NINE LONG YEARS....IT'S BEEN HARD...BUT ARSENAL HAVE A TROPHY...FA CUP WINNERS

I really thought that this would be the same old story. Once Hull City went up by two goals, I feared the worst for Arsenal. Hull City DID exactly what they should have done...the started better and they put Arsenal on the ropes. Steve Bruce got those tactics right and they played the game that Arsenal hate...PHYSICALITY AND DIRECT-PLAY.  But Arsenal showed something that they haven't shown in a very long time....RESILIENCE AND CHARACTER.

I was shocked by how well Hull City started the game. But then again, Steve Bruce is a good manager and he would have done his reading, seen the tapes of Arsenal over some popcorn and realised that being PHYSICAL and TOUGH would upset the more tender and feeble bodies of the red and white team.

In that first half, each time the ball went into the area, you just felt Hull City would make a connection with the ball and make something happen. Arsenal did not seem comfortable at all with the MANLY approach that Hull had.

It was time for Arsenal to do it the hard way. This was no mid-season Premiership game. THIS WAS A FINAL, which meant that the venue is neutral and ANYTHING can happen. Arsenal had to now come from two-down and somehow get themselves in the game.

The reason why Arsenal WON this game was two things, and two things that they have not really done and not known for in recent memory. CHARACTER and a change of shape and tactics.

It took character for them to dig RIGHT deep and RESPOND. Cazorla stepped up and put away the free-kick and Koscielny put his body and legs on the line and got that equalizer. And then, the UNIMAGINABLE happened...Wenger CHANGED the shape and attacking approach of the team. Sanogo came on as a complimentary striker to Giroud and suddenly, the awkward Frenchman now looked a lot better linking up with another forward.

Wenger had been insulted by MYSELF for being too stubborn and not actually changing his tactics to suit the climate of the game. But by bringing on Sanogo, it made Arsenal more dynamic in attack and gave them more options. Suddenly, Hull City found it hard to defend them as Steve Bruce like many of us assumed Wenger to just stick by his guns.

And when that AMAZING goal from Ramsey came, it was Sanogo who held it up and gave it to Giroud, and Giroud who back-heeled it for Aaron to finish. That goal was brought about by Wenger changing the way in which Arsenal were shaped up, and that tactical change brought about the CRUCIAL third goal that finally gave Arsenal that FA Cup victory that they so craved.

Steve Bruce and Hull City MUST be commended. They were part of one of the most exciting FA Cup Finals I have seen in some time. They were close to staging an upset, but fatigue and some defensive lapses resulted in Arsenal capitalizing and punishing them.

Don't be fooled...this does NOT mean more trophies will come. All that bullshit of it giving them confidence is just complete and utter BULL. But Arsenal and their fans can just lay back, relax, and just enjoy this moment...it has been too long and they deserve to revel in a CUP glory...and then the hard work of getting players in the summer can begin.


HH