After 48 hours of...dehydration...I'm finally ready to write up a review of Saturday's FA Cup victory at Wembley. My condition had me couch-ridden, so I did have the chance to re-watch the match maybe 5 or 6 times (it was better every time), and I want to start by congratulating Arsene Wenger.
Wenger has managed Arsenal for 18 years, and when he leaves he will likely be the most highly-regarded manager in Arsenal history. It must be a massive relief for Wenger to finally end the club's 9-year trophy drought, as the stress and pressure increased every year without one. Wenger is devoted to our club and it was good to see him finally win a trophy after so many years. For all his faults, Wenger is a likeable man who stands for his convictions, misguided or not. It's enjoyable to see a good person like Wenger enjoy success. Even if I didn't support Arsenal, I'd much rather see Arsene Wenger holding the trophy at the end of the day than the likes of Mourinho or Ferguson.
Wenger's chances of doing so didn't look very good after the first 10 minutes. Hull scored twice, and Kieran Gibbs headed a third off the line as Hull had clearly prepared to attack our zonal marking and they were very dangerous on set pieces.
The first turning point in the match came from the excellent Santi Cazorla. Cazorla and Podolski lined up to take the free kick, and I must admit I thought Podolski was going to take it. He measured his steps like he was about to smash it into McGregor's near post. McGregor agreed with me. He shifted to his right and was shocked to see Cazorla's smash flying in on his left. It was an excellent goal, and a massive relief for Arsenal. Only one goal down, Arsenal had no need to rush for the equalizer.
The remainder of the first half didn't produce much, however. Arsenal looked clueless against Hull's 3 center backs, constantly trying to build through an outnumbered Giroud in the the middle, and Giroud failed to hold the ball up with any effectiveness. Ozil, Podolski, and Ramsey failed to have any real impact in the attacking third.
Hull didn't produce much of an attacking threat after their barnstorming first 10 minutes, but Stephen Quinn, Curtis Davies, Alex Bruce, and Matty Fryatt did very well to defend physically and hold the ball up well when they did have it. Hull still looked dangerous on set pieces and strong defensively. I'll be the first to admit that I was very pessimistic about our chances of winning at the break. I thought we looked doomed.
Everything changed in the second half. Wenger changed the formation to a 4-4-2 and brought on Yaya Sanogo. Make the case all you want that a club the size of Arsenal should have a better backup striker than Sanogo (I certainly have), but the raw Frenchman stood up to Hull's physicality and didn't let Hull's 3 center backs swarm Giroud like they had in the first half. Sanogo's introduction freed up Giroud considerably, and he grew in to the game as it went on. As did Ramsey.
But don't forget the changes Hull made as well. An exhausted Quinn subbed out for Sone Aluko. An injured Bruce was forced off. Paul McShane replaced him and James Chester shifted centrally. All of a sudden Hull's defense was opening up, and they couldn't keep the ball when they had it. It quickly looked like Arsenal's equalizer was imminent.
Referee Lee Probert was miserable. Arsenal had 4 penalties denied when Giroud was clothes-lined by Huddlestone, Livermore handballed Sanogo's shot, and Cazorla was taken down in the box twice. But luckily, Probert did make one crucial mistake in our favor. When Sanogo's flick went into the side-netting, Probert called a corner kick. The result: a Koscielny equalizer.
Ramsey won man of the match, but for me, that award should have gone to Koscielny. He was an absolute warrior. Koscielny was everywhere, making countless tackles, and like he so often does, scoring a vital goal when Arsenal most needed it. Always the unsung hero, Koscielny is one of the best defenders in the world.
A shocking Gibbs miss could have ended the game in regulation, and a Giroud header that went off the crossbar could have given Arsenal the lead early in extra time, but neither came to fruition. Wenger subbed Rosicky and Wilshere in for Ozil and Cazorla to play on the wings of his 4-4-2 in the 105th minute, and the fresh legs pushed the advantage further in Arsenal's favor.
Wilshere tried to play in Sanogo and the resulting tackle fell to Giroud, who instinctively back-heeled the ball into the path of Ramsey. Ramsey's first-time shot was a beauty. His great technique fired the ball into the near post in the 108th minute to take the lead.
Then came the longest 12 minutes ever. Sanogo and Giroud spurned some great chances to score. Mertesacker inexplicably slipped. Aluko rushed onto the ball and dribbled past Fabianski, who bizarrely had rushed 40 yards out from his goal with his team in the lead and just 5 minutes to go. Thankfully Aluko's shot trickled wide. Got to hand it to Arsenal. We always make it interesting.
Rosicky might have scored in the final minutes but it didn't matter. Arsenal won 3-2.
Did we look overawed by the occasion and extremely complacent in the first 10 minutes? Yes. Were we stunningly poor in the first half despite being clear favorites? Yes. Did we seem to be completely unprepared to create chances against Hull's defensive formation? Yes. Was it luck that we got 4 home draws in the Cup (something that should statistically happen once every 100 years)? Yes.
But did we win? YES.
And is the trophy drought over? YES!
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