FA Cup final facts and figures
By Mike Collett
LONDON, May 17 (Reuters) -
Facts and figures relating to Saturday's FA Cup final between Arsenal and
Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff:
-- Saturday's final will be the 124th since the first was staged in 1872. Both
clubs will be appearing in the final for the 17th time -- a joint record.
-- Manchester United will be attempting to win the cup for a record-extending
12th time, and will also be attempting to win the cup in successive years for
the first time. The last club to win the cup in successive years was Arsenal in
2002 and 2003. Arsenal have won the cup nine times, a record second only to
United, and are appearing in their fourth final in five seasons.
-- Manchester United have not lost in the FA Cup for more than two years, and
Arsenal were the last team to beat them in the competition, winning a
fifth-round tie 2-0 at Old Trafford on February 15 2003 with goals from Edu and
Sylvain Wiltord.
-- Manchester United avenged that defeat with a 1-0 win over Arsenal in the
semi-final last season at Villa Park with Paul Scholes scoring the only goal.
-- In all, Manchester United and Arsenal have met 11 times in the competition
since their first meeting in 1906. Arsenal have won five times, Manchester
United five times with one match drawn.
-- Their only previous meeting in the final was in 1979 when Arsenal beat
Manchester United 3-2, with three of the goals coming in the final five
minutes.
-- That match is often referred to as a classic but apart from the last five
minutes it was, in reality, a dull, colourless one-sided game. Arsenal led 2-0
with goals from Brian Talbot (12th) and Frank Stapleton (43rd) before United
equalised in the dying minutes through Gordon McQueen (86th) and Sammy McIlroy
(88th). With extra time looming, Alan Sunderland poached an incredible
89th-minute winner for Arsenal.
-- If he plays as expected, United skipper Roy Keane will appear in his seventh
final -- a modern-day record. His previous six finals ended in four wins with
Manchester United, one defeat with Manchester United and one defeat with
Nottingham Forest. Only Lord Arthur Kinnaird, with nine final appearances
between 1873 and 1883, has played in more.
-- If United win, Alex Ferguson (1990, 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2004) will equal
the all-time managerial record of six FA Cup wins set by Newcastle manager
Frank Watt between 1905 and 1924.
-- If Arsenal win, Arsene Wenger will record his fourth FA Cup victory after
successes in 1998, 2002 and 2003.
-- With the re-built Wembley Stadium scheduled to stage next year's final, this
is likely to be the last FA Cup final staged in Cardiff, temporary home to the
fixture since 2001. Arsenal have appeared in every FA Cup final there apart
from last year when Manchester United beat Millwall.
-- Arsenal's Spanish midfielder Francesc Fabregas will become the youngest FA
Cup final scorer in the competition's history -- by one day -- if he manages to
find the net. Norman Whiteside was 18 years, 18 days old when he scored for
Manchester United in their 4-0 replayed win over Brighton in 1983. Fabregas
will be 18 years and 17 days old on the day of the final.
-- Arsenal hold the record for the latest goal ever scored in a final. Andy
Linighan scored in extra time -- after 119 minutes and 16 seconds -- of their
replayed 1993 final against Sheffield Wednesday to give Arsenal a 2-1 replayed
win. The quickest goal in the final remains Bob Chatt's 40-second effort for
Aston Villa against West Bromwich Albion in 1895.
-- Only four men have scored a hat-trick in the final, and none since Stan
Mortensen scored three in Blackpool's 4-3 win over Bolton Wanderers in the 1953
final at Wembley Stadium.
long live ManUtd,
Dein
= KEEP Manchester United Football Club INDEPENDENT =
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