Arsenal 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1, FA Cup Final replay, 20 May 1993
Sheffield Wednesday must have been sick of the sight of Arsenal by the time this FA Cup final replay came around. The previous year, at Highbury, they had been on the end of a 7-1 thrashing. Wednesday had been beaten by Arsenal in the League Cup final just a month earlier, then fought out a fairly dour encounter in the FA Cup final. David Hirst equalised for the Owls in the second half, after Ian Wright had given Arsenal the lead. Wright had headed the ball in after a well worked free-kick, via a wonderful headed assist from a poorly marked Andy Linighan. This lack of attention to detail would later prove to be costly for Trevor Francis’ team.The replay, played on the following Thursday in torrential rain, was an altogether more entertaining - if brutal - affair. Arsenal took its fair share of the media criticism for some of their uncompromising defending. Rob Hughes called the match a “perverse and disturbing affair”, in The Times, singling out Tony Adams and John Jensen for some of their particularly robust tackling.
David Miller, writing in the same paper, went even further: “The, at times insane, level of physical commitment in challenging for the ball made it inevitable that players would be hurt.”
However, it was Sheffield Wednesday’s Mark Bright who was clearly the worst offender. Bright’s blatant and forceful elbow broke Andy Linighan’s nose in the first half. The referee saw the incident, but decided that a yellow card was the appropriate punishment - perhaps taking into account the general level of low level violence on the pitch - and a desire to keep it 11 v 11.
Back to the football, and as in the previous match, Arsenal took the lead. Once more the decisive moment came from Wright, who latched on to a beautifully weighted flick from Alan Smith. Wright accelerated away from the Wednesday defence, and clipped the ball over Chris Woods. It was the striker’s 56th goal in 79 matches for Arsenal.
Chris Waddle equalised for Wednesday with a deflected shot, and caused Arsenal all sorts of problems throughout the match. Bright might have won the cup for Wednesday in normal time, but his shot bobbled against the post - swift karma for his earlier assault on Linighan.
So, deep into extra time, after four hours of football, and with the first ever FA Cup final penalty shoot looming, Arsenal won a corner. Just one minute to go.
Famously, it was Andy Linighan, epitomising the bravery and never-say-die spirit of this Arsenal side, who claimed the ultimate revenge. He met Paul Merson’s corner with a firm header, which Woods got two hands to - but couldn’t keep out.
A first ever FA Cup final penalty shoot out was averted - in a match that proved to be the last ever FA Cup Final replay.
A disappointing league season - in which Arsenal finished tenth and didn’t even manage to average a goal a game (and played some truly dire football, especially at home) - had ended in historic glory. As well as two pieces of silverware, the resulting European qualification would prove just as important, ensuring Arsenal qualified for the European Cup Winners Cup - and were thereby positioned for yet more unlikely success.
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