2014 FA Cup Final

2014 FA Cup Final

The match was played at Wembley Stadium.
Event	2013–14 FA Cup
Arsenal Hull City 3 2
After extra time
Date	17 May 2014 (2014-05-17)
Venue	Wembley Stadium, London
Man of the Match	Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
Referee	Lee Probert (Wiltshire)
Attendance	89,345
Weather	Partly, mostly cloudy 22 °C (72 °F)[1]
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The 2014 FA Cup Final was an association football match between Arsenal and Hull City on 17 May 2014 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. It was the 133rd FA Cup final overall and was the showpiece match of English football's primary cup competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup), organised by the Football Association (FA). Hull City made their first appearance in an FA Cup Final, while Arsenal equalled Manchester United's record of 18 final appearances.

Each club needed to win five matches to reach the final. Arsenal beat three of their divisional rivals and needed penalties to defeat cup holders Wigan Athletic. By contrast, four of Hull City's opponents were from the lower divisions; they played one replay in the fifth round against Brighton & Hove Albion.

The match was refereed by Lee Probert in front of 89,345 spectators. It was won by Arsenal after extra time, securing a joint-record eleventh victory in the competition, Hull scored with two goals in the opening ten minutes from James Chester and Curtis Davies, but Arsenal came back with goals from Santi Cazorla and Laurent Koscielny to level the match by the end of regular time. Aaron Ramsey, who was brought on as a substitute at half-time in extra time, scored the winner 11 minutes from the end of the match.

As Arsenal had qualified for the Champions League by their league position, Hull City entered the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League at the third qualifying round.

Background[]

The FA Cup is an annual knockout tournament involving professional and amateur men's football clubs in the English football league system.^[2] It is the world's oldest football cup competition.^[3][4] The 2014 final was the 133rd to be played since it was first held in 1872.^[3]

Arsenal won both of the league matches between the sides during the regular season. The fixture at the Emirates Stadium in London in November 2013 ended 2–0 while the return game at the KC Stadium the following April saw Arsenal record a 3–0 victory.^[5] Arsenal were making their eighteenth appearance in an FA Cup final, equalling the record set by Manchester United. They had last played in the FA Cup final in 2005 where they defeated Manchester United 5–4 in a penalty shoot-out after the match finished goalless. Conversely, this was Hull City's first appearance in an FA Cup Final since the club was founded in 1904.^[6][7] Arsenal's top scorer during the season was Olivier Giroud with 16 goals in the league and 6 in other competitions, followed by Aaron Ramsey with 10 in the league and 6 others.^[8] Hull City's leading scorer was Matty Fryatt with 6 goals, 4 of which had come in the FA Cup.^[9]

Route to the final[]

Arsenal[]

Arsenal players celebrating Lukas Podolski's goal against Coventry City

As a Premier League club, Arsenal entered the competition in the third round where they faced their north London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium. Santi Cazorla opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 31st minute when he struck Serge Gnabry's pass first time past Hugo Lloris, the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper. Midway through the second half, Tottenham's Danny Rose hesitated with the ball, allowing Tomáš Rosický to gain possession and lift the ball over Lloris to double Arsenal's lead.^[10] With fewer than ten minutes remaining, Theo Walcott was taken off the pitch injured on a stretcher: he was later ruled out for more than six months after being diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.^[11] The match ended 2–0 and Arsenal progressed to the fourth round.^[10] There, they were drawn at home again, this time against Coventry City of League One. Lukas Podolski gave Arsenal a 2–0 lead within the first half-hour, scoring from Mesut Özil's pass before doubling his tally by heading in Per Mertesacker's pass. Giroud and Cazorla both scored close-range goals in the last ten minutes of the second half, to give Arsenal a 4–0 victory.^[12]

For the fifth round, Arsenal were drawn against Liverpool at home, against whom they had lost 5–1 in the Premier League the previous week. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain opened the scoring in the 16th minute from inside the Liverpool penalty area after Yaya Sanogo's shot was blocked by Steven Gerrard. Podolski doubled their lead two minutes after half-time from 15 yards (14 m) when he converted a cross from Oxlade-Chamberlain. In the 59th minute, Podolski fouled Luis Suárez and Gerrard scored the resulting penalty. Despite dominating the closing stages of the match, Liverpool failed to score and the match ended 2–1.^[13] In the sixth round, Arsenal were again at home where they faced Everton. Özil scored from a Cazorla pass to give Arsenal the lead on six minutes but Everton equalised through Romelu Lukaku from close range in the 32nd minute. Midway through the second half, Oxlade-Chamberlain was fouled by Gareth Barry to concede a penalty, Mikel Arteta scoring on the second attempt after his first successful strike was ruled out as Giroud was deemed to have encroached into the penalty area. Giroud then scored twice in three minutes late on to secure a 4–1 win for Arsenal.^[14]

In their semi-final at Wembley Stadium, which was a neutral venue, Arsenal were drawn against the defending FA Cup holders Wigan Athletic. After a goalless first half, Wigan took the lead after Callum McManaman was brought down in the Arsenal penalty area by Mertesacker and Jordi Gómez converted the subsequent penalty. With eight minutes of the match remaining, Mertesacker scored with a header from a mis-hit shot by Kieran Gibbs. Regular time ended with the score level at 1–1, and with no goals in extra time, the match went to a penalty shoot-out. Łukasz Fabiański saved Wigan's first two penalties from Gary Caldwell and Jack Collison and as all subsequent strikes were scored, Arsenal won 4–2 and proceeded to the final.^[15] In doing so, Arsenal matched their achievement in the 1949–50 FA Cup where they reached the final without leaving London.^[16]

Hull City[]

Hull City also entered the 2013–14 FA Cup in the third round where they made nine changes to the team that played their previous match and were drawn away to Middlesbrough. In the 10th minute, Aaron McLean put Hull City ahead when he struck David Meyler's deflected shot past Middlesbrough goalkeeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos. Midway through the second half, Nick Proschwitz scored from inside the Middlesbrough penalty area to give Hull City a 2–0 victory.^[17] In the fourth round, Hull City's opposition were League Two side Southend United who they faced at Roots Hall. The first half ended 0–0 and midway through the second, Fryatt scored after receiving a pass from Meyler. Fryatt doubled his and his side's tally in stoppage time, beating David Bentley in the Southend goal with his strike and securing a 2–0 win for Hull City.^[18]

In the next round, Hull were drawn against Championship team Brighton & Hove Albion away at Falmer Stadium. Striker Leonardo Ulloa gave Brighton a first half lead scoring in the 30th minute after receiving a pass from Will Buckley. With four minutes of the match remaining, Hull's Yannick Sagbo levelled the score when he struck Sone Aluko's cross through the legs of Peter Brezovan, the Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper. The match ended 1–1 and a replay was then required at the KC Stadium in Hull to determine the winner of the tie.^[19] Curtis Davies gave Hull City the lead after 14 minutes with a header past Jake Forster-Caskey before a deflected free kick from Robert Koren made it 2–0 before half-time. Ulloa halved the deficit midway through the second half with a header but the match ended 2–1 to Hull City.^[20]

Hull's opponents in the sixth round were Sunderland at home. After a goalless first half, Hull scored three times in the space of nine minutes to secure a 3–0 victory. Davies scored with a header in the 68th minute before Meyler dispossessed Lee Cattermole and made it 2–0 four minutes later. A further mistake from Cattermole allowed Fryatt to score from 12 yards (11 m) in the 77th minute.^[21] In the semi-final, Hull City's first since 1930, they faced Sheffield United at the KC Stadium. Jose Baxter gave Sheffield United the lead in the 19th minute before Sagbo equalised three minutes before half-time. Two minutes later, Stefan Scougall scored from Jamie Murphy's cross to make it 2–1 at half-time. Second-half goals from Fryatt, Tom Huddlestone and Stephen Quinn gave Hull City a 4–2 lead before Murphy scored in the 90th minute to reduce Sheffield United's deficit. Three minutes into stoppage time, Meyler added Hull City's fifth and ensured his side a 5–3 victory and progression to the final for the first time in their history.^[22]

Match[]

Pre-match[]

Musical and pyrotechnic performance before the match

The referee for the final was Lee Probert who had previously officiated the 2010 FA Trophy Final and was the fourth official for the 2011 FA Cup Final. He was assisted by Jake Collin and Mick McDonough while Kevin Friend was the fourth official and Simon Bennett was reserve assistant referee.^[23] Arsenal wore their traditional red-and-white home kit for the final and used the home team dressing room, while their fans were allocated the West End of the stadium. Hull City fans occupied the East End and the team played in their amber and black home strip.^[24] Ticket prices for the final started at £45 and were available at £65, £85 and £115, with a £10 discount for concessions, as ticket prices remained the same from the previous FA Cup final. Both clubs, Arsenal and Hull City, were allocated 25,000 tickets, with approximately 20,000 tickets being distributed to volunteers "through the football family" which included counties, leagues, local clubs and charities.^[25] The financial prize for winning the FA Cup Final was £1.8 million.^[23]

The traditional pre-match anthem, "Abide with Me", and the national anthem were performed by the winner of the third series of The X Factor Leona Lewis, accompanied by the Band of the Welsh Guards.^[26] Arsenal were without long-term injured attackers Walcott and Gnabry, while captain Thomas Vermaelen and Oxlade-Chamberlain faced late fitness tests.^[27] While Vermaelen made the bench, Oxlade-Chamberlain missed the final.^[28] Hull strike partnership Shane Long and Nikica Jelavić were cup-tied, having appeared earlier in the tournament for West Bromwich Albion and Everton respectively.^[29] Paul McShane, James Chester, Aluko and Robbie Brady faced fitness tests for Hull, who saw the return of goalkeeper Allan McGregor from a kidney injury.^[27] Arsenal adopted a 4–2–3–1 formation while Hull City lined up as a 3–5–1–1.^[30]

Summary[]

First half[]

Arsenal enjoyed 65% of possession during the course of the match.

Hull City kicked off the match around 5 p.m. on 17 May 2014 in front of 89,345 spectators. In the fourth minute, a corner from Quinn found Huddlestone on the edge of the Arsenal penalty and his shot was diverted into the goal by Chester to give Hull City a 1–0 lead. Three minutes later, Giroud received treatment for an injury before Davies doubled Hull City's lead in the ninth minute. Huddlestone struck a free kick from the right-hand side of the pitch into Arsenal's penalty area which the defenders failed to clear. Alex Bruce headed the ball goalbound and Fabianksi pushed it against the post before Davies struck it into the goal from close range to make it 2–0. In the 14th minute, Hull City were close to scoring their third after Bruce's header from a set piece was cleared off the Arsenal goal line by Gibbs. Two minutes later, Cazorla was fouled by Bruce and won a free kick. From around 27 yards (25 m) Cazorla struck the ball past McGregor and into the Hull City net to make it 2–1.^[31]

Midway through the half, Podolski crossed for Özil whose run had beaten Bruce but missed the ball altogether from close range. In the 25th minute, Özil's shot from the edge of the Hull City penalty area was headed clear by Davies. Arsenal increased the pressure and Giroud shot off-target in the 28th minute before Ramsey's strike from a corner was also cleared by Davies. With nine minutes of the half remaining, Huddlestone's shot from around 30 yards (27 m) was narrowly over the Hull City crossbar. After three minutes of stoppage time, the first half was brought to a close with Hull City leading 2–1.^[31]

Second half[]

Neither side made any changes to their playing personnel during the interval and Arsenal kicked off the second half. Five minutes in, Özil ran onto a chipped pass forward and sent in a cross but none of his teammates were in the penalty area. In the 56th minute, the spectators applauded in memory of the 56 victims of the Bradford City stadium fire. Two minutes later, Giroud fell in the Hull City penalty area under a challenge from Huddlestone, but the referee adjudged it to have been a legitimate tackle and did not award a penalty. In the 60th minute, Huddlestone became the first player of the match to be shown a yellow card for a foul. Soon after Arsenal made their first change with Podolski being substituted for Sanogo and altering their formation to play two strikers. Sanogo missed a chance to score from a header in the 64th minute before Hull City replaced Bruce with McShane.^[31]

In the 68th minute, Cazorla was brought down by Davies in the Hull City penalty area but the referee turned down the appeals for a penalty, before Meyler was booked for a foul on Laurent Koscielny. With 18 minutes of the match remaining, Arsenal equalised to make it 2–2. Sagna won a header from a corner, with the ball deflecting to Koscielny who was 3 yards (2.7 m) from the goal line: he turned and struck the ball into the net. Three minutes later, Hull City made their second substitution, with Aluko coming on for Quinn. In the 79th minute, Arsenal's Gibbs struck his shot over the crossbar from close range. McGregor then saved a shot from Giroud before the Arsenal player was booked for a foul on Aluko. Davies was then shown a yellow card for a foul on Giroud. In the final minute of regular time, Sanogo struck a shot wide of the Hull City goal from the edge of the penalty area. In the third of three minutes of stoppage time, Özil passed to Giroud whose shot was saved by McGregor. The second half ended with the scores level at 2–2, sending the match into extra time.^[31]

Extra time[]

Aaron Ramsey (pictured in 2015) scored the winning goals minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Arsenal dominated the early stages of extra time and had a 93rd minute shot from Özil blocked by Chester before Giroud's header struck the Hull City crossbar. Midway through the first period of additional time, Ramsey struck a shot from 30 yards (27 m) which was saved by McGregor. In the 99th minute, Ramsey hit the ball into the side netting after exchanging passes with Giroud. With three minutes of the first half remaining, Hull City were forced to make their final substitution when Liam Rosenior was injured, and he was replaced by George Boyd. A minute before half-time, Cazorla's curling shot from around 13 yards (12 m) was off-target and the first period of extra time ended with the score still level at 2–2.^[31]

Before the second half commenced, Arsenal made a double-substitution, with Rosicky and Jack Wilshere replacing Özil and Cazorla. In the 109th minute, Giroud backheeled the ball to Ramsey who struck it into the Hull City goal from around 14 yards (13 m) to give Arsenal a 3–2 lead. With six minutes remaining, Sanogo's shot from 15 yards (14 m) was wide of the goal before a mistake from Mertesacker allowed Aluko to go round Fabianski but his shot was also wide. In the 118th minute, Giroud went down in the area once again appealing for a penalty but Sanogo continued to play and his shot was saved by McGregor. In the final minute, Fabianksi saved a shot from Aluko, and the match ended 3–2, with Arsenal winning the FA Cup.^[31]

Details[]

17 May 2014

17:00 BST

Arsenal	3–2 (a.e.t.)	Hull City
Cazorla  17' Koscielny  71' Ramsey  109'	Report Statistics	Chester  4' Davies  8'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 89,345

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)

Arsenal

Hull City

GK 21 Łukasz Fabiański RB 3 Bacary Sagna CB 4 Per Mertesacker CB 6 Laurent Koscielny LB 28 Kieran Gibbs CM 8 Mikel Arteta (c) CM 16 Aaron Ramsey RW 19 Santi Cazorla  106' AM 11 Mesut Özil  106' LW 9 Lukas Podolski  61' CF 12 Olivier Giroud  85' Substitutes: GK 1 Wojciech Szczęsny DF 5 Thomas Vermaelen DF 17 Nacho Monreal MF 7 Tomáš Rosický  106' MF 10 Jack Wilshere  106' MF 20 Mathieu Flamini FW 22 Yaya Sanogo  61' Manager: Arsène Wenger

GK 1 Allan McGregor RWB 27 Ahmed Elmohamady CB 6 Curtis Davies (c)  86' CB 4 Alex Bruce  67' CB 5 James Chester LWB 2 Liam Rosenior  102' CM 14 Jake Livermore CM 8 Tom Huddlestone  60' CM 7 David Meyler  70' AM 29 Stephen Quinn  75' CF 12 Matty Fryatt Substitutes: GK 22 Steve Harper DF 3 Maynor Figueroa DF 15 Paul McShane  67' MF 10 Robert Koren MF 17 George Boyd  102' FW 20 Yannick Sagbo FW 24 Sone Aluko  75' Manager: Steve Bruce

Post-match[]

Arsenal players during the open top bus parade

The Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said: "We wanted to make history ... We made history in both ways: how not to start a final and how to comeback. I think this is a turning point in the lives of the players".^[31] His counterpart Steve Bruce was disappointed but said: "In terms of effort, endeavour and determination you couldn't fault them to a man. Proud? Of course I am. They were magnificent."^[32] He suggested that mistakes had been made by the referee in the build-up to the first two Arsenal goals, saying: "I didn't think the first one was a free-kick and the second goal was a goal-kick not a corner. But it's not the time now to whinge. We are totally disappointed because it could have been one of those memorable FA Cup wins where the underdog goes and wins it."^[32]

A new version of the FA Cup trophy was cast to be presented, for the first time, to the winners of the 2014 final. Heavier than the previous two versions of the cup it is made of sterling silver. It stands 61.5 centimetres (24.2 in) high and weighs 6.3 kilograms (13 lb 14 oz). Commissioned in 2013, it replaces a cup first presented to Liverpool in the 1992 FA Cup Final and is the third version of the trophy. The base of the old trophy containing the names of winners is retained.^[33]

Having won the cup, Arsenal paraded the trophy from an open top bus on 18 May, from the Emirates Stadium to Islington Town Hall on Upper Street in north London.^[34]

The match was broadcast live in the United Kingdom by both ITV and BT Sport. ITV provided the free-to-air coverage and BT Sport 1 was the pay-TV alternative. ITV held the majority of the viewership – a peak audience of 10.1 million viewers (52.1% viewing share) watched at 7:30 p.m. The ratings were up on last year's final, which peaked at 9.4 million (42%).^[35] BT Sport's coverage averaged 250,000 viewers (1.8%). Coverage of the final began on ITV at 3 p.m. and averaged 5.4 million (50%).^[35]

The record for the number of wins by a single club was matched after Arsenal's win, with Manchester United winning the cup on 11 separate occasions and Arsenal having 10 prior victories (1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2005).^[6] As Arsenal qualified for the Champions League by their league position, Hull City entered the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League at the third qualifying round;^[36] however, due to a change in UEFA rules, this was the last season the runners-up would enter the Europa League if the winners had already qualified for European competition.^[37]

Two weeks after the final, Arsenal Ladies won the 2014 FA Women's Cup by beating Everton Ladies, giving the club a rare FA Cup double.^[38]

References[]

Bibilography[]

• O'Leary, Leanne (2017). Employment and Labour Relations Law in the Premier League, NBA and International Rugby Union. Springer. ISBN 978-9-462-65158-6.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to FA Cup Final 2014.

• The FA Cup
• Full match (broadcast on YouTube)