2002 FA Cup Final vs Chelsea

The 2002 FA Cup final, held on 4 May at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, pitted Arsenal against Chelsea in the 121st edition of the world’s oldest knockout competition. Arsenal reached their fifteenth final, while Chelsea made their seventh appearance.

Both sides, as Premier League clubs, entered in the third round, with ties decided on the day unless a replay was needed. Arsenal’s path was relatively smooth: they eliminated holders Liverpool in the fourth round but required a replay to get past Newcastle United. Chelsea, after replays in their first two rounds and a tough match against Preston North End, recorded a notable win over Tottenham Hotspur. Each team won its semi-final by a single goal.

For Chelsea, Graeme Le Saux and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink were declared fit, but John Terry was left out of the starting eleven after waking up ill on the day of the match. Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman replaced Richard Wright, who had played in earlier rounds. Chelsea were led onto the pitch by Roberto Di Matteo, forced into retirement earlier that season due to a serious injury. The first half was uneventful, but Chelsea started the second half strongly and created several chances. Arsenal weathered the pressure and took the lead in the 70th minute through a 25-yard strike from Ray Parlour. Ten minutes later, Freddie Ljungberg doubled the advantage with a shot from a similar distance. The match ended 2-0, giving Arsenal their eighth FA Cup.

The final took place with one week left in the Premier League season. Arsenal beat Manchester United a few days later to reclaim the league title, completing their second and final league-and-cup double under manager Arsène Wenger.

The FA Cup is English football’s primary cup competition. Premier League clubs enter in the third round and are drawn randomly against remaining teams. Drawn matches result in a replay, usually at the away team’s ground. Fixtures can be rescheduled for television coverage or due to clashes with other competitions.

Arsenal’s third-round opponent was First Division side Watford. They took an eighth-minute lead when Nwankwo Kanu set up Thierry Henry, who rounded goalkeeper Alec Chamberlain and tapped into an empty net. Two minutes later, Kanu again found Henry, who squared the ball for Freddie Ljungberg to tap in. Watford’s Gifton Noel-Williams pulled one back, heading in from a Gary Fisken cross. After missing several chances, Arsenal added late goals from Kanu and Dennis Bergkamp, with Marcus Gayle scoring a stoppage-time consolation for Watford.

In the fourth round, Arsenal hosted holders Liverpool, who had beaten them in the previous season’s final. A solitary Bergkamp goal in the 27th minute secured revenge in a match marked by controversy: Martin Keown, Bergkamp, and Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher were all sent off within ten minutes, Carragher for throwing a coin back into the crowd. In the fifth round against Gillingham, Arsenal twice saw their lead cancelled out before Tony Adams scored the winner.

The sixth round, on 9 March 2002, saw Arsenal face Newcastle United. Despite winning a league meeting earlier that week and scoring first in the cup tie, Newcastle held them to a 1-1 draw. The replay, two weeks later at noon, ended 3-0 to Arsenal, but Robert Pires suffered medial knee ligament damage and was ruled out for the season. In the semi-final, a Gianluca Festa own goal from an Henry free-kick was enough to beat Middlesbrough.

Chelsea’s campaign began with a trip to Norwich City in the third round. A goalless draw, in which Carlo Cudicini made several saves, forced a replay at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Mario Stanić and Frank Lampard put Chelsea ahead, and Gianfranco Zola added a third with a clever near-post flick from a corner. The match finished 4-0. In the fourth round, Chelsea faced West Ham United. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s opener was cancelled out by a late Frédéric Kanouté goal, leading to a replay at Upton Park. Jermain Defoe put West Ham ahead, but Hasselbaink equalised directly from a free-kick. Defoe restored the lead in the 50th minute, but substitute Mikael Forssell levelled, and John Terry headed in from a corner in stoppage time to complete the comeback.

In the fifth round, Chelsea hosted Preston North End. The visitors took a sixth-minute lead through Richard Cresswell, and Cudicini denied Jon Macken from doubling it. Chelsea equalised through Eiður Guðjohnsen, then led after 26 minutes. Macken was denied again by Cudicini late on, before Forssell scored Chelsea’s third to settle the tie.