Arsenal hit back to win thrilling FA Cup final

Arsenal recovered from going two goals down in the opening eight minutes to beat Hull City 3-2 after extra time in the FA Cup final and win their first trophy for nine years at Wembley on Saturday.

The winning goal from Aaron Ramsey came after 108 minutes of a sensational match which began with Hull, in their first Cup final, scoring two early goals.

The first came after James Chester put the ball wide of goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski after only four minutes before captain Curtis Davies scored from a tight angle to make it 2-0 four minutes later.

Arsenal halved the lead after 17 minutes when Santi Cazorla scored with a superb free kick.

Despite dominating possession for long periods Arsenal had to wait until the 71st minute before Laurent Koscielny equalised when he turned and scored from close range after Hull failed to clear a corner.

The winner came when Ramsey scored with the outside of his right foot to give Arsenal their 11th FA Cup win, equalling the all-time record held by Manchester United.

"We wanted to make history and win the game. It was the turning point in the life span of this team," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.

"If we hadn't come back it would have been terrible. I praised the spirit many times of this team. Congratulations to Hull they played very well."

The start of the match defied logic given recent form as well as the two teams' hugely contrasting histories.

In some ways the goals came too early for Hull as Arsenal had plenty of time to get back into the match, which is how it panned out.

Chester, returning from injury, made the early breakthrough. Arsenal failed to clear a corner and the Hull defender planted the ball past the despairing lunge of Fabianski.

Hull quickly went 2-0 ahead when Arsenal failed to clear another set-piece and although Fabianski got a hand to a header from Alex Bruce to palm the ball on to his left-hand post, Davies lashed it in from the tightest of angles.

Hull almost went three up four minutes after that when a looping header from Bruce, the son of manager Steve, was dropping into the Arsenal goal until Kieran Gibbs headed it clear from under his own crossbar.

Arsenal were back in the game after Bruce fouled Santi Cazorla some 25 metres from the Hull goal.

The Spaniard took the free kick himself and his brilliantly-taken effort dipped and swerved into the back of the Hull net giving keeper Allan McGregor no chance.

After dominating for most of the match, Arsenal's equaliser came when they got a couple of lucky deflections at a corner with the ball falling to Koscielny, who turned and scored from close range.

Gibbs then had a superb chance to win it for Arsenal eight minutes later but missed the target when he looked certain to score.

With neither team able to score again the match moved into extra time and Olivier Giroud had a golden chance to put Arsenal ahead in the 94th minute but thundered a header against the bar.

Ramsey found the net for the winner but there was still time for Hull substitute Sone Aluko to go close with an ambitious angled effort that went wide after Fabianski raced out of goal but failed to make contact.

"It's such a great feeling right now, I'm quite emotional thinking about it," matchwinner Ramsey said.

"We have conceded early a few times this season but we showed great strength and character today.

"That's up there with the most important goals I've scored and hopefully this is the first of many to come."

FULL TIME

Arsenal 3 (Cazorla 17",Koscielny 71, Ramsey 108") Hull 2 (Chester 4", Davies 8")

Arsenal's Ramsey emerged the hero to shoot Arsenal to victory in extra time with a 3-2 win against a spirited Hull City at the Wembley stadium on Saturday.

Hull City got off to a electryfying start with Chester slamming in the first goal in the very 4th minute to rock FA Cup favourites Arsenal.

Arsenal at this stage looked stunned and failed to threaten their rivals. Davies moved in quickly to increase their lead in the 8th minute much to the horrow of the Arsenal fans and players.

The game at this stage looked going the Hull way with Arsenal adopting a defensive approach in the first half. But the Gunners clawed back with Cazorla netting in the ball in the 17th minute to turn around the game in this thriling FA Cup final game.

At Half time Hull held on to their slender lead with Arsenal looking pleased to have cancelled a goal before the blow of the whistle.

Arsenal fought back in the second half but Hull were not easily shaken and fought desperately.

Arsenal came from behind with Koscielny cancelling Hull'slead in the 71st minute to put up a strong fight in the dying moments of the game.

Both teams failed to break the deadlock forcing the teams to play into extra time for a result.

Arsenal looked the better team with more scoring opportinities and finally lived upto their billing with Ramsey slotting home the winner for Arsenal.

30" Arsenal make a last minute attempt to drill another goalm with Wilshere moving the ball in the box but fail to convert.

29" Aluko fails to shoot straight with Boyd  running upfront and crossing the ball from the left flank on the edge of the box.

26" Fabianski looked in despair as Hull advanced with Elmohamady releasing the ball in front of the net with Arteta and Koscielny making a dash into the box.

22" Hull seem to have lost their steam with Wilshere and Sanogo coordinating well in the box. Meyler loses the ball to Sanogo who slams the ball from a tight corner.

Arsenal 3 (Cazorla 17",Koscielny 71, Ramsey 108") Hull 2 (Chester 4", Davies 8")

18" GOAL! Ramsey scores in extra time placing the ball neatly to the right beating the stunned McGregor.

16" Arsenal seem to botch up opportunities with Ramsey and Giroud coordinating well in the box to tap the ball to Sanogo who fumbles in taking his shot.

HALF TIME

Arsenal 2 (Cazorla 17",Koscielny 71) Hull 2 (Chester 4", Davies 8")

14" Hull press on but fail to keep the ball as Sanogo and Ramsey keep testing McGregor with swift counter attacks.

12" Boyd replaces Rosenior as Hull attempt to boost their attack at this stage of the game. But Arsenal fight on strongly for the ball.

10" Ramsey labours in the box with Giroud but the crowded Hull box proves difficult to crack.

8" Arsenal look the better team with more scoring opportunities but lack in squeezing the ball through the strong Hull defence.

6" Arsenal keep the ball with Ramsey unleashing the ball from the edge of the box with McGregor positioned in front.

4" Arsenal are having a tough time in finishing the game with Giroud and Ramsey missing on opportunities.

2" Giroud and Ramsey are firmly blocked in the box by Chester and Davies doing their job well to clear the ball to Huddlestone.

1" Sagna gets into the thick of action in extra time with Cazorla and Giroud supporting the attack.

FULL TIME

Arsenal 2 (Cazorla 17",Koscielny 71) Hull 2 (Chester 4", Davies 8")

90+5 Both teams fail to break the deadlock and are forced to play extra time to decide the winner.

90+4 Ramsey  has been scripting moves well with Sanogo responding but Rosenior and Fryatt move in to keep ball possesion.

90+2 Hull are taking the fight onto Arsenal with Quinn and Fryatt in the box but Gibbs snatches the ball and lofts it to Giroud.

90" Sanogo makes contact off Ramsey's pass and shoots mising the net by inches with McGregor diving in the direction of the ball.

87" Arsenal have not given up and Giroud is on fire with Ramsey and  Sanogo attempting to break the defence.

85" Yellow for Davies. Hull are now taking Arsenal head-to-head with Davies snatching the ball in a unfair manner and is booked by ref Probert.

82" Hull defend strongly as Arsenal attempt to break through Chester and Aluko but McGregor surely looks tensed at this stage.

80" Giroud atempts to get his name on the score sheet and volleys the ball with just McGregor in front but the alert keeper punches the ball to safety.

79" Giroud makes room in the box and floats the ball to Giroud in front of the net but a hasty first time shot sends the ball sailing over the crossbar.

75" Arsenal are now on top of their game and Ozil and Giroud make quick passes in the box with Elmohamady clearing teh ball for a corner.

Arsenal 2 (Cazorla 17", Koscielny 71) Hull 2 (Chester 4", Davies 8")

71" GOAL! Koscielny squeezes in a corner beating McGregor in front of the net. This goal has turned the game around now.

67" Hull fight hard to retain their lead with Ramsey and Giroud looking in top form.

65" Substitutions made in both camps with Sanogo coming in for Podolski and McShane substituting Bruce.

64" McGregor is time and again tested under the crossbar with Sanogo and Ramsey missing the mark on two ocassions.

62" Arsenal have stepped up their attack with Giroud slicing in the ball to Ozil but Chester, Bruce and  Davies block them well.

58" Yellow for Huddlestone. He is booked by ref Probert for tripping Ramsey.

56" Bruce deflects a freekick taken by Giroud but Gibbs wins over the ball and makes a dash into the box.

52" Giroud and Ramsey display exceptional tact to go around the Hull defence in the box with Giroud  slamming in a grounder in front of the box but Ramsey fails to get a touch.

51" Livermore looks hurt as Giroud attempts to win over the ball but accidently steps on his feet.

50" Arteta moves around the ball to Ramsey who makes a first time pass to Cazorla in the box.

47" Hull refuse to fall back with Quinn and Fryatt stepping up the attack in the midfield.

46" Arsenal's  Gibbs latches onto a Giroud pass and moves ahead but is blocked by Bruce.

HALF TIME

Arsenal 1 ( Cazorla 17") Hull 2 (Chester 4", Davies 8")

45+1 Arsenal have opned a all out attack with Ramsey and Gibbs cutting through the midfield dodging Elmohamady and  Davies.

44" Giroud is now giving the Hull defence a torrid time with Gibbs coordinating well in the attack.

41" Koscielny darts to the box with Gibbs matching his strides but the alert Bruce deflects the threat.

40" Gibbs labours in the midfield along with Arteta but Huddlestone gets on top of the ball.

37" Hull move the ball around with Davies swiftky moving along the flanks to pass on the ball to Quinn.

35" Ozil moves the ball up to Giroud who makes a dash to the box with Bruce close on his heels.

33" Ozil attempts to block Rosenior but Huddlestone moves in to take the ball to Meyler. Arsenal are looking themselves now with Cazorla and Giroud in threatening form.

31" Davies moves the ball to Elmohamady but Arsenal's Giroud and Podolski are fast to snatch the ball and attempt to beat the strong Hull defence.

29" Ramsey and Arteta move the ball around in the box but the Hull defenders are all over and block a cracking shot taken by Cazorla.

27" Both teams have stepped up their game with Quinn and Rosenior attempting to go around Mertesacker and Sagna.

26: Ramsey, Giroud and Podolski are combining well to work themselves up bit by bit as the clock races to the half time mark.

23" Ozil misses to tap in a Ramsey ball with Chester clearing the ball for Hull.

21" Cazorla latches on to the ball and pushes it up for Giroud but Rosenior sneaks behind and snatches the ball with a ugly tackle.

20" Arsenal are back in action with  Podolski and Giroud getting their act together in the box.

Arsenal 1 ( Cazorla 17") Hull 2 (Chester 4", Davies 8")

17" GOAL! Cazorla curls in a beautifull freekick on the edge of the box with McGregor beaten completely under the crossbar. What a fantastic game this is turning out to be.

15" Arsenal build up their attack with Sagna feeding a true pass to Gibbs  who taps the ball to Ramsey.

12"Ozil just manages to get the feel of the ball but Meyler is fast to pounce on the opportunity.

11" Arsenal have not shown any form of attack and are now playing defence with Quinn and Fryatt in the box.

10" Hull have got their early break and are on top of their game with Bruce on the ball.

Arsenal 0 Hull 1 (Chester 4", Davies 8")

8"GOAL! Davies does it for Hull slamming in a brilliant save by McGregor. Today the defenders are doing all the job.

6" Arsenal are now on the back foot against the confident Hull on the offensive.

Arsenal 0 Hull 1 (Chester 4")

4" GOAL! Chester makes no mistake to squeeze in the ball off their first corner. What a fantastic start to this big game.

2" Elmohamady wins the ball and taps it back to Chester who makes a  long pass to Rosenior.

1" Fryatt moves the ball to  Quinn but Podolski is on top of the ball.

Hull is playing their first FA Cup final against Arsenal who are  tipped as favourites. Both teams are now on the ground.

The hyme Abide with me is being sung with the crowd joining in and now yes now for the big game as the players lineup in the tunnel.

Atmosphere has built-up nicely at Wembley with the fans coming out in large numbers to support their respective teams.

Teams now begin to move out of the ground after the warm up as the kickoff fast approaches with fans of both teams cheering strongly in the packed stadium today.

STARTING XI

Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla, Ozil, Podolski, Giroud.

Subs: Szczesny, Vermaelen, Rosicky, Wilshere, Monreal, Flamini, Sanogo.

Hull: McGregor, Chester, Bruce, Davies, Elmohamady, Livermore, Huddlestone, Meyler, Rosenior, Quinn, Fryatt.

Subs: Figueroa, Koren, McShane, Boyd, Sagbo, Harper, Aluko.

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal's injury problems have subsided just in time for the FA Cup Final, with Mesut Özil, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere amongst those to regain fitness.

Even Abou Diaby returned to the action last time out, though he is unlikely to play a part in the final.

James Chester missed out against Everton last week but is fine to play in defence here.

Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic are both cup-tied.

Lukasz Fabianski is expected to retain the spot in goal having played in the rounds leading up to the final.


PROBABLE FORMATIONS

Arsenal: 4-2-3-1

Hull City: 4-5-1

STAT ATTACK

Arsenal have won their last 6 matches against Hull in all competitions.

Arsenal have scored at least 2 goals in their last 6 matches against Hull in all competitions.

Hull have won 5 of their last 6 matches in FA Cup.

There have been over 2.5 goals scored in Hull's last 3 games in FA Cup.

Hull have scored at least 2 goals in 5 of their last 6 matches in FA Cup.

Arsenal are undefeated in their last 5 matches in FA Cup.

PREVIEW

During Arsene Wenger's most successful period as manager of Arsenal, the FA Cup final became a regular date in the club's diary.

From 1998 onwards they played in English football's showpiece five times in eight seasons, winning four of those games.

Yet since the last success, a lucky one on penalties after being outplayed by Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in 2005, Wenger's magic touch has deserted him not only in the Cup but every other competition too.

Arsenal therefore go into Saturday's final against Hull City at Wembley without having won anything in the ensuing nine years, leaving the urbane Frenchman under the sort of pressure he has not experienced before in 30 years in management.

After the London club finished their Premier League programme in fourth place, ensuring a shot at the Champions League for a 17th successive season, Wenger, 64, insisted he would remain at the club next season.

He has not signed a new contract, however, and defeat by lowly Hull, 16th in the league and contesting their first major final, would lead to a backlash by supporters, many of whom already believe that going almost a decade without winning anything is unacceptable for one of England's great clubs.

"All the pressure is on Arsenal," the club's former midfielder Ray Parlour, who also played for Hull, told Reuters on Friday.

"I know the supporters sometimes get frustrated with no trophy."

The other source of frustration among the 60,000 fans who attend every home game is Wenger's perceived reluctance to spend the sort of money on new players that has allowed clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea and - until this season - Manchester United to win the trophies they have missed out on.

For some years he put that down to having to finance the expensive move from Highbury, with its limited capacity, to the Emirates Stadium. That switch was completed eight years ago and Arsenal have not won anything at their new home.

The club board, which the American businessman Stan Kroenke joined in 2008, has always said funds were available to Wenger, whose more recent argument has been that other clubs have flouted Financial Fair Play rules and will now have to conform to them.

DAZZLING START

The decision to spend 42 million pounds on Real Madrid's German midfielder Mesut Ozil at the start of the season appeared to indicate a new philosophy but after a dazzling start, Ozil's form fell away in tandem with Arsenal's.

Top of the table from mid-September in an almost unbroken sequence lasting until February, they dropped out of the running for the title with a series of humiliating defeats to other contenders, 6-3 at Manchester City, 5-1 at Liverpool and 6-0 at Chelsea.

There was widespread criticism when the only new signing in the January transfer window was the Swede Kim Kallstrom, another midfielder, at a time when Olivier Giroud appeared to need back-up in the form of a new striker.

Giroud's 16 league goals made him the only Arsenal player to reach double figures apart from midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who scored his 10th in the final match at Norwich last weekend.

Ramsey, who missed four months of the season, England's Jack Wilshere and Ozil all suffered injuries that hampered Wenger's plans in the second half of the season but with all three now back it is imperative that Arsenal leave Wembley on Saturday with their hands on a trophy.

If not, the taunt of Chelsea's manager Jose Mourinho that Wenger is "a specialist in failure" will gain greater credence.



 

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.