What: English FA Cup final
Who: Arsenal vs Hull
When: Saturday 17th May, 2014, at 17:00 UK Time
Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England
Nine Years Of Pain To End?
Arsenal will be the big favourites to end their trophy drought when they face Hull City on Saturday in the FA Cup final. It remains to be seen whether Wembley Stadium will be the scene of another huge upset as it was last year when Wigan defeated Manchester City in the world’s oldest cup competition. Arsenal have gone nine years without a trophy and Arsene Wenger’s side are eyeing the FA Cup in order to put an end to that dire record.
In order to advance to the final, the Gunners had to outlast Wigan in the semi-finals on penalties. And though they lost the league quite early after leading the table for most of the season, Wenger’s men have finished strongly and have once again claimed a Champions League berth, their 17th consecutive spot. However, an FA Cup victory would add a certain gloss to the season and be quite the boost for a group of players, most of whom have never tasted success in English football.
Wenger believes Saturday’s final is an important match for his side even if he still thinks the league is where the best sides are measured.
“The basis is first to do well with the stability of results in the championship, and on top of that get the cups”, said the French manager. He went on to add, "This is an opportunity for us to crown our season and the overall achievement if you look back on the season will look better if we win it. It's all to do, all is in front of us so we just want to focus on Saturday's game."
Underdog Dreams
Hull finished clear of the drop zone as the Premier League season came to a close and in truth the Tigers had achieved safety with a few matches to play. That in and of itself may have been enough to consider this season a success, but a fine run in the FA Cup means Steve Bruce’s side have the chance to cap off their campaign in some style with a win on Saturday against Arsenal.
There won’t be many observers who will give Hull the edge against the Londoners, however under Bruce the club have enjoyed two fine seasons. The Tigers’ presence in the final is just reward for their FA Cup exploits this year and it will be a special day for their supporters.
Bruce knows that his side are the underdogs, but admits to wanting to emulate Wigan and believes that neutrals will be pulling for his team.
"If you're not an Arsenal fan, I'm sure the rest of the world will be rooting for Hull", Bruce said. "We all saw what Wigan did last year. For me, it brings back a bit of the glamour. That's what the FA Cup is about. The mighty Arsenal facing the small club of Hull. That was my approach this year. I thought we're never going to win the league but we've got a chance to win the FA Cup."
Recent form
Arsenal:
Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle (28/04; Premier League)
Arsenal 1-0 West Brom (04/05; Premier League)
Norwich 0-2 Arsenal (11/05; Premier League)
Hull:
Aston Villa 3-1 Hull (03/05; Premier League)
Manchester United 3-1 Hull (06/05; Premier League)
Hull 0-2 Everton (11/05; Premier League)
Key absences
Arsenal: Serge Gnabry; Theo Walcott; Thomas Vermaelen (doubt); Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (doubt)
Hull: James Chester (doubt); Robert Brady (doubt); Joe Dudgeon; Shane Long (ineligible); Nikica Jelavic (ineligible); Paul McShane (doubt); Sone Aluko (doubt)
Players to watch
Arsenal – Mesut Ozil: The German playmaker has had a roller-coaster year in his first season of English football. He began the campaign in amazing form and looked to be the signing of the season. Then came a series of subpar displays and his ability to become Arsenal’s talisman became questioned. Injury followed, but Ozil has rebounded down the stretch and has recaptured something of his early season form. He has the quality to put his stamp on the final and in a sort of match that could be decided by a moment or two of brilliance, Ozil could be the main man that helps Arsenal to victory.
Hull – Allan McGregor: The goalkeeper may be called into action on a regular basis against Arsenal and will have to stand firm. McGregor has been a key man for Hull this term, playing his part in the Tigers avoiding relegation and securing another season of Premier League football. An experienced shot-stopper, the 32-year-old is sure to be eyeing becoming the hero in an unlikely Hull win at Wembley.
Match Prediction
The 2013/14 FA Cup final as its predecessor last season will feature a true David vs. Goliath clash. Arsenal are the massive favourites against Hull, but before they begin celebrating Gunners’ fans will be wary of recent history. A nine-year trophy drought means that there will only be rejoicing once the final whistle is blown should Arsenal come out on top. Wigan showed last year against Manchester City that in one match anything can happen and Hull have the personnel to cause Arsenal problems. Still, it would one of the tournament’s great shocks if Bruce’s men are able to pull off the upset. Hull go into the match in fairly poor form and Arsenal have ended the season strongly, but that will probably go out the window to some degree as the FA Cup final is a match unto itself. Arsenal should prevail, but it may be closer than many think. Arsenal 2-1 Hull.
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