When it comes to the FA Cup soccer, few teams have been able to match Arsenal in the cup. The Gunners have won a record 14 FA Cups. Consequently, their teams have played many games in this great cup, including some finals. These are a few of the greatest Arsenal FA Cup games in history.
Arsenal have played Man Utd in two FA Cup finals, one of which was in 1979. The Arsenal FA Cup team that reached this final included some of their great players, such as O’Leary and the inspirational Brady on the right wing. During this final, Brady was one of the stars of the show.
Arsenal dominated much of this final. Brady set up Talbot to score the opening goal of the game within the first 15 minutes. Shortly before the interval, Arsenal doubled their lead and were seemingly on course for a big victory in this cup final.
In the second half, Arsenal remained just two goals up before Utd scored late in the game from a set-piece. That made the score 2-1, and a few minutes later, a late Utd equalizer leveled the scoring. A prosaic final had sprung to life.
The Arsenal FA Cup game seemed poised for extra time after Utd’s great comeback. In the dying minutes of the final, Brady crossed to Sunderland at the far post, and the ball was slid into the back of Utd’s net. The goal ensured an enthralling 3-2 victory for Arsenal, and with its explosive finish, the game is now the Five-minute Final.
It’s not often that Arsenal plays out derbies in the FA Cup. Nor is it often that they play in FA Cup finals with a potential league and cup double to win. Arsenal’s outstanding form in the league had put them top of the table, and on course for a Premiership triumph before they played Chelsea in this final. This was perhaps Arsenal’s best-ever team, which included stars such as Bergkamp, Henry, Viera, and Ljungberg.
In the final, the score remained 0-0 after the first half. In the second, Arsenal stepped up a gear, and with approximately 20 minutes left to play, Parlour put them one goal up with a fine strike from 25 yards out. It was a great Arsenal FA Cup final goal, and 10 minutes later, Ljungberg also curled one in from some distance to give the Gunners a two-goal lead. That was another fine goal that won the Gunners the FA Cup, and after that, they also clinched the league title to seal the double.
The Arsenal FA Cup final between the Gunners and Sheffield Wednesday was not a classic from an entertainment perspective. However, having already won the League Cup, the victory in this final was a notable triumph for Arsenal, which clinched a League Cup and FA Cup double. As the first game of the longest-ever cup final was drawn 1-1, a replay was played between the teams.
The second game wasn’t that much better than the first. Arsenal took the lead during the first half, but Wednesday again rallied with a second-half equalizer. That much ensured that the final went to extra-time, and the game seemed to be heading to penalties. A last-minute header made the final score Arsenal 2, Sheffield Wednesday 1.
Those were three (or four) of the greatest Arsenal FA Cup games played in England’s flagship cup. In those finals, Arsenal not only won three more trophies but also secured a couple of trophy doubles. They included a few great goals, and one of the games had an enthralling final five minutes!
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