Arsenal have the opportunity to end nine years of hurt
when they face Hull City in Saturday's FA Cup final at Wembley.
Arsene Wenger will need no reminding that his side have
not lifted any silverware since winning the competition in 2005, having come in
for severe criticism at times during the club's barren spell.
Messrs Pires, Vieira and Bergkamp were among the Arsenal
side that triumphed over Manchester United on penalties in Cardiff, but the
onus now falls on the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Olivier Giroud
to take a first step on the path to emulating those club legends.
Victory on Saturday would make it five FA Cup titles for
Wenger, and see Arsenal equal United's record for most Cup wins with 11, but
the Frenchman stopped short of labelling this weekend's clash a must-win
encounter.
"No matter what the result will be, this club - and
this is always most important - can deal with the consequences of any
game," he said.
"What is important is that we come out of the game
and have the feeling that we gave absolutely our best, our total energy to play
at our best and then you always accept the consequences.
"No matter how much we talk about it, you can win
and lose but you want to come out of the game feeling you have done the maximum
to win and that is what we want to achieve."
Wenger's opposite number Steve Bruce comes with his own
FA Cup pedigree, having won the trophy three times as a player with United, but
is yet to climb Wembley's famous steps as a manager.
This will be Hull's first appearance in the FA Cup final,
and Bruce admits it has been difficult to retain a sense of normality in the
build-up.
"We’ve tried to keep it normal, but you can tell
it’s not normal," said Bruce. "You can tell from watching the players
train that it’s not a normal week.
"For the first time in three or four weeks, there is
a real spring in the step of the players. You can detect that and it will build
as the week goes on, and so it should.
"When you’re growing up and playing for your junior
team, your district team, whoever – you want to do one thing and that is play
in an FA Cup final."
There is no doubting Arsenal have had the tougher road to
the Wembley showpiece - the Emirates Stadium outfit have seen off Tottenham,
Liverpool, Everton and defending champions Wigan Athletic on their way to this
weekend's showdown, while Hull's only top-flight opponents were Sunderland in
the quarter-finals.
But Arsenal have a cup upset in their locker - losing 2-1
to the eventually relegated Birmingham City in the 2011 League Cup final.
That said, Hull will be without attacking duo Shane Long
and Nikica Jalavic, who are cup tied after their respective January moves to
the KC Stadium, while a number of key players, including Allan McGregor, Paul
McShane and Sone Aluko, have recovered just in time to be involved.
Defender James Chester (hamstring) is Bruce's only major
injury doubt.
Meanwhile, Thomas Vermaelen (knee) and Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin) face a race against time to be fit for Arsenal.
Culled from Soccerway
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