Even before Saturday's final against Southampton, and his goalscoring heroics in the red and white of Arsenal, the FA Cup already held a place in Frenchman Robert Pires' psyche. On March 23rd 2002, with the Gunners on the verge of a second Double in the space of just four years, the soon-to-be crowned Footballer Writers' Association Footballer of the Year tore the cruciate ligaments in his knee during an FA Cup sixth round-replay with Newcastle United at Highbury.

The injury kept the fleet-footed winger out of the game for seven months, not only resulting in his absence from last season's FA Cup final win over London rivals Chelsea, which he watched from his hospital bed in Marseille, but also his countries defence of the World Cup in the Far East later that summer. And perhaps tellingly, without one of their three musketeers, Les Bleus were on the first plane home from Korea/Japan following a humiliating first-round exit.

It has been a long road to recovery for the man that Arsène Wenger brought to north London from Marseille for £6m three years ago, but on Saturday all those hours spent on the treadmill in the south of France last summer must have seemed worth it as he was in the right place, at the right time, to pounce on Fredrik Ljungberg's deflected shot and drive the ball past Saints keeper Antti Niemi for what turned out to be the only goal of the game seven minutes before half-time.

"In some ways, we were obliged to win. Otherwise it would have been an awful season for the club," he said when interviewed after the final whistle. "I am very happy," continued the Frenchman, "It's a great day for the supporters and for Arsenal.

"I missed the final last year so it was very important to win today. For me personally it is very, very important, I was fully part of the final, the win, the goal and the celebrations," he said, before adding: "but the most important thing was that Arsenal won."

 

During this season's Premiership denouncement, Pires had caused some discomfort around Highbury's marble walls by indicating that should the club fail to strength when the transfer window re-opens this summer, then he may move to pastures new, possibly Valencia.

However in the build-up to Saturday's showpiece event in Cardiff, the 30-year-old, who has two years left to run on his contract, eased Gunners nerves by announcing that "my future is at Arsenal. I want to stay and we will talk again after the final. There are nearly two weeks after the final and before I go away to the Confederation Cup with France and I would hope that all the negotiations are completed by then. Arsenal are one of the biggest clubs in Europe and that's why I want to stay here."

He also cranked up the pressure on his team-mates by claiming that "with Manchester United winning the League, the Cup is all-important to Arsenal this season. At the beginning of the season," he continued, "there were a lot of positive things to aim for; we had three targets and were confident that we could achieve all of them. Now the only thing left is the Cup."

 

And as if to fully emphasise that he and his team-mates were up for the Cup, the France international added: "If we don't win we will have had a bad season. Arsenal have to win something; it is necessary to win something. That goes with being with Arsenal. It is expected because Arsenal are one of the biggest clubs in Europe."

But in recognition of his prodigious gifts, opposition manager Gordon Strachan changed his line-up prior to kick-off at the Millennium stadium, bringing in 21-year-old right-back Chris Baird in place of the more attacking Fabrice Fernandes, with regular full-back Paul Telfer moving forward into the Frenchman's midfield berth to quell Pires' attacking forays. "We needed to do something on that side to stop Pires giving Arsenal the impetus," explained Southampton's Scottish manager after the match.

When the full time whistle was blown by referee Graham Barber, Pires told of how he "had made a lot of effort to come back from the injury" and consequently how that had led to "a normal drop in form a few weeks ago. I'd been so keen to play again, I perhaps didn't judge my comeback properly and did too much, too soon."

However, in the weeks leading up to the final, there had been a definite improvement in Pires' form, culminating in his stunning Premiership hat-trick against Southampton at Highbury on 7 May and resulting in Strachan's change of tactics on Saturday.

Pires' winner in the Welsh capital, his 16th from midfield in what was his 34th appearance of the season, not only meant that Arsenal had become the first club since arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur 21 years ago to retain the famous old trophy, but it also gives Wenger's side a chance next season to become the first team to win the FA Cup three years in succession since Blackburn Rovers managed the feat in 1884-86. And you would not bet against them.

by Richard Morgan

Related Items

Arsenal 1 Southampton 0 - The FA Cup Final Match Report