CARDIFF, 18 May 2003 — Arsenal became only the second club in over 50 years to retain the FA Cup when a first-half goal from Robert Pires secured a 1-0 victory over Southampton under the closed roof of the Millennium Stadium yesterday.
The Gunners, who lost their Premier League title two weeks ago and whose Champions League dreams faded in March, rescued their season from anti-climax with their ninth FA Cup win in a record 16th final appearance.
It needed a goal-line clearance from a James Beattie header in the fourth minute of stoppage time to give Arsenal victory as they retained the trophy they won last season by beating Chelsea. Pires scored with a shot on the turn after 38 minutes and although the Saints battled feverishly throughout, Arsenal were always just a little too classy.
Manager Arsene Wenger spoke afterwards of his relief at having finished the season with some silverware. “The team was under immense pressure because they risked finishing without a trophy,” he told BBC television. “They got the trophy we wanted today.”
Southampton manager Gordon Strachan could not fault his side. “We had chances and couldn’t take them but we did very well. I am very proud with the way they competed,” he told Sky Sports television. The victory was Arsenal’s third under Wenger in six seasons and they moved to within one victory of Manchester United’s all-time record 10 wins.
They also emulated the achievements of their old rivals Tottenham Hotspur, the last club to retain the FA Cup in both 1962 and 1982. The last team before Spurs to do that was Newcastle United in 1951 and 1952.
The Saints’ already tough cause was not helped when their giant Finnish goalkeeper Antii Niemi appeared to pull a muscle taking a goal-kick and was taken off on a stretcher after 66 minutes to be replaced by Paul Jones.
At the other end David Seaman, at 39 the oldest goalkeeper to play in the cup final and the third oldest player ever, had a safe match, collecting his fourth FA Cup winners’ medal in what could be his last game for the club.
Captaining his side to victory — only the second goalkeeper in FA Cup history to do that — he made one outstanding save from Brett Ormerod after 84 minutes but did not have much else to do. He had Ashley Cole to thank for keeping out Beattie’s goalbound header after 94 minutes when the England defender cleared the ball off the line.
Arsenal, playing without injured skipper Patrick Vieira and suspended center-back Sol Campbell, could have gone ahead as early as the 23rd second. Henry had a chance to score the fastest goal in cup final history when he broke clear, only for Niemi to save with his legs.
Arsenal gradually took control for long periods of the half, but Southampton, with Wayne Bridge overlapping well and their skipper Chris Marsden looking to get forward at every opportunity, had more than matched them when the Gunners scored after their best move of the half.
Ray Parlour started it with a run and pass to Henry on the right. Henry played a perfectly weighted pass to the overlapping Dennis Bergkamp who then slipped another good ball inside to Freddie Ljungberg.
The Swede’s attempt was blocked but the ball ran loose to Pires who made the most of his lucky break. Controlling with one touch, shooting on the turn with the next, Niemi got a hand to the ball, but could not keep it out.
Southampton’s Chris Baird, a surprise selection at right back in place of Fabrice Fernandes, then cleared a Bergkamp effort away from the line. The Saints, looking to win the FA Cup for the first time since 1976, began to put Arsenal under pressure and Beattie was only marginally offside before putting the ball in the net after 21 minutes. That was the closest they came to a goal all afternoon which may have ended in defeat but left them with a huge consolation prize of a place in the UEFA Cup next season.
