Martinez won the competition with Wigan last year. PHOTO: AFP
It is telling that the last time they won a trophy was with Patrick Vieira’s final kick of the ball — Arsenal’s last ‘warrior’ in an increasingly physical league. Since his departure to Juventus, Arsene Wenger has failed to truly replace the French giant and the team with the best midfield begs for a midfield enforcer.
Almost a decade has passed since Vieira went running towards the right corner flag, punching the air in celebration after slotting home the fifth penalty past Manchester United’s Roy Carroll in the 2005 FA Cup final and it is in the same competition that Arsenal currently have the best chance of ending that trophy drought.
Having had easily the toughest run of fixtures in the tournament so far –hosting North London rivals Tottenham in the third round and title contenders Liverpool in the fifth – they will now be entertaining their last victim’s Merseyside neighbours, Everton, in the quarter-finals in Saturday’s early kickoff. The last time these two teams met, Everton managed to secure a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium and the Gunners must improve on that result to secure a semi-final berth at Wembley.
Roberto Martinez pulled off an upset with Wigan Athletic in last year’s final by defeating Manchester City and will now be looking to claim the trophy with Everton. Despite the daunting task of an away fixture at the Premier League’s most miserly ground, Martinez will fancy his chances considering the Gunners’ recent tired performances against Bayern Munich and Stoke. “"It's a glamorous tie and we're all looking forward to it," said the Toffees manager, before insisting that despite their recent poor showings, Arsenal will still prove a tough opponent. ”There's never a good or bad time to face a good team.”
If Martinez does manage to pull off yet another upset then the victory will taste all the more sweet considering that it was at this ground that Wigan were relegated last year, only three days after being crowned FA cup champions.
With quadruple-chasing Manchester City the only other ‘top-team’ left in the tournament, it is likely that Arsenal will have to beat the free-scoring Manchester giants on their way to silverware, whether it is in the semis or in the final itself.
However, if Arsenal are still in the competition come May, then their fans have every reason to be optimistic –whoever their opposition in the final may be – especially considering Wenger’s experience in the competition.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 8th, 2014.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ