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It’s the 18th of May 2014. A warm, sunny day and one of hope and promise for fans of both sides. Arsenal have gone 9 years without a trophy and the pressure is growing on manager Arsene Wenger. There is palpable tension in the air. Memories of the calamitous League cup final against Birmingham a few years previous creeped into even the most optimistic of Arsenal fans minds. The image of the Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny mix up is etched into our minds for all the wrong reasons. We could not let it happen again. This was our chance, our chance to end the drought.
Arsene Wenger sprang no real surprises in his lineup on the day, apart from perhaps Lucasz Fabianski starting ahead of the aforementioned Szczesny in goal. The always reliable Bacary Sagna started at right back. It was a centre back partnership of Mertesacker and Koscielny with Gibbs at left back. A midfield of now manager Mikel Arteta,the diminutive Santi Cazorla and the only survivor of the lineup on the day Mesut Ozil sat behind Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey. There was an understandable tension in the air as the match kicked off. 8 years of failure rested heavily on the shoulders of the 11 men on the field. Wenger would have emphasised the importance of a good start, but the Gunners found themselves a goal down after just four minutes. A scuffed Tom Huddetone strike was touched in by James Chester and Arsenal fans around the world once again found themselves with their head in their hands. 4 minutes later, Arsenal found themselves two goals down and with a mountain to climb. Stephen Quinn took the ball past Aaron Ramsey and his lofted ball into the box was headed goalward by Alex Bruce whose effort hit the woodwork. The ball, however, fell kindly to Curtis Davies who smacked the ball home from close range. Hull almost added a third only for Kieran Gibbs to clear off the line and keep Arsenal in the game. It looked like Arsenals day at Wembly would be spoiled by Steve Bruce’s men and that their drought was set to continue.
Up step the Spanish magician Santi Cazorla. A wondrous free kick from forty yards out gave Arsenal hope. It was a stunning goal and one that had to count .Arsenal heaped the pressure on Hull and controlled the rest of the game, but perhaps wihout creating enough chances. Would that incredible effort from Cazorla be in vain or could they find an equaliser from somewhere? With 20 minutes to go, the Gunners till found themselves a goal behind. Cazorla puts in a corner in the hope that it finds an Arsenal head. Bacary Sagna bravely heads it towards Allan McGregor’s goal, it takes a deflection of a Hull player and Laurent Koscielny is in the right place at the right time to spin and squeeze the ball between the posts .It was the luck that Arsenal needed and deserved and the centre back is clattered by the keeper in the process. Wembley erupts with the sound of Arsenal joy. The Arsenal players jump on the stricken Frenchman. They were back on level terms after being behind for much of the game. Now was the time for a hero to step up and clinch a winner.
Kieran Gibbs missed a glorious chance to put them ahead just 7 minutes after Koscielny’s equaliser but his shot blazed over the bar. Arsenals player of the season Aaron Ramsey beautifully set up Olivier Giroud after a mishap in the Hull defence but the strikers header smacked the bar as the Keeper stood and watched. It was agonisingly close. Was that the chance to win it? Arsenal were the ones pushing for the winner. The idea of penalties would have perhaps been too much for many an Arsenal fan who were already biting their fingernails with the tension . With 10 minutes to go until spot kicks would decide the victor, Hull were tiring. Bacary Sagna wins the ball back in his own half of the pitch and plays it into Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman plays it back to Mikel Arteta who passes forward to substitute Jack Wilshere. Wilshere plays a good ball into Yaya Sonogo whose touch is loose, but James Chester’s attempted interception falls into he path of Olivier Giroud. He plays a delicate ball heel back to Ramsey and GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. The ball is in the ball of the net before McGregor or the Hull defence can react. Arsenal fans had often been cited for their lack of noise but Wembley was shaking with cheers of both elation and relief. It was a fitting end to an excellent season for Ramsey and the long wait for a trophy was finally over. For some Arsenals fans, it was the return to winning trophies that they had great memories of, for others, including myself, it was the first vivid experience and one that is very special. The smell of barbecues on a beautiful day in South Dublin made the feeling all the better. Summer was here and Arsenals victory would provide us with a good end to the season and reason to be optimistic going forward.
TheGoonerStation 