More than a century before the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool began to dominate English football, a group of public school graduates formed a club known as The Wanderers, who went on to become the original kings of the round ball game in this country, starting when they won the inaugural FA Cup in 1872.

Not only did they go on to lift the trophy four more times in the next six years, but they also became the first team to ever win a hat-trick of FA Cups, a feat that Arsenal are attempting to match by leaving the Millennium Stadium victorious on 22nd May.

Although The Wanderers’ third straight triumph in 1878 meant that they had won the Cup outright, the club still restored the trophy to The Football Association. And, eight years later, Blackburn Rovers matched The Wanderers’ achievement, their treble ironically being completed in the same year (1886) that Arsenal were formed as Dial Square FC.

Following Blackburn’s third success, secured in a replay at Derby after a draw in the first match against West Bromwich Albion at the Oval, the club were presented with a special replica trophy by The FA, which they still have.

Fast forward 118 years and should the Gunners follow in The Wanderers and Blackburn’s footsteps, then the governing body of English football are believed to be considering presenting the club with their own special award to commemorate the achievement.

To date, Arsène Wenger’s men have gone 16 games undefeated in the oldest cup competition in the world, a run that stretches back to May 2001 when Michael Owen pick- pocketed them with two late goals in the Welsh capital. Indeed, had Liverpool’s England striker not turned around that contest in such dramatic fashion, then Arsenal would already be celebrating a hat-trick of FA Cup triumphs.

Instead, three more wins, starting against arch rivals Chelsea at Highbury this weekend - a team they have beaten on their way to the last three finals - and Arsenal will have qualified for a record fourth consecutive FA Cup Final; while four more victories will place Wenger and Co alongside The Wanderers and Blackburn in the history books.

And so, despite some critics still claiming that the FA Cup has slipped in order of priorities for England’s top clubs, that is clearly not the case, a fact also demonstrated by glancing down the list of winners post-1995: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.

"People say that players that come from another country are not worried by The FA Cup," said Arsenal’s French international Thierry Henry. "But we have shown we are interested in it, because we have played three finals in a row – winning twice and losing one. So at Arsenal we will be trying to do something good in the competition again this year."

Meanwhile, Henry’s compatriot and manager at Highbury, Monsieur Wenger, endorsed his star man’s views by saying: "The fans respond strongly to The FA Cup and the biggest disappointment for them since I’ve been here is losing the Final to Liverpool.

"For me it’s a competition associated with my childhood," he added. "The final was one of the few games you could watch on TV then. The final was always prestigious. I love the fact that you have a competition where you must be up for it on the day. In France The FA Cup is still quite big. We have a lot of French players here and they also rate The FA Cup quite highly as well."

Unfortunately for Arsenal, the omens for them sealing their own hat-trick at the Millennium Stadium this May are not good. The last time the club met their city-rivals from down the King’s Road at the Fifth Round stage of the competition, in February 2001, they may have defeated them 3-1 at Highbury en route to Cardiff, but there they fell at the final hurdle, undone by the Michael Owen late show – incredibly the last time they tasted defeat in the FA Cup, 16 games ago!

Sixteen and counting

2001- 02 FA Cup

1. Third Round, Saturday 05 January, WATFORD (a) 4-2

Two-up after just ten minutes through Thierry Henry and Fredrik Ljungberg, Arsenal encountered few problems in front of the Sky cameras at Vicarage Road.

2. Fourth Round, Sunday 27 January, LIVERPOOL (h) 1-0

Sweet revenge on the holders for May 2001 in an extraordinary contest that saw Arsenal reduced to nine men, while the Reds had Jamie Carragher dismissed for throwing a coin back into the crowd. In the end, Dennis Bergkamp’s near-post finish after 28 minutes proved to be the difference between the two sides.

3. Fifth Round, Saturday 16 February, GILLINGHAM (h) 5-2

With ten minutes played in the second period, the scores were tied at 2-2. But late goals from Sylvain Wiltord, skipper Tony Adams and Ray Parlour saw the Gunners safely through.

4. Sixth Round, Saturday 09 March, NEWCASTLE UNITED (a) 1-1

The tie of the round saw the then Premiership leaders go head to head with their title rivals from the North-East in a ferocious match. It ended all-square after Laurent Robert’s low drive had cancelled out Edu’s 14th-minute opener.

5. Sixth Round Replay, Saturday 23 March, NEWCASTLE UNITED (h) 3-0

A match best remembered for the knee injury that prematurely ended Robert Pires’ season, minutes after he had given Arsenal the lead with a beautifully-taken second-minute strike, finished in a comfortable win for the home team following further strikes from Dennis Bergkamp and Sol Campbell.

6. Semi-Final, Sunday 14 April, MIDDLESBROUGH, Old Trafford 1-0

The Gunners won through to the Final on the back of the all-too familiar scoreline of ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’, Gianluca Festa’s first-half own goal separating the two sides.

7. Final, Saturday 04 May, CHELSEA, Millennium Stadium  2-0

Having just been crowned champions, Arsène Wenger’s men went on to win their second Double in four years with a clinical performance against bitter rivals Chelsea, secured thanks to two sensational individual second-half goals from midfielders Ray Parlour and Fredrik Ljungberg.

2002 - 03 FA Cup

8. Third Round, Saturday 04 January, OXFORD UNITED (h) 2-0

Strikes in each half from Dennis Bergkamp and an own goal set the holders on their way to a straightforward first defence of the trophy.

9. Fourth Round, Saturday 25 January, FARNBOROUGH TOWN (a) 5-1

Although originally drawn at home, the non-Leaguers switched the tie to Highbury for financial and organisational reasons, but striker Francis Jeffers got a rare start for Arsenal, and even rarer brace.

10. Fifth Round, Saturday 05 February, MANCHESTER UNITED (a) 2-0

If Arsenal were to retain the Cup, they were going to have to do it the hard way. However, David Beckham deflected in Edu’s 34th-minute free kick, before Sylvain Wiltord, who appeared to be saving his best for this competition, sealed the win that indirectly led to the now infamous ’Bootgate’ affair between Sir Alex Ferguson and England’s captain.

11. Sixth Round, Saturday 08 March, CHELSEA (h) 2-2

Despite being stunned by John Terry’s third-minute opener, the holders responded in style and led by half-time thanks to one of the all-time great FA Cup goals from Thierry Henry, who literally left visiting 'keeper Carlo Cudicini on his backside. But, Frank Lampard forced a replay with a scrappy goal six minutes from time.

12. Sixth Round Replay, Tuesday 25 March, CHELSEA (a)  3-1

Once again John Terry opened the scoring, but this time at the wrong end, before that man Sylvain Wiltord scored a second on the break. Despite Terry then netting at the right end, Lauren put Arsenal through to the last four following a brilliant late solo run.

13. Semi-Final, Sunday 13 April, SHEFFIELD UNITED, Old Trafford 1-0

12 months on from winning 1-0 at the Theatre of Dreams, déjà vu struck again, but only after what Peter Schmeichel later described as "the greatest save I’ve ever seen" from veteran No 1 David Seaman to prevent Paul Peschisolido from cancelling out Fredrik Ljungberg’s first-half opener.

14. Final, Saturday 17 April, SOUTHAMPTON, Millennium Stadium, 1-0

One goal was enough to enable the Gunners to become the first side for 21 years to retain the Cup, Frenchman Robert Pires’ journey coming full circle following his knee injury in the competition the previous year when he scored the decisive goal seven minutes before half-time.

2003 - 04 FA Cup

15. Third Round, Sunday 04 January, LEEDS UNITED (a)  4-1

In front of a live television audience, struggling Leeds took a surprise early lead when Mark Viduka charged down Jens Lehmann’s attempted clearance, only for the Londoners to respond through first-half goals from Thierry Henry and Edu, followed by two more in the final four minutes from substitutes Robert Pires and Kolo Toure.

16. Fourth Round, Saturday 24 January, MIDDLESBROUGH (h) 4-1

A tie that will be live long in the memory for young substitute David Bentley’s last-minute chip that rounded off a resounding performance, in which Fredrik Ljungberg had earlier grabbed a double.

17. Fifth Round, Sunday 15 February, CHELSEA (h) ?

Overall Cup Record (2002-04)

Played: 16, Won 14, Drawn 2, Lost 0, For 40, Against 11