Wenger's Gunners on target

Manager breaks title drought with thrilling comeback against Hull

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is encouraging his players to use Saturday's 3-2 FA Cup final victory over Hull City as a springboard to further success in the years ahead.

Arsenal's hopes of ending a nine-year trophy drought appeared slim after centrerbacks James Chester and Curtis Davies put Hull 2-0 up after only eight minutes at a humid Wembley Stadium.

But Santi Cazorla's free kick halved the deficit and after Laurent Koscielny scored the equalizer with 19 minutes remaining, Aaron Ramsey drilled home the winner in extra time.

Having seen his side falter in similar circumstances over recent years - most notably in 2011, when it lost the League Cup final to Birmingham City - Wenger was delighted by the spirit his players showed.

"The mental aspect is very important in a game like that when everybody expects you to win and you're 2-0 down," he said.

"Of course you're under pressure. Everybody thinks you have won the game before you started.

"The cup final in England is special. We have seen it last year (when Wigan Athletic beat Manchester City); we have seen it again this year.

"It was an important moment in the life of this team, because to lose today (Saturday) certainly would have been a major setback and to win will be a good platform to build on and come back even stronger next year."

On having finally ended the club's long wait for a trophy, he said, "It's a big, big moment of happiness. The happiness is linked sometimes with the suffering and the time you have to wait."

Wenger has now won five FA Cups - equaling former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson's tally - and he identified Saturday's triumph as the most impressive of them all.

"It was more important today than all the others," he said.

"We've made the double twice, so you have already won (another trophy) and you're not under the pressure we were under today. I've won now five times. It's not too bad."

Having pledged to sign a new contract in the coming days, Wenger will in time turn his thoughts to making a more sustained challenge for the Premier League title next season.

Arsenal made a storming start to the league campaign that has just ended, only to finish seven points below champion City, and Wenger warned next season's title race will be every bit as keenly contested.

"You have to accept that in England the Premier League is very tough," he said.

"You look at the top four this year - you have no Man United, you have no Everton, you have no Tottenham.

"All these clubs have invested a huge amount of money and the clubs who won the Premier League have invested incredible amounts of money, so it's difficult to beat them, but we'll try."

Hull manager Steve Bruce, whose side was already guaranteed qualification to next season's Europa League, said he could not fault his players after the team's first FA Cup final appearance in its 110-year history.

"Unfortunately we ran out of juice. You could see that. All week we've been carrying people and they hurt us at the finish," he told BT Sport.

"I couldn't ask any more of them, but today it wasn't to be for us, which is unfortunate.

"The vast majority are the team that got us promoted last year, so all credit to them. They've given everything, but in the end we just fell short on the day."

When pressed as to whether the circumstances were sufficiently 'normal' for him to sign a new deal, he said: "We are in very normal circumstances now.

"It was never a question of leaving. It was a question of doing the right job for this club."

RECENT CUP WINNERS

List of recent FA Cup winners, after Arsenal came from behind to beat Hull City 3-2 in the 2013-14 final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday:

2014: Arsenal

2013: Wigan Athletic

2012: Chelsea

2011: Manchester City

2010: Chelsea

2009: Chelsea

2008: Portsmouth

2007: Chelsea

2006: Liverpool

2005: Arsenal

2004: Manchester United

2003: Arsenal

2002: Arsenal

2001: Liverpool

2000: Chelsea

1999: Manchester United

1998: Arsenal

1997: Chelsea

1996: Manchester United

1995: Everton

1994: Manchester United

1993: Arsenal

1992: Liverpool

1991: Tottenham Hotspur

1990: Manchester United

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger celebrates with Lukas Podolski as Hull coach Steve Bruce looks on after the Gunners won the English FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday. AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth

(China Daily 05/19/2014 page24)