2003 FA Cup final

English football match the women's event 2003 FA Women's Cup final April 2014 June 2020 2003 FA Cup final 2003 FA Cup Final programme.jpg The match programme cover 2002–03 FA Cup Arsenal 1 Southampton 0 17 May 2003 Millennium Stadium Cardiff Thierry Henry (Arsenal) Graham Barber (Hertfordshire) 73,726 Rainy13 °C (55 °F)History for Cardiff-Wales, United Kingdom http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/EGFF/2003/5/17/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA Weather Underground 4 January 2013 2002 2004 The 2003 FA Cup final was the 122nd final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition.History of The FA Cup http://www.thefa.com/Competitions/FACompetitions/TheFACup/History/HistoryOfTheFACup.aspx TheFA.com The Football Association 17 March 2012 The final took place on Saturday 17 May 2003 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, in front of a crowd of 73,726. It was the third consecutive year the final was played at the stadium, due to the ongoing reconstruction of Wembley Stadium, the final's usual venue. The 2003 final was the first to be played indoors; the roof was closed because of bad weather. The clubs contesting the final were Arsenal, the holders of the competition and Southampton. This was Arsenal's sixteenth appearance in a final to Southampton's fourth. As Premier League clubs, Arsenal and Southampton entered the FA Cup in the third round, which meant each club needed to progress through five rounds to reach the final. Arsenal made a convincing start, they won their opening three rounds, but needed a sixth-round replay against Chelsea. By contrast, Southampton played one replay in the fourth round against Millwall. Arsenal entered the match as favourites and had beaten Southampton 6–1 nine days earlier in the league. Goalkeeper David Seaman captained Arsenal in the absence of the injured Patrick Vieira; it was to be Seaman's last appearance for the club. In defence for Southampton, Chris Baird made only his second competitive start. Chris Marsden captained the club in the absence of the injured club captain, Jason Dodd. Arsenal began the match more effectively of the two and scored what proved to be the winning goal in the latter minutes of the first half – Freddie Ljungberg's rebounded goal effort was converted by Robert Pires. Midway through the second half, Southampton goalkeeper Antti Niemi was substituted, as he strained his calf muscle; he was replaced by Paul Jones. In stoppage time, striker James Beattie had his header cleared off the line by Ashley Cole, in what was the final chance for Southampton. Arsenal's win made them the first team to retain the trophy since Tottenham Hotspur in 1982. They later played against league champions Manchester United in the 2003 FA Community Shield. Given Arsenal had already qualified for Europe via their league position, their UEFA Cup spot was awarded to runners-up Southampton. Route to the final 2002–03 FA Cup Arsenal Round Opposition Score 3rd Oxford United (h) 2–0 4th Farnborough Town (a) 5–1 5th Manchester United (a) 2–0 6th Chelsea (h) 2–2 Chelsea (a) 3–1 Semi-final Sheffield United (n) 1–0 Key: (h) = Home venue; (a) = Away venue; (n) = Neutral venue. Arsenal entered the competition in the third round, receiving a bye as a Premier League club. Their opening match was a 2–0 home win against Oxford United on 4 January 2003.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/2607165.stm BBC Sport 4 January 2003 12 March 2012 Arsenal end Oxford dream Striker Dennis Bergkamp scored his 100th goal for the club and an own goal by defender Scott McNiven ensured progression to the next round.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/jan/06/match.sport3 The Guardian London 6 January 2003 12 March 2012 Simon Burnton Bergkamp worthy of ton of respect Arsenal faced non-league side Farnborough Town; the match switched from Farnborough's ground at Cherrywood Road to Highbury due to concerns over safety.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/jan/09/sport.media The Guardian 9 January 2003 12 March 2012 Bradley Mark Farnborough to switch cup tie Farnborough began the match as the home team and conceded the first goal, scored by Arsenal defender Sol Campbell in the 19th minute. They went down to ten men after Christian Lee was sent off for a professional foul in the 28th minute. Francis Jeffers scored twice before Rocky Baptiste added a consolation, beating Pascal Cygan for pace and despite having his first shot saved by goalkeeper Stuart Taylor, he managed to lift the ball over him and into the net. Lauren and Bergkamp each scored in the final 15 minutes to give Arsenal a 5–1 victory.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/2671825.stm BBC Sport 25 January 2003 12 March 2012 Arsenal cruise through Arsenal's fifth round match was away to league rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on 16 February 2003. After Ryan Giggs missed the chance to score past an open goal, midfielder Edu gave Arsenal the lead through a free kick which took a deflection off David Beckham's shoulder. Striker Sylvain Wiltord scored the second goal of the match in the 52nd minute, running onto a pass from Edu and side-footing the ball past goalkeeper Fabien Barthez.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/2740035.stm BBC Sport 16 February 2003 13 March 2012 Arsenal cruise past Man Utd Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira said of the performance: "We knew when we lost here in the league that we had lost the battle in midfield. We had to put that right, and we did."https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/feb/16/match.sport1 The Observer London 16 February 2003 13 March 2012 Wilson Paul Arsenal triumph as Giggs goes missing In the sixth round, Arsenal was drawn at home to Chelsea in a repeat of the previous season's final.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/2769829.stm BBC Sport 27 February 2003 13 March 2012 London giants collide Chelsea defender John Terry put Chelsea ahead with a header from a set piece before Arsenal responded through Jeffers and Thierry Henry. Frank Lampard scored a late equaliser for the visiting team meaning the match was replayed at Stamford Bridge.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/2805009.stm BBC Sport 8 March 2003 13 March 2012 Chelsea hold Arsenal An own goal by Terry and a strike by Wiltord in the space of seven minutes during the replay gave Arsenal an early lead against Chelsea. Despite going down to ten men after Cygan was sent off and Terry scoring from a header, the away team scored a third goal through Lauren to ensure progression into the semi-finals.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/2873509.stm BBC Sport 25 March 2003 13 March 2012 Arsenal brush aside Chelsea In the semi-final against Sheffield United on 13 April 2003 at Old Trafford, Freddie Ljungberg scored the winning goal to help Arsenal reach their third successive FA Cup final appearance.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/2917575.stm BBC Sport 13 April 2003 13 March 2012 Arsenal sink brave Blades The match was best remembered for David Seaman's late save, which prevented Sheffield United from equalising.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/apr/14/match.sport9 The Guardian London 14 April 2003 12 March 2012 McCarra Kevin Super Seaman defies time and gravity to end Blades odyssey Southampton Round Opposition Score 3rd Tottenham Hotspur (h) 4–0 4th Millwall (h) 1–1 Millwall (a) 2–1 5th Norwich City (h) 2–0 6th Wolverhampton Wanderers (h) 2–0 Semi-final Watford (n) 2–1 Key: (h) = Home venue; (a) = Away venue; (n) = Neutral venue. Like Arsenal, as a Premier League club, Southampton received a bye into the third round. Their opening match was a 4–0 win against fellow league club Tottenham Hotspur. A goal by defender Michael Svensson and three from Jo Tessem, Anders Svensson and James Beattie in the second half was the second straight victory against Tottenham, having beaten them on New Year's Day in the league.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/2607231.stm BBC Sport 4 January 2003 13 March 2012 Saints thrash Spurs In the fourth round, Southampton was drawn at home to First Division club Millwall on 25 January 2003. The visitors took the lead through striker Steve Claridge but were denied victory. 90 seconds from the end of the match as Southampton striker Kevin Davies scored from a rebounded shot.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/2671837.stm BBC Sport 25 January 2003 13 March 2012 Last-gasp Saints deny Lions In the replay, midfielder Matthew Oakley scored twice for Southampton (one in both halves) either side of a Steven Reid equaliser for Millwall.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/2708849.stm BBC Sport 13 February 2003 17 March 2012 Saints tame Lions Southampton's fifth round match was against Norwich City at home on 5 February 2003. Two goals in the space of three minutes, scored by Anders Svensson and Jo Tessem was enough to take the team into the quarter-finals.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/2740041.stm BBC Sport 5 February 2003 17 March 2012 Saints see off Norwich Southampton defender Claus Lundekvam was pleased with the win and said following the match: "When you get to this stage in the competition you have to believe you can win it."https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/2768269.stm BBC Sport 16 February 2003 17 March 2012 Lundekvam eyes FA Cup glory The club then faced Wolverhampton Wanderers at home in the following round. Former Wolves player Chris Marsden gave Southampton the lead right in the 56th minute and with nine minutes remaining of normal time, the team added a second goal when Jo Tessem's shot took a deflection off Paul Butler's legs to go inside the goal net.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/mar/10/match.sport8 The Guardian London 10 March 2003 17 March 2012 Brodkin Jon Super Wolves softened up by old boy Marsden The victory meant Southampton reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in 17 years.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/2805037.stm BBC Sport 9 March 2003 17 March 2012 Saints tame Wolves At Villa Park, Southampton played First Division team Watford on 13 April 2003. Brett Ormerod opened the scoring two minutes before half time and set up the second goal which saw the ball being taken over the line by Watford defender Paul Robinson. Despite Marcus Gayle scoring a late header to half the scoreline Southampton won the match.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2399604/Ormerod-destroys-Watford-dream.html The Daily Telegraph Christopher Davies London 14 April 2003 18 March 2012 Ormerod destroys Watford dream Pre-match thumb|180px|Sir Bobby Robson was the chief guest for the final, and presented the trophy to the winners Arsenal was appearing in the final of the FA Cup for the sixteenth time. They had won the cup eight times previously (in 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998 and 2002) and had been beaten in the final seven times, the most recent in 2001. By comparison, Southampton made their fourth appearance in a FA Cup final. Their previous best was winning the cup in 1976, by beating opponents Manchester United.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2404192/Saints-marching-on-the-giants.html The Daily Telegraph Paul Hayward London 17 May 2003 18 March 2012 Saints marching on the giants Both clubs received an allocation of approximately 25,000 tickets, with the remaining 25,000 being sent out to other clubs.Touts selling tickets at 10 times value 7 South Wales Echo Cardiff 7 May 2003 17,500 of those tickets were available to Southampton season ticket holders. Seat prices for the final exceeded £80, with the cheapest tickets available at £25. Southampton was given the South Stand, which was the larger end of the stadium, whereas Arsenal was situated at the opposite end.25,000 tickets for Saints' Cardiff army Adam Leitch Daily Echo Southampton 26 April 2003 Although Southampton supporters were disappointed at the allocation share, chairman Rupert Lowe refused to criticise the FA's decision, by saying: "The reality is that too many people want to go and there are never enough tickets."Lowe blasts ticket fiasco Harry Pratt 71 Daily Star London 7 May 2003 In the lead up to the final, the South Wales Echo reported that many tickets were being sold on the black market, for "20 times" the face-value price. Nine days before the final, the two clubs faced each other in a league match at Highbury (Arsenal's former stadium). With Arsenal unable to retain the title, having lost to Leeds United, manager Arsène Wenger rested several players, as did Southampton manager Gordon Strachan, whose team started without six of their first-choice eleven.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/may/08/match.sport1 The Guardian Jon Brodkin London 8 May 2003 18 March 2012 Arsenal star in Cup dress rehearsal Winger Jermaine Pennant on his league debut scored a hat-trick, as did Pires, in a 6–1 win. Strachan believed the result had little bearing on their chances of winning the cup, noting: "There is little pressure on Southampton to lift the trophy. We were not expected to reach the final and have already clinched a place in the UEFA Cup."https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/may/11/sport.facup The Guardian Gordan Strachan London 11 May 2003 18 March 2012 Price of victory may be lack of spectacle The traditional Cup Final hymn, "Abide with Me" was sung by Tony Henry, an opera singer from South London.Opera singer to kick off the FA Cup Final 26 South Wales Echo Cardiff 15 May 2003 Sir Bobby Robson was invited as the FA's chief guest for the final and performed several duties ordinarily reserved for royalty, such as presenting the trophy to the winning captain. Heavy rain on Friday night and forecasted showers in Cardiff meant the final would be the first to be played indoors; the stadium closed its retractable roof and floodlights were used to light up the ground.FA Cup final: Day roof fell in on the Saints 6 The People Frank Wiechula London 18 May 2003 Match Team selection Vieira was ruled out of the match because of a knee injury during the FA Cup semi-final match against Sheffield United,agencies Staff and 2003-04-14 Vieira fit for United showdown http://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/apr/14/newsstory.sport3 2021-04-12 The Guardian en so Wenger named David Seaman as Arsenal's captain for the match. In a match widely anticipated as his final for the club.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/may/16/newsstory.sport1 The Guardian London 16 May 2003 12 March 2012 Jon Brodkin Able Seaman is captain for final With Campbell suspended and Cygan absent due to a thigh strain,Wenger left with defence worries Steve Stammers 63 Evening Standard London 13 May 2003 Wenger picked Oleh Luzhnyi to pair up with Martin Keown, who was rested the previous Sunday away against Sunderland. For Southampton, the major absentee was their striker Marian Pahars, who underwent a third operation to overcome a troubling knee injury.FA Cup countdown: Arsenal v Southampton Lee West 68 Daily Mirror London 16 May 2003 Defender Chris Baird made his second competitive start for the club and Chris Marsden captained Southampton, given Jason Dodd's absence with an injury. Although both teams set up in a 4–4–2 formation, Bergkamp was positioned as a deep-lying forward behind Henry.Arsenal counter friendly fire Henry Winter B2 The Daily Telegraph London 19 May 2003 Report thumb|left|190px|Robert Pires scored the only goal of the final Arsenal created their first chance inside 24 seconds of the match, when Ljungberg put Henry clear down the right-hand side.Arsenal leads Southampton 1–0 at half time of FA Cup final http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-73980144.html https://web.archive.org/web/20140611075037/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-73980144.html usurped 11 June 2014 AP Worldstream Associated Press 17 May 2003 1 March 2013 HighBeam Research subscription Cardiff The striker used his pace to get the better of Lundekvam, only to have his shot blocked by Southampton goalkeeper Antti Niemi. Bergkamp's goal effort in the eighth minute was cleared off the line by full back Chris Baird, after Niemi fumbled Henry's initial shot. Southampton fashioned their first opportunity in the 15th minute through a high cross; in spite of unsettling the Arsenal defence, the unmarked Svensson volleyed over the bar. Baird moments after won the ball in midfield and curled a shot that left Seaman "scrambling across his goal to save". Seven minutes before the break, Arsenal went into the lead. Henry, receiving the ball from Parlour, slipped it into Bergkamp down the right. He in turn fed the ball to Ljungberg, whose shot was blocked. The ball rebounded in the direction of Pires, who took one touch to set himself and another to fire into the goal at the near post, despite Niemi getting a hand to the ball. Arsenal missed further chances to extend their lead when a cross from the right by Henry was shot over the bar by Pires and from the same area, Bergkamp's "cross-cum-shot" was missed by Ljungberg.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/may/18/match.facup The Observer London 18 May 2003 1 March 2013 Paul Wilson Pires aim is true for muted Gunners After the break, Southampton applied pressure and a poor clearance by Seaman invited a chance for Paul Telfer to shoot the ball from "35 yards out"; his pass found Ormerod, but was eventually intercepted by Luzhnyi.http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/north-east-sport/football/latest-football-news/2003/05/17/arsenal-1-southampton-0-84229-12973208/ Evening Gazette Middlesbrough 17 May 2003 1 March 2013 Arsenal 1, Southampton 0 Minutes after, Beattie failed to take advantage from Oakley's cross, as the ball drifted wide. Arsenal regained possession and in the 52nd minute went close to doubling their lead.https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/may/17/minutebyminute.sport The Guardian 17 May 2003 1 March 2013 John MacLeary Arsenal v Southampton: minute-by-minute In Southampton's penalty box, Bergkamp turned and beat Ormerod before curling a shot which Niemi palmed off; it fell to the feet of Ljungberg, who shot the ball into the side-netting. Telfer misguided his header from a Southampton corner, before Niemi denied Henry again. In the 65th minute, Niemi injured himself, in an attempt to clear the ball and was replaced by substitute Paul Jones. Both clubs made substitutions in the final third of the game, with Wiltord coming on for Bergkamp and Tessem replacing Svensson. Ormerod's goal-bound effort was saved by Seaman with 10 minutes remaining of the match. In the fourth minute of injury time, Southampton earned themselves a corner. Beattie's on-target header was cleared off the line by Ashley Cole and out for another corner, which Pires kicked out in the final action of the game. Details 17 May 2003 15:00 BST Arsenal 1–0 Report Southampton Pires 38 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 73,726 Graham Barber (Hertfordshire) _arsenal0203h _arsenal0203h _arsenalh0204 _arsenal0203h _arsenal0203h FFFFFF DD0000 FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF Arsenal_southampton0203a _southampton0203a _southampton0203a _southampton0203a _southampton0203a FFF000 FFF000 FFF000 0000FF FFF000 Southampton GK 1 ENG David Seaman (c)RB 12CMR LaurenCB 5 ENG Martin Keown 30CB 22UKR Oleh LuzhnyiLB 3 ENG Ashley ColeRM 7 FRA Robert PiresCM 15ENG Ray ParlourCM 19BRA Gilberto SilvaLM 8 SWE Freddie LjungbergSS 10NED Dennis Bergkamp 77CF 14FRA Thierry Henry 66Substitutes:GK 13ENG Stuart TaylorDF 28CIV Kolo TouréMF 16NED Giovanni van BronckhorstFW 11FRA Sylvain Wiltord 77FW 25NGA Nwankwo KanuManager:FRA Arsène Wenger300px GK 14FIN Antti Niemi 66RB 32NIR Chris Baird 86CB 5 NOR Claus LundekvamCB 11SWE Michael Svensson 90LB 3 ENG Wayne BridgeRM 33SCO Paul Telfer 60CM 8 ENG Matthew OakleyCM 12SWE Anders Svensson 75LM 4 ENG Chris Marsden (c) 77CF 36ENG Brett OrmerodCF 9 ENG James Beattie 31Substitutes:GK 1 WAL Paul Jones 66DF 6 ENG Paul WilliamsDF 19ENG Danny HigginbothamMF 29FRA Fabrice Fernandes 86FW 21NOR Jo Tessem 75Manager:SCO Gordon Strachan Man of the match Thierry Henry (Arsenal)John May Henry's debt to Bergkamp https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/3037689.stm BBC Sport 18 May 2003 23 April 2009 Match officials Assistant referees: Nigel Miller (County Durham) Keith Stroud (Hampshire) Fourth official: Mike Dean (Cheshire)Match rules 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Penalty shootout if scores still level. Five named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions. Statistics StatisticLipton Martin 1–0 to the Arsenal ... At last; Arsenal 1 Soton 0 19 May 2003 Daily Mirror London http://www.thefreelibrary.com/FOOTBALL%3a+1-0+TO+THE+ARSENAL+..+AT+LAST%3b+Arsenal+1+Soton+0%3b+Wenger%3a...-a0101933806 23 February 2013 Arsenal SouthamptonGoals scored 1 0Possession 59% 41%Shots on target 7 4Shots off target 5 10Corner kicks 4 8Fouls 10 18Offsides 3 3Yellow cards 2 4Red cards 0 0 Post-match In retaining the cup, Arsenal became the first team to do so since Tottenham Hotspur in 1982. Wenger commented after the game that his team "got the trophy we wanted" while Strachan was in admiration of Southampton's performance: "I'm very proud of the way they competed. I couldn't have asked for any more."Keown hails 'best ever' win https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/3036631.stm 16 March 2012 BBC Sport 17 May 2003 Keown said the FA Cup win was "the best ever" and Seaman felt the disappointment of losing out to Manchester United in the league spurred the team on. Football pundits Alan Hansen, Peter Schmeichel and Mark Hughes unanimously agreed that Arsenal deserved to win the match.Arsenal were worthy winners https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/3036729.stm 16 March 2012 BBC Sport 17 May 2003 Arsenal's victory set up a Community Shield match against Manchester United, the winners of the 2002–03 Premier League. The FA Cup winners are awarded qualification into the UEFA Cup, but because Arsenal qualified for the UEFA Champions League via their league position, the UEFA Cup place was passed to Southampton, the runners-up.http://www.premierleague.com/content/premierleague/en-gb/fans/faqs/who-qualifies-to-play-in-europe.html Who qualifies to play in Europe? Premier League 4 January 2013 17 May 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140517152145/http://www.premierleague.com/content/premierleague/en-gb/fans/faqs/who-qualifies-to-play-in-europe.html dead The match was broadcast live in the United Kingdom by both the BBC and Sky Sports, with BBC One providing the free-to-air coverage and Sky Sports 1 being the pay-TV alternative.FA Cup final: Arsenal v Southampton The Guardian London 17 May 2003 B3 BBC One held the majority of the viewership, with a peak audience of 9.6 million viewers (55.7% viewing share) watching at 16:50pm and the match averaged at 8.3 million (55%) – the highest audience for a FA Cup final in four years.Ratings – FA Cup's big gunners shoot to win on BBC1 http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/ratings-fa-cups-big-gunners-shoot-to-win-on-bbc1/1118331.article 4 January 2013 Broadcast London 23 May 2003 Coverage of the final began on the channel at 12:10pm and averaged 5.3 million (44.4%). The Match of the Day coverage concluded at different times dependent on station, with the broadcast in Scotland ending 10 minutes before the main broadcast finished. See also 2003 Football League Cup Final 2003 FA Trophy Final References External links Saints fans view at SaintsForever.com Final Category:FA Cup finals FA Cup Final FA Cup Final 2003 FA Cup Final 2003 Category:2000s in Cardiff Category:Football competitions in Cardiff FA Cup Final Category:Football finals in Wales