredible late winner.
#5 2002 Millenium Stadium - Chelsea
Chasing a third domestic double Arsenal faced Chelsea in the 2002 Final in Cardiff. Arsenal were in their second of three finals in a row and interestingly were in 4 of the first 5 finals in Cardiff whilst the new Wembley was being built. The Millenium Stadiumworked a charm for the Gunners as they ended up featuring in two thirds of all the FA Cup finals at the Millenium Stadium.
This has to be Arsenal's greatest ever FA Cup victory due to the immortal c*ck-up by Tim Lovejoy who was commentating with Arsenal fan Bradley Walsh in Sky Sports celebrity fanzone.
With the match still goalless, Ray Parlour collected the ball inside the Chelsea half and made for the Chelsea penalty area. Tim Lovejoy mockingly sniped "It's alright, it's only Ray Parlour" seconds before Parlour unleashed a monster of a swerving-curling-dipping-mother-f*cker of a shot from all of 25 yards into the top corner past the stretching Carlo Cudicini. The Arsenal fans in the stadium erupted but none could have matched the vociferousness or utter delight of Walsh as he set about offering some vindicated fleering of Lovejoy.
Another great reason to love this final is the retrospective pointing and laughing at John Terry who has a nice turf sandwich when Freddie Ljungberg scored Arsenal's second and secured the double.
