The2001 FA Cup finalwas afootballmatch betweenArsenalandLiverpoolon 12 May 2001 at theMillennium Stadium,Cardiff. It was the final match of the2000–01 FA Cup,the 120th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, theFA Cup,and the first in the competition's history to be staged outside England, due to the ongoing reconstruction of its usual venue,Wembley Stadium.Arsenal appeared in their fourteenth final to Liverpool's twelfth.
 Thematch programmecover. | |||||||
| Event | 2000–01 FA Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Date | 12 May 2001 | ||||||
| Venue | Millennium Stadium,Cardiff | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Michael Owen(Liverpool) | ||||||
| Referee | Steve Dunn(Gloucestershire) | ||||||
| Attendance | 72,500 | ||||||
| Weather | Clear 24 °C (75 °F)[1] | ||||||
Given both teams were in the highest tier of English football, thePremier League,they entered the competition in the third round. Each needed to progress through five rounds to reach the final. Arsenal's progress was relatively comfortable; after scoring six pastQueens Park Rangers,they knocked out holdersChelseain the fifth round and later came from behind to beat local rivalsTottenham Hotspurin the semi-final. Liverpool by contrast made hard work of overcoming lower-league opponentsTranmere RoversandWycombe Wanderersin the latter rounds of the competition. The final marked the first time that two managers born outside the British Isles had met in an FA Cup final – French compatriotsArsène WengerandGérard Houllier.
The match followed a familiar pattern of Arsenal dictating the pace and creating chances, but failing to breach the Liverpool defence. Arsenal had a penalty appeal turned down in the first half, when defenderStéphane Henchozwas judged not to have handled the ball to denyThierry Henrya goalscoring opportunity. Henchoz's partnerSami Hyypiämade a series of goalline clearances during the second half, but was helpless to stop Arsenal taking the lead in the 72nd minute. Liverpool responded by making changes and equalised in the 83rd minute; Arsenal's failure to deal with a free-kick presentedMichael Owenthe chance to score. Owen then outpacedLee DixonandTony Adamsto score his second and the match winner, two minutes before the end of normal time. Liverpool's victory marked the second part of their uniquetrebleof the2000–01season: they had won theLeague Cupin late February and added theUEFA Cupfour days later.
As of 2021, this is the most recent time Arsenal have lost an FA Cup final, having won their next 7 appearances in a row. (2002,2003,2005,2014,2015,2017,2020)
Route to the final
editThe FA Cup is English football's primarycup competition.Clubs in thePremier Leagueenter the FA Cup in the third round and are drawn randomly out of a hat with the remaining clubs. If a match is drawn, a replay comes into force, ordinarily at the ground of the team who were away for the first game. As with league fixtures, FA Cup matches are subject to change in the event of games being selected for television coverage and this often can be influenced by clashes with other competitions.[2]This was the first season thatThe Football Associationintroduced guidelines to prevent the withdrawal of clubs from the competition.[3]The final was scheduled a week before the final weekend of the Premier League, to aid any successful club playing European football.[3]
Arsenal
edit| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Carlisle United(a) | 1–0 |
| 4th | Queens Park Rangers(a) | 6–0 |
| 5th | Chelsea(h) | 3–1 |
| 6th | Blackburn Rovers(h) | 3–0 |
| Semi-final | Tottenham Hotspur(n) | 2–1 |
| Key:(h) = Home venue; (a) = Away venue; (n) =Neutral venue. | ||
Arsenal entered the competition in the third round and their cup run started with an away tie againstCarlisle United.Although the home side created numerous chances in the opening minutes and looked likeliest to score, Arsenal took the lead in the 22nd minute throughSylvain Wiltord.Poor finishing from both teams thereafter meant Arsenal progressed by a slender scoreline.[4]In the fourth round, Arsenal facedQueens Park RangersatLoftus Road.The visitors' first goal came around the half-hour mark; defenderAshley ColeclearedPeter Crouch's goal-bound header and from that Arsenal launched a counterattack.Lee Dixon's cross inadvertently metChris Plummerwho scored anown goal.Wiltord extended Arsenal's lead a minute later, and QPR conceded another own goal early in the second half which sealed the tie in the visitors' favour. Arsenal finished as comfortable 6–0 winners, representing the club's best away win in the FA Cup for 64 years.[5]
In the fifth round, Arsenal played the cup holders Chelsea at home. Throughout the tie, Arsenal's centre-back partnership ofOleh LuzhnyiandIgors Stepanovsstruggled against the pace ofJimmy Floyd Hasselbaink,who equalised for Chelsea afterThierry Henrygave the home side the lead. Wiltord replacedRobert Piresin the second half and scored twice to settle the match.[6]In the sixth round, Arsenal enjoyed a comfortable win againstBlackburn Roversof the First Division, where Wiltord continued his run scoring in each round of the competition.[7]
Arsenal facedTottenham Hotspurin the semi-final and it was theirlocal rivalswho had taken the lead in the 14th minute.[8]Patrick Vieiraequalised just after Tottenham captainSol Campbellwas taken off the pitch to receive treatment.[8]Tottenham managed to withstand pressure from Arsenal for most of the second half, but came unstuck in the 73rd minute when Pires scored the decisive goal.[8]
Liverpool
edit| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Rotherham United(h) | 3–0 |
| 4th | Leeds United(a) | 2–0 |
| 5th | Manchester City(h) | 4–2 |
| 6th | Tranmere Rovers(a) | 4–2 |
| Semi-final | Wycombe Wanderers(n) | 2–1 |
| Key:(h) = Home venue; (a) = Away venue; (n) =Neutral venue. | ||
Liverpool entered the competition in the third round, where they were drawn against Second Division sideRotherham Unitedathome.Igor Bišćanwas sent off in the tie for a second bookable offence, moments afterEmile Heskeyhad scored.Dietmar Hamannextended Liverpool's lead in the 73rd minute and a further goal by Heskey ensured their progress in the competition.[9]
Liverpool's opponent in the fourth round wasLeeds United.[10]The match was played atElland Roadon 27 January 2001 in front of a near-capacity crowd of 37,108. The home team enjoyed much of the possession, but struggled to find a breakthrough as Liverpool's defence stood firm. Two minutes before full-time, Barmby, on as a substitute, scored the winning goal, rebounding a shot that came off the post. Barmby then turned provider for Liverpool's second, setting-up Heskey to score.[11]
Anfield hostedManchester Cityin the fifth round. It was the start of a decisive week for Liverpool, as they facedRomamidweek in theUEFA Cup,thenBirmingham Cityin the2001 Football League Cup final.[12]Liverpool were awarded a penalty after five minutes, as goalkeeperNicky WeaverfouledVladimír Šmicerinside the 18-yard box.Jari Litmanenconverted the spot kick to give Liverpool the lead, which quickly became 2–0 when Heskey's shot found its way past Weaver.Andrei Kanchelskis' goal in the 28th minute halved the scoreline, but Šmicer andMarkus Babbeleach scored in the second half to put Liverpool in a commanding lead. City persisted and in stoppage time scored their second goal of the match;Shaun Goater's deflected shot did enough to beat goalkeeperSander Westerveld.[12]
Liverpool travelled toPrenton Parkto playTranmere Roversin the sixth round.Danny MurphyandMichael Oweneach scored in a first half in which the visitors dominated play.[13]Steve Yatespulled a goal back for Tranmere after half-time, but in the 52nd minuteSteven Gerrardheaded-in a cross to restore Liverpool's two-goal advantage. A mistake byRobbie Fowlergifted substituteWayne Allisonthe chance to score, but the striker made amends as he converted a penalty kick in the 81st minute.[13]In the semi-final, Liverpool facedWycombe WanderersatVilla Park.Goals from Heskey and Fowler and a consolation scored by Wycombe's captainKeith Ryanensured Liverpool won 2–1 and earnt a place in the final.[14]
Pre-match
editStadium changes
edit
In October 2000,Wembley Stadium,the final's traditional venue, was closed in anticipation of major redevelopment.[16]Having considered alternative venues such asTwickenham,MurrayfieldandVilla Park,the FA announced in January 2001 that the next three Cup finals would be staged at Cardiff'sMillennium Stadium.[17]This therefore marked the first time the showpiece event was held outside England.[17]In the lead-up to the final, FA chief executiveAdam Crozieracknowledged concerns over transport and the quality of the pitch, saying, "We've done a lot of work with Cardiff and hopefully it will be a great occasion, but we'll take a view about how it's worked after the final and decide whether to still hold the match there."[18]A new pitch was re-laid in May, and the police made attempts to ease traffic on theM4by opening three more turn-offs than they did for the League Cup final.[19]
The finalists received a total allocation of approximately 52,000 tickets, which was an estimated increase of 10% on previous Wembley finals.[20]Seat prices for the final exceeded£70,[20]though some ticket touts charged as much as £1,000.[21]The cheapest tickets cost £20; the rest were priced at £40 and £55.[20]
Build-up
editArsenal were appearing in the final of the FA Cup for the 14th time, their first in over three years. They had won the cup seven times previously (in1930,1936,1950,1971,1979,1993and1998) and were beaten in the final six times.[22]By comparison, Liverpool were making their 12th appearance in a FA Cup final. The club won the cup five times (in1965,1974,1986,1989,1992) and lost six finals, most recent of which againstManchester Unitedin1996.[23]Arsenal and Liverpool had previously met thirteen times in the FA Cup, including four replays.[24]Arsenal had a slender advantage in those meetings, winning five times to Liverpool's four.[24]Both clubs were involved in the longest ever semi-final in FA Cup history in 1980, which required three replays after the original tie ended goalless.[25]Brian Talbot's goal atHighfield Roadearnt Arsenal a 1–0 victory.[25]
The last meeting between the two teams had been in the Premier League on 23 December 2000. Liverpool recorded a 4–0 win at Anfield, their third-straight victory in all competitions.[26]Gérard Houllier,the manager of Liverpool, enjoyed success in the cup competitions during the 2000–01 season; under his management, the club ended their six-year spell without silverware by winning the League Cup,[27]and in the calendar year defeated Roma,PortoandBarcelonato reach the2001 UEFA Cup final.[28]Houllier was indifferent that his side were considered the underdogs in the FA Cup final, and told reporters, "We have great work ethic and team ethic. There is a great desire to achieve something as a club."[29]He confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Heskey would start the final, though had yet to make a final decision over who would partner the England forward.[29]
Arsenal managerArsène Wengeradmitted his team had underachieved during the season, but took criticism of failing to challenge Manchester United in the league and progressing further in theUEFA Champions Leagueas a "compliment to the club".[30]He spoke in favour of moving FA Cup ties midweek to prevent fixture congestion, because the current system was too demanding for the big clubs: "In England a team that goes for the FA Cup automatically has a problem in the championship, especially if they play in the Champions League. There are then so many games something has to be sacrificed and I have sacrificed points in the championship to the FA Cup."[30]When asked whether reducing the number of teams in the UEFA Champions League would help, Wenger commented it "... would mean less money and no one with the wages we pay can accept a drop in income. As for cutting the Premiership – they have done that in France and now those teams not involved in the cups are complaining."[30]
The match attracted considerable media interest because of the number of foreigners involved.[31]It marked the first time that the two managers of opposing sides were born outside the British Isles, and it was anticipated the final would receive a large overseas audience because of the inclusion of several international players.[31]Broadcast in 70 countries, viewing figures for the match totalled close to 600 million.[32]
Match
editSummary
editBoth clubs lined up in a traditional4–4–2 formation:a four-mandefence(comprising twocentre-backsandleft and right full-backs), fourmidfielders(two in thecentre,and one on eachwing) and twocentre forwards.[33]Wenger opted to pairGilles Grimandiwith Vieira in midfield and Wiltord up front with Henry, leaving Bergkamp on the substitutes' bench.[34]Ashley Coleplayed in defence, ahead ofSylvinho,who did not feature in the matchday squad.[35]For Liverpool, Houllier named Owen in the starting line-up, and chose Šmicer and Murphy to play in midfield.[36]Gary McAllister,Patrik Bergerand Fowler began the final as substitutes.[36]
Arsenal in their usual home strip of red shirts and white shorts kicked off the match and immediately won a corner, which was dealt with by Westerveld.[35]A run by Heskey six minutes later resulted in the player taking a tumble underGilles Grimandi's challenge, but his appeals for a penalty were ignored by referee Dunn.[35]Arsenal began to dominate play, with Vieira at the heart of their best moves. The midfielder won a challenge with Heskey in the 17th minute and sent the ball in the direction ofFreddie Ljungberg,who in turn passed it to Henry. The Frenchman went around Westerveld and shot the ball goalwards, which was cleared off the line byStéphane Henchoz.[37]Television replays later showed the ball hitting Henchoz's arm before going wide; although Henry appealed for a penalty, it was turned down as the incident was missed by both the referee and his assistant.[37]Owen came close to scoring in the 20th minute, but for his shot to be blocked byMartin Keown.[37]Arsenal continued to find the best openings, but struggled to split open the Liverpool defence. A long range effort by Grimandi was easily saved by Westerveld as the final approached the half-hour mark, and a duel between Wiltord andJamie Carragheron the right side resulted in a Liverpool corner.[35]Two minutes before the interval Henry was penalised for drifting into an offside position, having collected a long pass.[38]
Liverpool resumed play and won a free-kick in the 48th minute; Murphy's delivery found Heskey, whose header forced a save fromDavid Seaman.Arsenal enjoyed their best spell of the match soon afterwards, but failed to make use of their set-pieces.[35]A free-kick taken by Pires was easily handled by Westerveld, and nothing came out of the resulting corner.[35]Pires and Henry combined in attack for Arsenal and the latter came close to scoring, had the Liverpool goalkeeper not intervened. The ball rebounded to Cole who shot goalwards, butSami Hyypiäcleared off the line.[35]Hamann was shown a yellow card for fouling Vieira in the 57th minute, and Houllier responded by replacing him with McAllister four minutes later.[35]The change had the desired effect as it brought composure to Liverpool's play, particularly in midfield. In the 62nd minute Ljungberg received a yellow card for a challenge on Šmicer. Arsenal squandered another chance, this time two minutes before the 70; Henry outpaced Henchoz and his rebounded shot found Ljungberg in the penalty area. The midfielder's effort, a chip over the advancing Westerveld, was cleared off the line by Hyypiä.[39]
With 19 minutes left, Arsenal finally scored. A poor clearance by Westerveld fell to Grimandi, who passed the ball to Pires. Ljungberg received it and rounded the goalkeeper to score, much to Wenger's delight.[38]Henry missed a chance to give Arsenal a two-goal lead in the 74th minute, as his shot was point-blank saved by Westerveld and on the follow-up cleared by Hyypiä.[35]Both managers made changes in the final period of the game;Ray Parlourcame on for Wiltord in order to protect Arsenal's lead, whereas Liverpool made an attacking double substitution – Fowler and Berger on for Šmicer and Murphy.[35]Liverpool survived the onslaught and found a foothold in the game when Owen equalised with eight minutes left. Arsenal failed to clear substitute McAllister's free-kick, and Owen pounced with a right-foot finish past Seaman from eight yards.[37]Liverpool's comeback was completed six minutes later in the 88th minute, with extra time looming; Owen was released down the left by a weighted long ball pass from Berger, with the type of vision which had been earlier missing from their play, and he outpaced bothTony Adamsand Dixon before shooting low and accurately past Seaman, beating him at the far post.[38]Liverpool held on to their lead for the few minutes remaining to win the final.[38]
Details
edit
        Arsenal
|
   Liverpool
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Match rules
|
Statistics
edit| Statistic | Arsenal | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 1 | 2 |
| Possession | 47% | 53% |
| Shots on target | 7 | 4 |
| Shots off target | 4 | 2 |
| Corner kicks | 4 | 5 |
| Offsides | 6 | 2 |
| Fouls | 18 | 17 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 1 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Source:[40][41] | ||
Post-match and aftermath
editHoullier was disappointed with Liverpool's start and noticed his players struggled with the humidity.[42]He nevertheless saw set-pieces as an opportunity to score goals from and felt the equaliser turned the final in his team's favour: "Suddenly the confidence switches to the other camp. They're affected, they become a bit unsettled, and you keep going."[43]Houllier revealed he gave a frank assessment of the task facing his players before the match; although in his words Arsenal were "... probably a bit better than us, probably more mature, more experienced, more ability in some areas", dealing with setbacks would make the difference on the day.[43]He dismissed accusations that Liverpool were boring, rather describing his team as difficult to beat.[44]Owen, the match winner, felt he answered his critics by scoring left-footed: "It's nice to prove people wrong when they say you haven't got a left foot. I was supposed to be the worst header and the worst player with my left foot in the league, and how could an England player play when they haven't got a left foot.... It does go to show that I have improved and I am improving."[45]
Wenger lamented Arsenal's inability to make possession count, saying: "It has happened all season. We don't finish."[46]He criticised the referee for not sending off Henchoz, especially as linesman Kevin Pike told him the Liverpool defender had committed a foul.[47]On reflection of the season, Wenger disagreed it was one of failure – "It is not easy to get to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the final of the FA Cup and to finish in the top three of the Premiership in the same season", but admitted he needed to make signings to strengthen the squad.[48]Henry called for changes to Arsenal's forward line and felt the team would benefit from a "fox in the box", a player who would stay in and around the penalty area to score.[49]"When I make wide runs and put in crosses there is often no-one there to put the ball in the net. Owen was the hero because he is always in the right place. We need a goalscorer like that", he concluded.[49]
"On some occasions the will to win is more important than the skill to win."
Gérard Houllierspeaking after the game[43]
Journalists and pundits reviewing the final praised Liverpool's tenacity; radio commentatorAlan Greenwrote in hisNews Lettercolumn of 14 May 2001: "Simply, they never give up and when you have a player like Michael Owen within your ranks you believe that any situation can be rescued, as it was in the magnificent Millennium Stadium."[50]The GuardiancorrespondentDavid Laceydeclared "The Owen of France '98 was reborn in Cardiff,"[51]whileHugh McIlvanneyofThe Sunday Timescalled Owen "the master executioner of English football." McIlvanney felt over the 90 minutes the Arsenal team were "unlucky to lose", lauding Vieira's show in midfield.[52]James Lawton's match report inThe Independentwas not as empathetic; although in praise of Henry's performance his indecision compared to Owen, demonstrated how "effect, not style, is everything" in football.[46]Clive White ofThe Heraldcriticised Henry's lack of end product, using the final and Arsenal's European failure againstValenciato demonstrate how he would never be considered a "natural goalscorer".[53]Ron Atkinson,writing in his tactics column forThe Guardiannoted Liverpool's winning goal only came about because of Arsenal's eagerness to attack, which left gaps in defence.[54]
The final was broadcast live in the United Kingdom by bothITVandSky Sports,with the former providing free-to-air coverage and Sky Sports 2 being the pay-TV alternative.[55]ITV held the majority of the viewership, with an overnight peak audience of 7.8 million viewers.[56]Four days after the final Liverpool beatAlavésby five goals to four, to win theUEFA Cupand complete a treble of cup victories.[57]Victory againstCharlton Athleticon 20 May 2001 ensured Liverpool finished third in the Premier League and with that earn a place in the2001–02 UEFA Champions League.[58]Arsenal ended the season as league runners-up; a draw againstNewcastle Unitedwas enough for them to secure second spot.[59]
In his autobiography released a few years later, Gerrard reflected that Liverpool were fortunate to win, but was critical of Arsenal's "bitter" reaction: "Wenger and Ljungberg kept complaining about the hand-balls. Get real, boys. That's football. Grow up."[60]He reserved special praise for his opponent Vieira however, saying a few days after the game: "It was my job to try and stop him, but he definitely got the better of me that day. He's such a great player. He's so fit, and he dictates the pace of a game. There are a lot of things you can learn just by watching him."[61]Assessing his career in a column for theTelegraph,Owen wrote that winning the cup was "...the best day of my career, the game I look back on more than any other and think it was the most exhilarating experience I ever had playing football."[62]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"History for Cardiff-Wales, United Kingdom".Weather Underground.Retrieved30 December2014.
- ^"Rules of The FA Cup Challenge Cup".The Football Association. Archived fromthe originalon 21 February 2004.Retrieved9 September2013.
- ^abBradley, Mark (28 January 2000). "FA Cup reverts to tradition".The Independent.London. p. 30.
- ^Malam, Colin (6 January 2001)."Wily Wiltord helps Arsenal maintain the class divide".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved26 October2012.
- ^Ley, John (28 January 2001)."Arsenal question Wenger's priorities".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved26 October2012.
- ^Lacey, David (19 February 2001)."Wiltord picks Chelsea's pocket".The Guardian.London.Retrieved26 October2012.
- ^"Gunners blitz stuns Blackburn".BBC Sport. 12 May 2001.Retrieved27 February2016.
- ^abcLacey, David (9 April 2001)."Pinpoint Pires has the final say".The Guardian.London.Retrieved26 October2012.
- ^Turbervill, Huw (6 January 2001)."Biscan blow sparks Liverpool into life".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^Szczepanik, Nick (8 January 2001). "Leeds meet old rivals on elite list".The Times.p. S1.
- ^"Liverpool stun Leeds".BBC Sport. 27 January 2001.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^ab"Liverpool too slick for City".BBC Sport. 18 February 2001.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^abWinter, Henry (12 March 2001)."Liverpool show appetite for fight".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^"Liverpool end Wycombe's fight".BBC Sport. 8 April 2001.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^"FA opts for Cardiff final".The Scotsman.Edinburgh. 5 January 2001.Retrieved26 February2016.
- ^"Timeline: The new Wembley".BBC Sport. 21 February 2006.Retrieved26 February2016.
- ^abBradley, Mark (4 January 2001). "Millennium showpieces".Coventry Telegraph.p. 71.
- ^Townsend, Nick (6 May 2001). "Crozier: Cardiff on trial for Cup final".The Independent.London. p. 1.
- ^Dobson, Roger (10 May 2001). "Cardiff prepares for moment of cup final glory".The Independent.London. p. 4.
- ^abcDickinson, Matt (26 January 2001). "FA kicks out Cup Final freeloaders".The Times.p. 40.
- ^Mather, David (10 May 2001)."Police seize fake tickets".The Mirror.London.Retrieved26 February2016.
- ^"Arsenal's complete cup finals".Statto Organisation. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved27 February2016.
- ^"Liverpool's complete cup finals".Statto Organisation. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved27 February2016.
- ^ab"Arsenal's head-to-head comparison with Liverpool".Statto Organisation. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved26 February2016.
- ^abMurray, Scott (2 March 2012)."Joy of Six: Liverpool v Arsenal matches".The Guardian.Retrieved27 February2016.
- ^Malam, Colin (24 December 2000)."Liverpool keep dream alive".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved26 February2016.
- ^"Blues shot down as Liverpool lift cup".BBC Sport. 25 February 2001.Retrieved26 February2016.
- ^"Liverpool's Uefa Cup run".BBC Sport. 15 May 2001.Retrieved26 February2016.
- ^abIngle, Sean (11 May 2001)."Heskey to start tomorrow".The Guardian.London.Retrieved26 February2016.
- ^abcRich, Tim (12 May 2001). "Wenger driven by the fear of failure".The Independent.London. p. 31.
- ^abDillon, John; Maddock, David (12 May 2001)."Abide with moi, boyo!".The Mirror.London.Retrieved27 February2016.
- ^"Economic Impact of the FA Cup and Other Football Matches".Cardiff Council. 2001. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 16 April 2016.Retrieved30 March2016.
- ^Moore, Glenn (14 May 2001). "Houllier's way the right path to glory".The Independent.London. p. S3.
- ^Kay, Oliver (14 May 2001). "Keown and Henry left frustrated by weakest links in team".The Times.p. S7.
- ^abcdefghij"FA Cup final clockwatch".BBC Sport. 12 May 2001.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^abRudd, Alyson (14 May 2001). "Cool Owen shows his ability to shine on the big occasion".The Times.p. S7.
- ^abcd"Owen shatters Arsenal in Cup final".BBC Sport. 12 May 2001.Retrieved31 December2009.
- ^abcdHughes, Matt (12 May 2001)."Arsenal 1–2 Liverpool".The Guardian.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^Malam, Colin (13 May 2001)."FA Cup Final: Owen's double take stuns unlucky Arsenal".The Sunday Telegraph.London.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^"How they rated".News of the World.13 May 2001. p. S8.
- ^Driscoll, Matt (13 May 2001). "Football's Owen home".News of the World.p. S2.
- ^"Houllier celebrates Cardiff triumph".BBC Sport. 12 May 2001.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^abcWilliams, Richard (14 May 2001)."Owen fast forward to next blockbuster".The Guardian.London.Retrieved17 June2015.
- ^Winter, Henry (15 May 2001)."Tables turn as Liverpool produce late knockout".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved17 June2015.
- ^"I've nothing more to prove, says Owen".BBC Sport. 13 May 2001.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^abLawton, James (14 May 2001). "Clinical Owen takes Arsenal to finishing school".The Independent.London. p. S3.
- ^"Wenger: Ref Dunn us right in".Sunday Mail.Glasgow. 14 May 2001.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^Dickinson, Matt (14 May 2001). "Wenger's trust again betrayed by Arsenal's lack of killer instinct".The Times.p. S7.
- ^ab"Henry: We need box fox".BBC Sport. 14 May 2001.Retrieved27 February2016.
- ^Green, Alan (14 May 2001). "'Old Empire' striking back ".The News Letter.p. 60.
- ^Lacey, David (14 May 2001)."Five minutes that turned the world upside down".The Guardian.Retrieved6 April2015.
- ^McIlvanney, Hugh (13 May 2001). "Gunned down by smiling assassin".The Sunday Times.p. S3.
- ^White, Clive (14 May 2001)."Owen shows how it's done; No hoorays for Henry as he fails to breach defence".The Herald.Glasgow. Archived fromthe originalon 24 September 2015.Retrieved6 April2015.
- ^Atkinson, Ron (14 May 2001)."How a moment's lapse lost the Cup for Arsenal".The Guardian.London.Retrieved6 April2015.
- ^Morgan, Richard (12 May 2001)."The sporting week".The Mirror.London.Retrieved30 December2014.
- ^"Ratings – BBC1 hits right note with Euro singsong".Broadcast.Top Right Group. 18 May 2001.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^"Houllier hails brilliant Reds".BBC Sport. 17 May 2001.Retrieved27 February2016.
- ^Lacey, David (21 May 2001)."Houllier's rallying call produces final flourish from the men of May".The Guardian.Retrieved18 June2015.
- ^Wardle, John (16 May 2001)."Silver medal for Gunners".The Guardian.London.Retrieved17 June2015.
- ^Gerrard, Steven (2012).Gerrard: My Autobiography.Random House. p. 204.ISBN978-1-4481-5446-3.
- ^Lawton, Matt (30 May 2001)."Gerrard salutes Vieira the master".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved20 November2015.
- ^Owen, Michael (14 May 2014)."Winning the FA Cup with Liverpool remains the highlight of my career".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved27 February2016.
