Sunday, October 13, 2024

Arsenal 3-2 Hull City: Arsenal win the FA Cup playing football the Arsenal way

It wouldn’t be an Arsenal FA Cup final if it didn’t feature an early Arsenal collapse on set plays, refereeing controversy, some tactical genius, a typically beautiful Arsenal goal to win the game, and a last minute error to nearly lose. But in the end Arsenal came back from 2-0 down to win the FA Cup 3-2 over Hull City, in extra time, and lift Arsenal’s first trophy in 9 years.

Arsenal started slow, perhaps a bit shocked that Hull came to Wembley ready to play and not simply park the bus. The Tigers exploited Arsenal’s complacency and scored on literally their first chance of the game. Elmohamody looked to beat Gibbs for pace but the Arsenal fullback got in a good block and the result was a corner. From the corner, Hull had clearly worked up a plan to fire the ball to the top of the box but the shot was going well wide until James Chester got a heel on it and deflected the ball past Fabianski.

Arsenal’s pain was doubled a few minutes later when Gibbs gave away a foul and Huddlestone’s free kick wasn’t cleared before finally falling to Hull’s Curtis Davies. The Hull defender looked offside and replays confirmed the mistake but Lee Probert and his sideline officials missed the call and Davies scored the easiest goal of his life.

From there, Arsenal looked shocked as Hull started to pressure Arsenal high up the pitch. Another set play and Alex Bruce, the son of a manager, hit a looping header that required Kieran Gibbs to head off the line. Arsenal could have been down 3-0 inside 20 minutes but for that save.

Arsenal took the fight back to Hull a bit and after Bruce chopped down Cazorla 5 yards from the box, Probert awarded Arsenal their only call of the day. It was the only call we needed, however. Cazorla and Podolski tricked Hull’s MacGregor into thinking Podolski was going to take the free kick and he took a step to his right before realizing his mistake. By then it was too late and Cazorla’s rocket bent back his fingers and nestled into the top corner.

Arsenal were back in the game and Hull’s manager Steve Bruce (Bruce the Elder) clearly told his team to set the brakes on the game. Time wasting, feigning injury, and every manner of dark arts were employed to kill off the game. It was clearly a tactical mistake to think that Hull could see out 80 minutes of football through such Allardycian methods.

To their credit, for most of the match Hull did win nearly every battle. Winning the aerial duels, winning all the 50-50 challenges, beating off tacklers, and winning the ball back in dangerous areas. But Arsenal kept huffing and puffing and nearly got the game level when Gibbs chested down a long diagonal only to miss his shot entirely.

The teams went in at half time with Hull City in command 2-1, winning the physical battles, showing more grit than Arsenal, and needing to just see the game out.

Surprisingly, Arsenal came out in the second half a little slow and far too relaxed. But instead of trying to capitalize on Arsenal’s complacency Hull tried to get a restart, throw-in or free kick on every possession. It was time wasting straight from the 18th century.

Then in the 60th minute Arsene Wenger took off Plodoski and put on Sanogo. It was a huge gamble to play a player so raw that if he were sushi he would be live fish eggs.

But Sanogo was exactly what Arsenal needed. He injected pace, urgency, a second big body for Hull to worry about, and more importantly… desire. A Suarez-like hunger, minus the cannibalism.

Arsenal had already been denied a clear penalty when Giroud was hauled down by Tom Hundredstone and Probert again swallowed his whistle when Jake Livermore clearly intentionally handled a cross that probably would have resulted in a goal. But almost in spite of Probert, Arsenal kept fighting and getting into dangerous areas and Hull were starting to lose their grip on the game.

Within what seemed like seconds after Arsenal were denied the Livermore handball, Ramsey played a smart ball to Cazorla wide open in space down the right. The Spaniard cut back and Chester (I think?) clearly stuck out a leg and with major knee-to-knee contact put Cazorla on the ground. Stonewall penalty denied.

Arsenal were incensed but kept fighting. The ubiquitous Sanogo earned Arsenal a corner (which replays show Probert got wrong) and on the ensuing free kick Arsenal won the header and the ball fell to Koscielny who had smartly peeled off his marker. The Frenchman turned and fired into the goal despite the Hull keeper doing his best to break his ankles.

2-2 and it was game on. Both teams played in panic mode and sloppy passing along with sloppy defending were the hallmark of the end of regulation. Arsenal were creating all the best chances and Gibbs should have won it when Sanogo’s cross found him wide open in front of goal but the Arsenal defender improbably blazed over the net.

We all knew it was going to extra time and that if it went to extra time Arsenal would almost certainly win due to superior physical conditioning. Sure enough Arsenal created a host of great chances only for each one to go begging. It was starting to look like penalties when Wenger made his second controversial change: hauling off Özil and Cazorla for Rosicky and Wilshere. Many wanted Ramsey off instead of Cazorla but as they say “Arsene Knows.”

The change worked almost immediately. Arsenal were now taking shots at will with Ramsey cracking some great chances from distance.

Perhaps sensing that the long shots were a bit speculative, Ramsey worked his way forward and after a neat exchange with Giroud — in which the Frenchman backheeled the assist to Ramsey — unleashed an inch-perfect short-side shot for Arsenal’s third.

It was a goal befitting the contest. Arsenal had fought back from 2-0 down and were 3-2 up on a goal of the season candidate.

Still, it wouldn’t be an Arsenal win without a last minute pants-shitter and sure enough Mertesacker Terryied up a clearance, fell over and played in Hull’s Aluko. Fabianski came flying out of his box for absolutely no reason other than sheer panic and Aluko easily dribbled around him, took a shot on an empty net, and probably because of the angle, the ball went just wide. Gibbs was there and may have cleared had the ball been on target but instead he whiffed.

That was all she wrote though. Arsenal finished the game nearly getting a fourth goal off Rosicky’s pace going forward.

As the final whistle blew, the stadium erupted, and the gods rained down tears of joy. The Arsenal had overcome stiff opposition, a referee who didn’t want to call anything, a 2 goal deficit, and their own proclivity for errors and won their first trophy in 9 years.

And it’s fuckin’ excellent.

@7amkickofff

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diefenbaker

O

thw14

Full hour now since Arsenal’s last trophy. Need to win that Community Shield.

Runcorn Gooner

Class is Class .form is temporary.Maureenho should remember that

Rocky Rocastle

I was out celebrating tonight and i actually met a fellow Gooner all pissed off because we won. because he Said, it ment we we’re stuck with Wenger for several more years. I had to restrain myself from not decking him right then and there. WE WON!! Enjoy the fucking moment, celebrate and enjoy the sweet taste of Victory. But Even in victory we still have some so called “supporters” spreading their hatred and negativity. How fucked up you need to be when you hope your club loose :/ But im not going to think about that no more, it… Read more »

Gunner From Another Mother

And 2 things are certain:

1) We are The Mighty Arsenal
2) Neil Warlock is a Mega Cunt 5000…with heat-seeking nonsense missiles…

Gunner From Another Mother

Also Podolski chasing down Wenger with the Champagne bottle was one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my life.

heroldgoon

Yes thankyou for putting yet another smile on my face.

GreekTragedy

If coming fourth is like winning a trophy, does that mean we’ve done the double?!

Double canister

Emirates cup and community shield will make it a quadruple.

Silent Stan's Content Mustache

Jesus Christ…. So happy, just hope we don’t have to wait another 9 years for this orgasm to happen. Koscielny, what a champ. Ramsey, you are our Welsh Jesus.

Previgo

JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH!!!!!
Arsenal never ever you try this again! I nearly died, No nail(finger & foot) of mine survived this, I picked up my heart 90 times! I headbutted my fist 80 times! I have head ache, my tongue is black Oh we love you arsenal! Oh yes we realy do! Today is the best day of my entire LIFE! Watch out city! We are coming for that community PLATE!!!!!

Rufusstan

Strangely, no heart attacks, stress for me after the 17th Minute.

As soon as Santi’s screamer had gone in, I was just sure we were going to win.

Through the first half of extra time, the only thought I remember was a surreal: ‘not yet, not yet’, wanting to wait to score the winner in front of our fans.

Mad.

Joe

I actually punched the chair at Wembley when Gibbs missed from 6 yards…. kinda hurt

dpro

But he DID stop two Hull shots from going in 🙂

Toby C

Maureen took a 3rd placed team, spent £100m and finished third. And won nothing. Just saying 🙂

Gutbukket Deffrolla

Arsene Wenger is a Specialist in Success

Arsene Wins where Maureenho failed to go.

SFGiants

Not only that, The MOUth proclaimed at the beginning of the season that if he didn’t win anything, he would resign. I’m waiting…

Gutbukket Deffrolla

Maureenho would be gone now, but Pulis is on holiday and can’t be contacted for another week yet.

Ben

Quick someone call for a specialist in humble pie.

Puns

omagagaggagaggagaggaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

have that in your f*cking hole!

Gunningfrombrasil

It’s over, it’s finally over.

Chair

my god…

Runcorn Gooner

Which part of Hull was Probert born in?

Gooneron

City

Andy Mack

Probert showed great mental strength… denying that many ‘stone-wall’ penalties is amazing mental strength (or stupidity)….

JC

Only have 2 more wishes now:

1) transfer – let’s be decisive and swift with our transfer plans. Let’s open it up and spend some cash EARLY
2) our team looks very different with 2 strikers up in the front. Not saying we should abandon our formation but based on opponents and tactical reasons, maybe we can switch it up game by game basis next season

diefenbaker

Im high. We are the champions of the world. Im buzzing. My heart. I didnt have a beer gut when we last won something. Oh god. Champions!!!

Bonjour

How has your life changed since the last time we won a trophy? Answer me that. 9 years. I was fucking 13, I hadn’t had my first girlfriend, I could only boot the ball and foul a player, I didn’t know I would go to university, I thought I would be a professional guitarist in a metal band as a career…

I WILL PASS OUT NOW

heroldgoon

we are both totally high and totally over the moon. this is the only time i can say gooners everywhere in the world are in this state in unison for years and years.

we are the fucking f a cup winners and we dont give a shit. coyghekskwkwyeyejekkdldl!

Anirban

Record 11th time !! woo hoo !! sorry Jose u faaaking caant , this was a wrong year for ur big mouth to spill venom !!

texasgooner

YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

Arsene Wenger's Penguin Suit

SPECIALIST IN FAILURE

#lol

Gooneron

Am loving this kind of failure

ecstatic

If this is failure then I don’t mind several failures every year! And what exactly did the class-devoid sulk win this year? That’s right…zip.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go put my defibrillator back on charge again…

heroldgoon

Arsenal 3 – The world 2

suck it motherfuckers!

Anirban

witnessed agony and ecstasy in 2 hrs !! but please .. next time don’t give such an heart attack :'(

heroldgoon

Fucking give me all the heartattacks but save me with the ‘difribilator’ goal to mark another trophy. i dont give a shit. we want more trophies now, morrrrre! and the means i dont care. just more trophies! fooking gooners!

Chaillah the Gunner

the son of a manager
I only read that and I started laughing,I didn’t finish reading the article.
Because I knew it didn’t cover the part where Wenger was thrown in the air.
he has waited that for nine years,me too and hope you too
am happy,he is happy,hope you too

goonerLAD

That was some fucking intense emotional journey. Nonetheless so proud of this team, absolutely fucking love the Arsenal right now YESSS

Tenacious Defence

2 hours of tension, 1 hour of jubilation and now at least a day or two of celebration!

Great stuff lads – monkey off our backs!

Policeman's Bangers 'N' Mash

There’s only won Arsene Wenger.

thw14

Full hour now since Arsenal’s last trophy. Need to win that Community Shield.

Joey Sixpack

I knew this would be the year! The only way is up lads! Legs enjoy this moment 😀

Joey Sixpack

Yes, my legs enjoy the moment..haha

Gus

God I love this fucking club

Joe

Perfect comment!

DaMobot

El Classico. What a game. I prefer to win it this way than be 4-0 up and a routine win tbh. Anyway was a bit emotional and pleased for Wenger who has built this club up and faced years of financial doping from his rivals who conspired to keep weakening our teams. I dont and didnt really rate the Fa cup for a few years but seeing how the players reacted to winning made me pleased for them to have this feeling. Arsenal now need to get hold of Sagna Vermalen and Fabianski more than bringing in new people. They… Read more »

Up4grabs

unfortunately it’s already too late with Sagna, maybe Fabianski can be persuaded. Vermaelen has another year meaning Wenger will sell him before he can leave on a bosman.

Toby C

Apparently when asked today if it was his last game Sagna replied – “I don’t know to be honest, as everyone says I have been talking with the club for a long time and we will try to find a solution, but I don’t know what that will be.” So maybe there’s still hope.

And of course, Wenger practically confirmed he was staying for anyone who might have missed that.

American Gooner

FA CUP CHAMPIONS!!! Fuck Hull City and their shit kicking tactics and fuck Tom Huddlestone the dirty Spud. 9 year trophy drought over!!

diefenbaker

why da billboard in wembley show sp*ds dream or something.
Fark you ref
Sanogo bless his young soul, probably will never score a goal
Fark you bar for the shitty live music while da game was going on,
We da champion

Stone

It said #tothedream = To the dream

Merlin's Panini

We really did win that the Arsenal way, threatening to throw it away, seeing a miriad of clear penalties go against us, no Hull players being booked for some disgusting challenges from behind and then winning it with the most Arsenal of goals since Wilshere vs Norwich.

Burak

We’ve been saying for years how we need to win it despite all of that stuff. I just didn’t expect all of them to happen in one game. Banishing all the demons at once, I hope.

GUN

Specialist in failure 1-0 Special one

arseblood

Great,nervous game. God bless Ramsey,Cazorla and Koscielny. Fuck hull,fuck huddlestone.

b

Im going out tomorrow, find a woman, marry her then offer her to Ramsey…what a guy!!

Jimson

I’m so happy.

diefenbaker

Cause your team are the champions!!!!!
This forum is no making any sense, buch of drunk fuks

Mooo

Spud detected.

David

Or mourinho fan boy

Arsetickler

Shit lane is only a mile away. Now, chop chop and fuck off.

Canadian Arsenal Fan

You disgrace the name of former Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker

KoyaGun

Huh???

Toby C

And that cool dog from Due South!

mastaofthegoonaverse

Sounds American

goonerbynature

Still remember my first FA cup final watching arsenal, when we dominated Liverpool in 2001 and then owen scored twice in the last few minutes.

And the year after that, when parlour and ljungberg scored 2 stunners against chelsea, a few days after which we won the title at Old Trafford.

But this was quite something.

ZenithReptile

Mine was 1993!

I watched at the emirates today and there was a kid in front of me who was the same age as i was in ’93 when we won it. Couldn’t help but tell him that he’ll always remember it. He was 10- first time he’s seen us win anything. So excited for him.

Today was the best

Rufusstan

I’ve always said the ’79 final was still my favorite of all the ones I saw.

Today may well be better.

Gutbukket Deffrolla

71 was mine. I’ll always have a soft spot for that win.

Arsenal have now won 11 FA Cups.

I’ve seen 8 of them.

I am truly blessed.

Vegasgooner

Koscielny needs his own song NOW. Something along the lines of ‘he scores in the final game of the season when he wants’ Great win boys, got that fucking monkey off our backs now. Onwards and upwards. 2014 FA Cup Champions.

Witoldo

Catchy tune.

Mimir

“He scores when we need it, He scores when we need it,
Laurent Koscielny, he scores when we need it” !?

arsesicky

cant we just do the alan sunderland chant but replace it with koscielny’s name?
laurent laurent koscielny!!

locksley444

Please for God’s sake, make a song for Koscielny. If you count the world class players in our squad, Kos is one of the few certainties for his position as one of the top 5 in the world.

mjw3

I keep coming up with Laurent Koscielny’s name in the tune of Copa Cabana.

apologies…

NaijaRambo

Yeah, but “He wants his own sooooong!” is probably the most unique player song ever. Going all the way meta.

Chairman Meow

yeah i think that “he wants own song” is the best one, unique

GrenadaGunners

Brilliant! Just absolutely fuckin BRILLIANT!

Gargoyle

YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!

Mimir

The moment when Poldi chased Wenger around with the champagne had me in splits. Genuinely pleased to see the smile and thrill of victory back on boss’ face.

Gutbukket Deffrolla

After 10 minutes Arsene looked about 70 years old. After another 110 he looked 35 and the ladies were loving him.

gogunners

Wow, finally after 9 years….and after we nearly cocked it up at the start and the end…

Die Hard Gunner

That was showing good mental strength, my heart was in my mouth the whole time, it feels so good to lift a trophy, the fucking monkey is finally off our back, time to get more silverware…COMMUNITY SHIELD NEXT…UP GUNNERS FOR EVER.

d7g7

“And it’s fuckin’ excellent.”

It is indeed!

The Mert

What a day!!! Lee Probert and the FA did their best to rig the game for neutrals but The Arsenal overcame every curse and naysayer out there to win!!! Favorite part of the trophy presentation was when the BFG and Koscielny lifted the trophy together. I love you Arsenal!!!

afolabi ademakinwa

We back to where we belong,am excicted

Daft Aider

Is this years refereeing not the worst since the premiership began?, I am struggling to think of any league that has had as bad a standard as this.

Anyway in spite of Mr Magoo’s performance
we won the cup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAY!

Sebastian A.C.

Just a footnote about “any league that has had as bad a standard as this” when it comes to refereeing: Serie A. Those referees, at least on the 2013-14 season, took awful to new levels. Just like the Premiership referees did. In my humble opinion, it’s a tie. Terrible meets terrible.

RajaRamsey

FUCKINGG FANTASTIC! I must admit my heart nearly imploded after Hull’s second. Yet we won, because we’re the Arsenal, and this is what we do.

The cherry on top was when Mertescielny lifted the trophy together <3

Rufusstan

I just fucking loved that.

Even more that they looked at each-other first, smiled, then raised it together.

But then I could have been hallucinating with joy at that point.

heroldgoon

i thought i saw Fabianski whip his wiener out and spray some stuff on the players…turns out it was only a champagne bottle

Gutbukket Deffrolla

….and then Kos dangled from it as Per waved it about 😀

RajaRamsey

I also feel like winning this way is gonna have a better effect on the squad than winning in a rout. It’ll make us more confident in our abilities to fight for a title with our backs to the wall.

pinocchio

My son is 18. As he said, it will be the first trophy that I really remember…
As for me, my wife told me that I looked like a ghost after 10 minutes.
I had tears in my eyes like Mr Wenger at the end of the game!!!

Funky Gooner

What a final!! Best one in decade. Well played Hull. See you back in Malawi soon! Tris

diefenbaker

Whys Hull going to Malawi for mon?

Toby C

Coz everyone needs mon. Even Hull.

Top Gunner

It was emotional!
Lets all get merry & enjoy the victory.
COYG

johnny

YESSSSS FA cup winners so happy for the lads and wenger!!!!! not much comments here, think most of celebrating puts a huge smile on my face :))))))))

Jd

In 20 years of following the gunners, haven’t felt relief like that

Funky Gooner

Oh dear! Wrong text on my clipboard

Eddie McGoldrick

Come on you legends!!! Such a great feeling after 9 years…..let’s kick on from this years….in Ramsey we trust..COYG!!!

Funky Gooner

FA CUP VICTORS!!! Best FA Cup for a decade. Also…Stellar performance from Mrs Blogs on Arseblog live. Lady of the match no question ;£

trev

Fucking ace!!!!!

CO_Gooner

Monkey off the back…nuff said.

Simaldo

That was probably the most tense game I’ve ever watched, what a way to win. We most definitely deserved to win. Hopefully we have now finally shaken off our nearly men tag and go on to be the side that wins the big games and the titles and trophies.
Wenger looked completely drained at the end, Get the feeling it would have been the end had we lost.

cherrybhai

We had 3 penalties not given, but oh, what a win! 🙂 What a season.we’ve had. We’ve won the Cup and we’re on the up! 🙂

Mimir

And a very big thank you to Mrs. Blogs for the live text today.

Fola Abu

Thanks Arsene. please sign this deal. What a week for me and what a week for the Gunners. Up Gunners.

Mental strength

We should parade the trophy in front of Jose and john Terry’s house.

Rufusstan

Nah; It’d get nicked

BenGunner

Wouldnt see it from their windows mate, buses firmly parked

Mpls

Terry would likely come out in his shin guards.

Rufusstan

Diaby will be on the bus and can run; he’d be too scared to come out.

Killjoy

It’s now been TEN years since Arsenal won the league. Unaceptable!

Wenger OUT, Fat Gooner IN! 😉

Seriously though I rejoiced exceedingly for Wenger, him more than anyone else deserves this. Its like trying for a baby for 9 years before getting your dreams fulfilled. Next comes the Quadruplets, sorry Quadruple.

Nick, hail me a taxi. I’ll handle my coat.

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