The2003 FA Cup finalwas the 122ndfinalof theFA Cup,the world's oldest domesticfootballcup competition.[2]The final took place on Saturday 17 May 2003 at theMillennium StadiuminCardiff,in front of a crowd of 73,726. It was the third consecutive year the final was played at the stadium, due to the ongoing reconstruction ofWembley Stadium,the final's usual venue. The 2003 final was the first to be played indoors; the roof was closed because of bad weather. The clubs contesting the final wereArsenal,the holders of the competition andSouthampton.This was Arsenal's sixteenth appearance in a final to Southampton's fourth.
 Thematch programmecover | |||||||
| Event | 2002–03 FA Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Date | 17 May 2003 | ||||||
| Venue | Millennium Stadium,Cardiff | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Thierry Henry(Arsenal) | ||||||
| Referee | Graham Barber(Hertfordshire) | ||||||
| Attendance | 73,726 | ||||||
| Weather | Rainy 13 °C (55 °F)[1] | ||||||
AsPremier Leagueclubs, Arsenal and Southampton entered the FA Cup in the third round, which meant each club needed to progress through five rounds to reach the final. Arsenal made a convincing start, they won their opening three rounds, but needed a sixth-roundreplayagainstChelsea.By contrast, Southampton played one replay in the fourth round againstMillwall.Arsenal entered the match as favourites and had beaten Southampton 6–1 nine days earlier in the league. GoalkeeperDavid SeamancaptainedArsenal in the absence of the injuredPatrick Vieira;it was to be Seaman's last appearance for the club. In defence for Southampton,Chris Bairdmade only his second competitive start.Chris Marsdencaptained the club in the absence of the injured club captain,Jason Dodd.
Arsenal began the match more effectively of the two and scored what proved to be the winning goal in the latter minutes of the first half –Freddie Ljungberg's rebounded goal effort was converted byRobert Pires.Midway through the second half, Southampton goalkeeperAntti Niemiwas substituted, as he strained his calf muscle; he was replaced byPaul Jones.In stoppage time, strikerJames Beattiehad his header cleared off the line byAshley Cole,in what was the final chance for Southampton.
Arsenal's win made them the first team to retain the trophy sinceTottenham Hotspurin 1982. They later played againstleague championsManchester United in the2003 FA Community Shield.Given Arsenal had already qualified for Europe via their league position, theirUEFA Cupspot was awarded to runners-up Southampton.
Route to the final
editArsenal
edit| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Oxford United(h) | 2–0 |
| 4th | Farnborough Town(a) | 5–1 |
| 5th | Manchester United(a) | 2–0 |
| 6th | Chelsea(h) | 2–2 |
| Chelsea (a) | 3–1 | |
| Semi-final | Sheffield United(n) | 1–0 |
| Key:(h) = Home venue; (a) = Away venue; (n) =Neutral venue. | ||
Arsenal entered the competition in the third round, receiving a bye as aPremier Leagueclub. Their opening match was a 2–0 home win against Oxford United on 4 January 2003.[3]StrikerDennis Bergkampscored his 100th goal for the club and an own goal by defenderScott McNivenensured progression to the next round.[4]Arsenal faced non-league sideFarnborough Town;the match switched from Farnborough's ground atCherrywood RoadtoHighburydue to concerns over safety.[5]Farnborough began the match as the home team and conceded the first goal, scored by Arsenal defenderSol Campbellin the 19th minute. They went down to ten men afterChristian Leewas sent off for a professional foul in the 28th minute.Francis Jeffersscored twice beforeRocky Baptisteadded a consolation, beatingPascal Cyganfor pace and despite having his first shot saved by goalkeeperStuart Taylor,he managed to lift the ball over him and into the net.Laurenand Bergkamp each scored in the final 15 minutes to give Arsenal a 5–1 victory.[6]
Arsenal's fifth round match was away to league rivalsManchester UnitedatOld Traffordon 16 February 2003. AfterRyan Giggsmissed the chance to score past an open goal, midfielderEdugave Arsenal the lead through a free kick which took a deflection offDavid Beckham's shoulder. StrikerSylvain Wiltordscored the second goal of the match in the 52nd minute, running onto a pass from Edu and side-footing the ball past goalkeeperFabien Barthez.[7]Arsenal captainPatrick Vieirasaid of the performance: "We knew when we lost here in the league that we had lost the battle in midfield. We had to put that right, and we did."[8]In the sixth round, Arsenal was drawn at home toChelseain a repeat of theprevious season's final.[9]Chelsea defenderJohn Terryput Chelsea ahead with aheaderfrom aset piecebefore Arsenal responded through Jeffers andThierry Henry.Frank Lampardscored a late equaliser for the visiting team meaning the match wasreplayedatStamford Bridge.[10]An own goal by Terry and a strike by Wiltord in the space of seven minutes during the replay gave Arsenal an early lead against Chelsea. Despite going down to ten men after Cygan was sent off and Terry scoring from a header, the away team scored a third goal through Lauren to ensure progression into the semi-finals.[11]In the semi-final againstSheffield Unitedon 13 April 2003 at Old Trafford,Freddie Ljungbergscored the winning goal to help Arsenal reach their third successive FA Cup final appearance.[12]The match was best remembered forDavid Seaman's late save, which prevented Sheffield United from equalising.[13]
Southampton
edit| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Tottenham Hotspur(h) | 4–0 |
| 4th | Millwall(h) | 1–1 |
| Millwall (a) | 2–1 | |
| 5th | Norwich City(h) | 2–0 |
| 6th | Wolverhampton Wanderers(h) | 2–0 |
| Semi-final | Watford(n) | 2–1 |
| Key:(h) = Home venue; (a) = Away venue; (n) =Neutral venue. | ||
Like Arsenal, as a Premier League club, Southampton received a bye into the third round. Their opening match was a 4–0 win against fellow league clubTottenham Hotspur.A goal by defenderMichael Svenssonand three fromJo Tessem,Anders SvenssonandJames Beattiein the second half was the second straight victory against Tottenham, having beaten them on New Year's Day in the league.[14]In the fourth round, Southampton was drawn at home toFirst DivisionclubMillwallon 25 January 2003. The visitors took the lead through strikerSteve Claridgebut were denied victory. 90 seconds from the end of the match as Southampton strikerKevin Daviesscored from a rebounded shot.[15]In the replay, midfielderMatthew Oakleyscored twice for Southampton (one in both halves) either side of aSteven Reidequaliser for Millwall.[16]
Southampton's fifth round match was againstNorwich Cityat home on 5 February 2003. Two goals in the space of three minutes, scored by Svensson and Tessem was enough to take the team into the quarter-finals.[17]Southampton defenderClaus Lundekvamwas pleased with the win and said following the match: "When you get to this stage in the competition you have to believe you can win it."[18]The club then facedWolverhampton Wanderersat home in the following round. Former Wolves playerChris Marsdengave Southampton the lead right in the 56th minute and with nine minutes remaining of normal time, the team added a second goal when Jo Tessem's shot took a deflection offPaul Butler's legs to go inside the goal net.[19]The victory meant Southampton reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in 17 years.[20]AtVilla Park,Southampton played First Division teamWatfordon 13 April 2003. Brett Ormerod opened the scoring two minutes before half time and set up the second goal which saw the ball being taken over the line by Watford defenderPaul Robinson.DespiteMarcus Gaylescoring a late header to half the scoreline Southampton won the match.[21]
Pre-match
edit
Arsenal was appearing in the final of the FA Cup for the sixteenth time. They had won the cup eight times previously (in1930,1936,1950,1971,1979,1993,1998and2002) and had been beaten in the final seven times, the most recent in2001.By comparison, Southampton made their fourth appearance in a FA Cup final. Their previous best was winning the cup in1976,by beating opponents Manchester United.[22]
Both clubs received an allocation of approximately 25,000 tickets, with the remaining 25,000 being sent out to other clubs.[23]17,500 of those tickets were available to Southampton season ticket holders.[24]Seat prices for the final exceeded £80, with the cheapest tickets available at £25.[24]Southampton was given the South Stand, which was the larger end of the stadium, whereas Arsenal was situated at the opposite end.[24]Although Southampton supporters were disappointed at the allocation share, chairmanRupert Lowerefused to criticise the FA's decision, by saying: "The reality is that too many people want to go and there are never enough tickets."[25]In the lead up to the final, theSouth Wales Echoreported that many tickets were being sold on the black market, for "20 times" the face-value price.[23]
Nine days before the final, the two clubs faced each other in a league match atHighbury(Arsenal's former stadium). With Arsenal unable to retain the title, having lost toLeeds United,managerAr sắc ne Wengerrested several players, as did Southampton managerGordon Strachan,whose team started without six of their first-choice eleven.[26]WingerJermaine Pennanton his league debut scored a hat-trick, as did Pires, in a 6–1 win.[26]Strachan believed the result had little bearing on their chances of winning the cup, noting: "There is little pressure on Southampton to lift the trophy. We were not expected to reach the final and have already clinched a place in the UEFA Cup."[27]
The traditional Cup Final hymn, "Abide with Me"was sung byTony Henry,an opera singer from South London.[28]Sir Bobby Robsonwas invited as the FA's chief guest for the final and performed several duties ordinarily reserved for royalty, such as presenting the trophy to the winning captain. Heavy rain on Friday night and forecasted showers in Cardiff meant the final would be the first to be played indoors; the stadium closed its retractable roof and floodlights were used to light up the ground.[29]
Match
editTeam selection
editVieira was ruled out of the match because of a knee injury during the FA Cup semi-final match againstSheffield United,[30]so Wenger namedDavid Seamanas Arsenal's captain for the match. In a match widely anticipated as his final for the club.[31]With Campbell suspended and Cygan absent due to a thigh strain,[32]Wenger pickedOleh Luzhnyito pair up withMartin Keown,who was rested the previous Sunday away againstSunderland.For Southampton, the major absentee was their strikerMarian Pahars,who underwent a third operation to overcome a troubling knee injury.[33]DefenderChris Bairdmade his second competitive start for the club andChris Marsdencaptained Southampton, givenJason Dodd's absence with an injury. Although both teams set up in a4–4–2 formation,Bergkamp was positioned as adeep-lying forwardbehind Henry.[34]
Report
edit
Arsenal created their first chance inside 24 seconds of the match, when Ljungberg put Henry clear down the right-hand side.[35]The striker used his pace to get the better of Lundekvam, only to have his shot blocked by Southampton goalkeeperAntti Niemi.[35]Bergkamp's goal effort in the eighth minute was cleared off the line by full backChris Baird,after Niemi fumbled Henry's initial shot.[35]Southampton fashioned their first opportunity in the 15th minute through a high cross; in spite of unsettling the Arsenal defence, the unmarked Svensson volleyed over the bar.[35]Baird moments after won the ball in midfield and curled a shot that left Seaman "scrambling across his goal to save". Seven minutes before the break, Arsenal went into the lead. Henry, receiving the ball from Parlour, slipped it into Bergkamp down the right. He in turn fed the ball to Ljungberg, whose shot was blocked. The ball rebounded in the direction of Pires, who took one touch to set himself and another to fire into the goal at the near post, despite Niemi getting a hand to the ball.[35]Arsenal missed further chances to extend their lead when a cross from the right by Henry was shot over the bar by Pires and from the same area, Bergkamp's "cross-cum-shot" was missed by Ljungberg.[36]
After the break, Southampton applied pressure and a poor clearance by Seaman invited a chance forPaul Telferto shoot the ball from "35 yards out"; his pass found Ormerod, but was eventually intercepted by Luzhnyi.[37]Minutes after, Beattie failed to take advantage from Oakley's cross, as the ball drifted wide.[37]Arsenal regained possession and in the 52nd minute went close to doubling their lead.[38]In Southampton's penalty box, Bergkamp turned and beat Ormerod before curling a shot which Niemi palmed off; it fell to the feet of Ljungberg, who shot the ball into the side-netting.[38]Telfer misguided his header from a Southampton corner, before Niemi denied Henry again. In the 65th minute, Niemi injured himself, in an attempt to clear the ball and was replaced by substitutePaul Jones.[38]Both clubs made substitutions in the final third of the game, with Wiltord coming on for Bergkamp and Tessem replacing Svensson.[38]Ormerod's goal-bound effort was saved by Seaman with 10 minutes remaining of the match. In the fourth minute of injury time, Southampton earned themselves a corner.[38]Beattie's on-target header was cleared off the line byAshley Coleand out for another corner, which Pires kicked out in the final action of the game.[38]
Details
edit| Arsenal | 1–0 | Southampton |
|---|---|---|
Pires 38' |
Report |
          Arsenal
|
    Southampton
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Man of the match
Match officials
|
Match rules
|
Statistics
edit| Statistic[40] | Arsenal | Southampton |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 1 | 0 |
| Possession | 59% | 41% |
| Shots on target | 7 | 4 |
| Shots off target | 5 | 10 |
| Corner kicks | 4 | 8 |
| Fouls | 10 | 18 |
| Offsides | 3 | 3 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 4 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
Post-match
editIn retaining the cup, Arsenal became the first team to do so since Tottenham Hotspur in 1982. Wenger commented after the game that his team "got the trophy we wanted" while Strachan was in admiration of Southampton's performance: "I'm very proud of the way they competed. I couldn't have asked for any more."[41]Keown said the FA Cup win was "the best ever" and Seaman felt the disappointment of losing out to Manchester United in the league spurred the team on.[41]Football punditsAlan Hansen,Peter SchmeichelandMark Hughesunanimously agreed that Arsenal deserved to win the match.[42]
Arsenal's victory set up aCommunity Shieldmatch against Manchester United, the winners of the 2002–03 Premier League. The FA Cup winners are awarded qualification into theUEFA Cup,but because Arsenal qualified for the UEFA Champions League via their league position, the UEFA Cup place was passed to Southampton, the runners-up.[43]
The match was broadcast live in the United Kingdom by both theBBCandSky Sports,withBBC Oneproviding the free-to-air coverage and Sky Sports 1 being the pay-TV alternative.[44]BBC One held the majority of the viewership, with a peak audience of 9.6 million viewers (55.7% viewing share) watching at 16:50pm and the match averaged at 8.3 million (55%) – the highest audience for a FA Cup final in four years.[45]Coverage of the final began on the channel at 12:10pm and averaged 5.3 million (44.4%).[45]TheMatch of the Daycoverage concluded at different times dependent on station, with the broadcast in Scotland ending 10 minutes before the main broadcast finished.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"History for Cardiff-Wales, United Kingdom".Weather Underground.Retrieved4 January2013.
- ^"History of The FA Cup".TheFA.The Football Association.Retrieved17 March2012.
- ^"Arsenal end Oxford dream".BBC Sport. 4 January 2003.Retrieved12 March2012.
- ^Burnton, Simon (6 January 2003)."Bergkamp worthy of ton of respect".The Guardian.London.Retrieved12 March2012.
- ^Bradley, Mark (9 January 2003)."Farnborough to switch cup tie".The Guardian.Retrieved12 March2012.
- ^"Arsenal cruise through".BBC Sport. 25 January 2003.Retrieved12 March2012.
- ^"Arsenal cruise past Man Utd".BBC Sport. 16 February 2003.Retrieved13 March2012.
- ^Wilson, Paul (16 February 2003)."Arsenal triumph as Giggs goes missing".The Observer.London.Retrieved13 March2012.
- ^"London giants collide".BBC Sport. 27 February 2003.Retrieved13 March2012.
- ^"Chelsea hold Arsenal".BBC Sport. 8 March 2003.Retrieved13 March2012.
- ^"Arsenal brush aside Chelsea".BBC Sport. 25 March 2003.Retrieved13 March2012.
- ^"Arsenal sink brave Blades".BBC Sport. 13 April 2003.Retrieved13 March2012.
- ^McCarra, Kevin (14 April 2003)."Super Seaman defies time and gravity to end Blades odyssey".The Guardian.London.Retrieved12 March2012.
- ^"Saints thrash Spurs".BBC Sport. 4 January 2003.Retrieved13 March2012.
- ^"Last-gasp Saints deny Lions".BBC Sport. 25 January 2003.Retrieved13 March2012.
- ^"Saints tame Lions".BBC Sport. 13 February 2003.Retrieved17 March2012.
- ^"Saints see off Norwich".BBC Sport. 5 February 2003.Retrieved17 March2012.
- ^"Lundekvam eyes FA Cup glory".BBC Sport. 16 February 2003.Retrieved17 March2012.
- ^Brodkin, Jon (10 March 2003)."Super Wolves softened up by old boy Marsden".The Guardian.London.Retrieved17 March2012.
- ^"Saints tame Wolves".BBC Sport. 9 March 2003.Retrieved17 March2012.
- ^Davies, Christopher (14 April 2003)."Ormerod destroys Watford dream".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved18 March2012.
- ^Hayward, Paul (17 May 2003)."Saints marching on the giants".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved18 March2012.
- ^ab"Touts selling tickets at 10 times value".South Wales Echo.Cardiff. 7 May 2003. p. 7.
- ^abcLeitch, Adam (26 April 2003). "25,000 tickets for Saints' Cardiff army".Daily Echo.Southampton.
- ^Pratt, Harry (7 May 2003). "Lowe blasts ticket fiasco".Daily Star.London. p. 71.
- ^abBrodkin, Jon (8 May 2003)."Arsenal star in Cup dress rehearsal".The Guardian.London.Retrieved18 March2012.
- ^Strachan, Gordan (11 May 2003)."Price of victory may be lack of spectacle".The Guardian.London.Retrieved18 March2012.
- ^"Opera singer to kick off the FA Cup Final".South Wales Echo.Cardiff. 15 May 2003. p. 26.
- ^Wiechula, Frank (18 May 2003). "FA Cup final: Day roof fell in on the Saints".The People.London. p. 6.
- ^agencies, Staff and (14 April 2003)."Vieira fit for United showdown".The Guardian.Retrieved12 April2021.
- ^Brodkin, Jon (16 May 2003)."Able Seaman is captain for final".The Guardian.London.Retrieved12 March2012.
- ^Stammers, Steve (13 May 2003). "Wenger left with defence worries".Evening Standard.London. p. 63.
- ^West, Lee (16 May 2003). "FA Cup countdown: Arsenal v Southampton".Daily Mirror.London. p. 68.
- ^Winter, Henry (19 May 2003). "Arsenal counter friendly fire".The Daily Telegraph.London. p. B2.
- ^abcde"Arsenal leads Southampton 1–0 at half time of FA Cup final".AP Worldstream.Cardiff: Associated Press. 17 May 2003. Archived fromthe originalon 11 June 2014.Retrieved1 March2013.(subscription required)
- ^Wilson, Paul (18 May 2003)."Pires aim is true for muted Gunners".The Observer.London.Retrieved1 March2013.
- ^ab"Arsenal 1, Southampton 0".Evening Gazette.Middlesbrough. 17 May 2003.Retrieved1 March2013.
- ^abcdefMacLeary, John (17 May 2003)."Arsenal v Southampton: minute-by-minute".The Guardian.Retrieved1 March2013.
- ^May, John (18 May 2003)."Henry's debt to Bergkamp".BBC Sport.Retrieved23 April2009.
- ^Lipton, Martin (19 May 2003)."1–0 to the Arsenal... At last; Arsenal 1 Soton 0".Daily Mirror.London.Retrieved23 February2013.
- ^ab"Keown hails 'best ever' win".BBC Sport. 17 May 2003.Retrieved16 March2012.
- ^"Arsenal were worthy winners".BBC Sport. 17 May 2003.Retrieved16 March2012.
- ^"Who qualifies to play in Europe?".Premier League.Archived fromthe originalon 17 May 2014.Retrieved4 January2013.
- ^"FA Cup final: Arsenal v Southampton".The Guardian.London. 17 May 2003. p. B3.
- ^ab"Ratings – FA Cup's big gunners shoot to win on BBC1".Broadcast.London. 23 May 2003.Retrieved4 January2013.
External links
edit
- Saints fans viewat SaintsForever