CARDIFF, 22 May 2005 — Arsenal became the first team to win the FA Cup final on penalties with an undeserved 5-4 victory over holders Manchester United after a goalless draw yesterday.
Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira coolly converted the final spot-kick in front of the United fans after his team mate Jens Lehmann had superbly saved a Paul Scholes penalty.
Yet Arsenal, who finished the match with 10 men after Jose Antonio Reyes was sent off deep into extra time, were not the moral victors of a game in which their arch-rivals made all the best chances and enjoyed no luck.
Inspired by teenage forward Wayne Rooney and winger Cristiano Ronaldo, United dominated throughout and Arsenal failed to create a single clear-cut scoring chance.
“I’m very proud, we had to dig deep today,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told the BBC.
“I feel United were the stronger team in the second half, it’s hard for the team that loses like that because it was a very intense game.
“It was so important not to lose the first goal and that’s what made it so tense.”
Defeat completed a disappointing season for United, who were taken over by American businessman Malcolm Glazer last week and finished third in the Premier League behind Chelsea and Arsenal.
“Cup football can be like that and we have experienced it today,” United manager Alex Ferguson said.
Without striker Thierry Henry, the Premier League’s top scorer, Arsenal deployed an unusually cautious 4-5-1 formation with experienced Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp a lone striker.
The first chance fell to United after six minutes with a teasing run down the left by Ronaldo and a chipped cross that was headed over by Scholes. Arsenal had their share of possession and worked the ball well enough around the midfield, but United always looked the more dangerous going forward and could have been 3-0 up midway through the half.
Ferdinand put the ball in the Arsenal net after Lehmann saved a Rooney shot through a packed penalty area with an outstretched foot, only for the effort to be ruled offside.
Rooney followed up with a snapshot from a Van Nistelrooy cutback that Lehmann did well to push over and then superbly volleyed a corner narrowly over from 20 meters.
With Ronaldo tying right back Lauren in knots and Arsenal needing four men to stop one Rooney run, there was an almost audible sigh of relief from Arsenal at the break.
There was no let-up after the re-start, though, as Rooney and Ronaldo continued to torment the Arsenal back four.
As the pace took its toll, United nearly broke the deadlock at the death when Van Nistelrooy was allowed a free header that was somehow nodded on to the crossbar and away by substitute Fredrik Ljungberg.
