Kevin Whitcher
Two seasons, two trophies. This is more like it. In the financial stakes, the two domestic cups may be insignificant poorer cousins, but to supporters, and I think players, trophies such as the FA Cup have real meaning. Football, when I was young, was about winning prizes. Second place meant nothing. Things have changed.
I remember my first real interest in football being sparked by the Sun Soccer Stamps Book in the autumn of 1971. One of the sections featured stamps of clubs that had won the FA Cup, I recall with the years of victory imprinted on a graphic of the trophy. Aston Villa held the record then, with seven. They’ve not won any more since, although have made two finals. Arsenal had won four, and were the holders. There were colour photos of them parading the FA Cup trophy in yellow shirts after winning the Double the previous May. 44 years on, and there have been a further eight such days, six of them under Arsene Wenger. Yesterday may well have been the least challenging final the club have ever played. As contributor Ian Tanner texted me after about an hour of the game, “A boxing bout would be stopped”.
The team selection had been the subject of much debate in the build-up. Szczesny kept his place in goal, in spite of not being given a run out v West Brom. At left back, Nacho Monreal returned, whilst up front Theo Walcott’s performance last weekend meant he retained the centre forward position with Olivier Giroud missing out.
Villa seemed to be eating the clock from the off, and did not play the kind of attacking football that previews had indicated they might. In spite of their opponents’ caution, Arsenal ran riot. A flurry of chances came once the game settled down, and the Gunners could have been two or three up before the deadlock was finally broken as half time beckoned.
Coquelin played a long pass wide to Walcott, who fed Monreal, the left back proving he can deliver with aplomb as his cross found Alexis. The Chilean headed back across the goal into space and teed up Walcott on his weaker foot. It could have gone into row Z and often they have, but Theo found the net and Villa never recovered.
Alexis’ goal soon after half-time was worthy of a showpiece final, probably his best of the season. The Chilean’s contribution over the campaign belies the notion that imported players need a season to adapt to the league, if they have the right attitude. Initially, he took possession of a loose ball simply because he seemed more determined to win it than the Villa defence. He then fashioned the space to deliver a knockout blow. What followed felt like a formality. Mertesacker’s header from Cazorla’s corner was an example of how, if the delivery from set pieces is right, Arsenal can score goals aplenty to take advantage of the fouls and corners their play often draws.
At 3-0, Villa had a couple of shouts for a penalty, and seeing highlights later, certainly had a good case for one of them. However, one did not get the feeling they would have gained enough momentum at 3-1 to make a comeback. Arsenal looked like they could score more if they wanted to, but adopted cruise control with a three goal cushion.
The Giroud goal with injury time almost up was the icing on the cake, or a further dagger in the heart for the Villa fans who had not opted to depart early. It concluded an utterly dominant performance. Villa were as poor as Arsenal were good, although in truth, the Gunners should have made easy weather of a team that only finished one place clear of relegation. However, the same could be said of previous recent finals where Wenger’s team have struggled. It does not always happen that way.
Santi Cazorla was named man of the match, but it was difficult to pick out one man from a superb Gunners performance. Everyone played well, and it was a real team effort. There does seem to be a unity in the current crop that, perhaps, has not always been evident of late. Perhaps winning fosters this.
After what seemed like a long run without a trophy, days like yesterday’s are no longer taken for granted. Perhaps Gooners might have been guilty of that at times when the club were habitually winning trophies just over a decade ago. Spare a thought for Villa fans, who have won just two League Cups in the 33 seasons since winning the European Cup in 1982, and the last of those was before Arsene Wenger had arrived in North London.
For once, it was a pleasure for Gooners to enjoy a relatively stress-free final. And back at the Grove, the club allowed spectators to get on the pitch after the game had been screened, although some took it too far and climbed onto the scaffolding that was supporting the giant screens. The free scarves at the screening were a nice gesture from the club, so well played to them there. I suspect the influence of former REDaction stalwart Mark Brindle, now employed by the club as the Supporters Liaison Manager is having a positive effect, especially remembering the travel facilities laid on for the trips to Manchester United and Hull on Monday nights in recent weeks.
So we have a club moving in the right direction on and off the field. Winning silverware can become a habit, so the FA Cup is an important trophy in this respect. The key moment in the run was undoubtedly the quarter final win at Old Trafford, and the significance of that result may become more apparent with time.
The summer beckons, and there is business to be done. Petr Cech looks a likely arrival, although talk of Arturo Vidal joining his compatriot Alexis in a move from Juventus may prove false hope as it looks like Manchester United may be about to tie up a deal. That would be a shame, as one imagines he would add more fighting spirit to a team that has, on occasion, looked a little short in that area.
Still, there are plenty of targets out there and the club are awash with cash. Let’s hope they use it, and use it well, don’t dither, get their business done early and anticipate problems that are likely next season (not least with Alexis after the Copa America). In 2015/16, it’s time for a genuine campaign-long title challenge to continue a very decent couple of seasons for Arsenal.
Enjoy the summer, I will post the occasional editorial to keep things ticking over as time allows. Up the Gunners and Victory Through Harmony!
I am now on Twitter@KevinWhitcher01.
The current issue of The Gooner, a 64 page cup final special for £3 can be bought online here.
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