By Telema Davies
Sigh! An expression of relief was palpable among fans and supporters of the Arsenal Football Club after extra time (AET). It was a historic moment for the north London club which has been much maligned for its trophy drought in nine years. That title drought was brought to a good end with a sublime finish from the amazing Welshman, Aaron Ramsey. Victory at Wembley capped a fine end to the campaign of the Gunners as they claimed a comeback over Hull City.
Arsène Wenger’s wards were odds on favourites going into the final of the FA Cup at the Wembley Stadium. However, the team got shell-shocked in the first eight minutes of the first half when Hull drew first blood through James Chester. It was just not the kind of start fans of the red-and-white team had anticipated; but Hull weren’t done. A two-goal early lead seemed enough to deflate that favouritesstatus, but not enough to deny the team’s quality.
Santi Carzorla’s free kick was slick, precise, had a curling direction and of course, no deflection, to get Arsenal back in it. Pulling a goal back before the end of first half and some decisive possession play, gave them the right impetus. On return from the break, Arsenal surely had to keep the momentum in their favour to earn the equalizer. Wenger made quite an interesting switch as he took off Lukas Podolski replacing him with young Frenchman, Yaya Sanogo.
A rare change in tactical formation (4-4-2) gave the Arsenal an added push in attack as they searched for the equalizer. Several chances were created by the marauding Gunners, but with little to show for in getting the goal. Laurent Koscielny hit the target from close range after the ball fell kindly to him to send fans into ecstasy. It clearly was a defining moment for the Gunners and eased the pressure on the team’s shoulders as parity was restored.
Like a bolt of lightning in a rainstorm, Hull City was on the backfoot as they couldn’t hold on for long. Even the introduction of Nigeria’s World Cup reservist Sone Aluko for the Tigers couldn’t do much to stem the tide. Despite being a 74 minute substitute, Aluko got Arsenal concerned as he twice almost got the Tigers back in the groove. The last minutes of normal regulation was frenetic as both sides fought hard to grab the winner.
And it sure looked like the game would be concluded on penalties. But Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal’s best player of the season, would rather have the last say on the outcome. A double change from Arsène Wenger with the introduction of Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere paid off immediately. A typical Arsenal-style interplay got Ramsey into good position with a back flick from Olivier Giroud, to send a low drive into a tight corner of the net out of the reach of goalkeeper McGregor.
After being crowned winners of the 2014 FA Cup, Arsenal equaled Manchester United’s record of eleven titles.
Image source:sportsillustrated.cnn.com