Arsenal are the most successful team in FA Cup history, 21 Final appearances, 14 victories. So today is a good a day as any to look back in brief on each of those 14 triumphs. It you want more information on each match, I suggest that you call up Dr Google!
1930 – Arsenal 2 Huddersfield Town 0 – Our first victory and our first major trophy although most famously remembered elsewhere as ‘The Zeppelin Final’.
1936 – Arsenal 1 Sheffield United 0 – The first and as yet the only Cup Final of the television age not to have not be have been broadcast live.
1950 – Arsenal 2 Liverpool 0 – Two Reg Lewis goals whilst wearing those beautiful golden shirts.
1971 – Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1 (AET) – Charlie George and the Double, need I say more.
1979 – Arsenal 3 Manchester United 2 – The ‘five minute Final’ as Alan Sunderland writes his name into arsenal folklore forever.
1993 – Arsenal 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1 (Replay, AET) – After a 1-1 draw a last minute Andy Linighan header lights up at rainy Thursday night at Wembley.
1998 – Arsenal 2 Newcastle United 0 – Overmars and Anelka score to secure a second Double in our most straight forward victory of all.
2002 – Arsenal 2 Chelsea 0 – Our first in Cardiff and ‘It’s only Ray Parlour…’. Oh and another Double!
2003 – Arsenal 1 Southampton 0 – A single Booby Pires goal and a late Ashley Cole goal line clearance sees us retain the trophy.
2005 – Arsenal 0 Manchester United 0 (AET, 5-4 on Pens) – The penalty shoot out completed our most underserved victory, worth it for Fergie’s face at the end.
2014 – Arsenal 3 Hull 2 (AET) – Two nil down within 10 minutes before Aaron Ramsey completes our most amazing Cup Final comeback.
2015 – Arsenal 4 Aston Vila 0 – Our biggest ever victory with Alexis Sanchez’s wonder strike the best of the bunch.
2017 – Arsenal 2 Chelsea 1 – Aaron Ramsey again as Arsenal defy to odds to overcome the ‘nouveau riche’ from SW6.
2020 – Arsenal 2 Chelsea 1 – Two goals from Captain PEA seal a comeback victory and give Mikel Arteta his first and, so far, only major trophy as a manager.
So there you are, I saw (several in person) every one of these since our long haired local lad hit one of the Final’s greatest ever goals and then treated us to it’s most memorable celebration. Each match deserves a page of it’s own, but there are many reports and articles out there to be found and so today was just a reminder that Arsenal loves the the FA Cup and the FA Cup loves Arsenal.