Arsenal 2 – 1 Tottenham Hotspur (2001)
Football fans across the country sat down to admire this semi-final back in the early years of Arsene Wenger’s reign, and they don’t come much better than this.
Two teams that boast a rivalry bigger than any other back in those days, as the North London derbies were never a sure thing as to who would come out on top.
After new regulations, this semi-final wouldn’t go to a replay if it ended in a draw, which meant the fans were more than up for this one. When you throw in Sol Campbell still captaining the Spurs side and the fierce competition of playing style between Glenn Hoddle and Arsene Wenger, then you’ve got a pretty good afternoon on the cards.
Tottenham overcame the frustration of having several injuries, as they started with a spring in their step, knocking in the opener from surprise goalscorer, Gary Doherty.
However, it was the French frontmen who turned this game around, as goals from Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires set up a Millennium Stadium final with Liverpool, which Arsenal ended up losing 2-1.
This game won’t be remembered for the flamboyant football or individual masterclasses, but what we can all appreciate is the passion that stood out back in 2001.
Football was all anyone could talk about back in those days, and we saw in the celebrations of those Arsenal players, exactly what it means to go to a FA Cup final.
Let’s hope the boys can take inspiration from just a few of these examples, and recreate something very similar on Saturday afternoon.