FA Cup Semi-Final Magic Moments: Ryan Giggs v Arsenal

Tuesday 08 Apr 2014
Ryan Giggs illustration by Danny Allison

The FA Cup with Budweiser Semi-Finals are fast approaching and Wembley Stadium welcomes Wigan Athletic, Arsenal, Hull City and Sheffield United next weekend.

And as FA Cup fever begins to build, we look back as some magic moments from Semi-Finals past...

It’s a defining image of United’s unprecedented – and unmatched – 1998-99 campaign – a moment in which fate appeared to have assumed unstoppable force.

Solo strike from Ryan Giggs

Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal
Semi-Final Replay
Villa Park
Tuesday 14 April 1999

Pursuing an unprecedented Treble of League, FA Cup and Champions League, Alex Ferguson’s men had been reduced to ten men following the departure of Roy Keane – and had Peter Schmeichel to thank for a penalty stop from Dennis Bergkamp.

With limbs beginning to ache, ten minutes left of extra-time and the score deadlocked at 1-1, penalties loomed once more. That is, until Patrick Vieira’s stray pass was intercepted by Giggs in centre field.

With nothing much on, Giggs went off, legs still full of running, slaloming through the defence.

Past Lee Dixon, past Martin Keown, to the edge of the box, before checking to crash a shot high and hard past David Seaman.

Watch Giggs's goal

 

The celebrations have become as famous as the goal itself: shirt whipped off, whirled triumphally above his head as he screams along the touchline – almost as shocked as the Villa Park crowd.

The rest is football history – six weeks to the day later, United had scooped the lot.

You can see more magic FA Cup moments here throughout the week, or read our special feature inside the official Semi-Final match programmes.

By FA Staff