The FA Cup
Semi-Final
Arsenal v Manchester United
03 April 2004
Villa Park, 12.00pm

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The Gunners are chasing a Treble this season but for the Arsenal manager, there is something a little bit special about The FA Cup.

"I was very aware of this famous competition when I was growing up, because when you’re a kid the idea of a trophy really appeals to you," says the Gunners' boss. "That was the only final for a trophy I could see on TV. Even when you play friendlies back at that age you organise to play for a trophy, so it means a lot.

"I have been asked many times about what was the first FA Cup Final I can remember watching, and I have to say I don’t know because when I was younger the names of the English teams looked so strange to me, so I couldn’t remember them.

"But I remember The Final when Liverpool lost to Wimbledon, and I remember watching Manchester United in a Final in the Eighties as well. I just liked watching those games.

"Of course I do remember my first involvement in this Cup. It was back in 1997 when we faced Sunderland in the Third Round. We were knocked-out in the next round at home to Leeds but since then I have got mostly happy memories of The FA Cup.

"I don’t know what it is about this competition. When I was at Monaco we reached three finals in six years there, so perhaps my character is suited to cup football.

"I really like cup football, there’s such an intense emotion. It’s all about direct knock-out – you have to produce the goods. It’s a competition about gambling. You have to think ‘ok, let’s just go for it.’ I love that side of it.

"At the end of the game you know that one team will be in it, and one team will go home. It’s like a train journey. At each stop some people get off and wave at the others from the platform. Meanwhile the others stay on and see how far they can go. The worst time to get off the train is at the Semi-Final stage, one stop short of The Final.

"As I said, I have been lucky enough to enjoy plenty of highs in this competition, but I also remember the disappointment of losing the 1999 Semi-Final to Manchester United. That was a big blow for us, because we had a good opportunity to win it. Just as we did to win The Final against Liverpool in 2001. That’s the career of a manager though, you can’t only have the good times!

"Today’s contest should be a great game, and I think it would have made an ideal Final. Arsenal and Manchester United have been competing for the big titles in the last ten years and to be regarded as the dominant team you need to be consistent. That’s what I want from my team and I think we have shown that over the last two or three years.

"The FA Cup is a big part of that. I felt last season was a good year for us because we were runners-up in the League and retained The FA Cup. Let’s see how far we can go this year."

For more new, views and information on this season's FA Cup Semi-Finals, read the two official match-day programmes. To buy your copy, click here...