By Ian Grant
CUP FINAL STATS AND FACTS
Four of the last five FA Cup finals have involved either Chelsea or Arsenal.
Both finalists have played three Premiership opponents on the way to the final.
Arsenal and Chelsea have scored 15 goals each in this season’s FA Cup
Arsenal’s appearance in the final will equal Manchester United’s FA Cup record of 15.
Chelsea lost the toss for the ‘lucky’ dressing room at the Millennium Stadium and at time of writing are disputing being put in the ‘unlucky hotel’.
A victory for Arsenal would give them the FA Cup for the eighth time and put them level with Tottenham in second place in the all-time list. Manchester United are top with 10 wins.
OLD TRAFFORD GAME AND BEFORE AND BEYOND
On the Old Trafford clash, Wenger said: “It will be a big, big game for both teams. We are very close now but I don’t want to celebrate. I want to win it before I celebrate. I believe that we can win it. I don’t mind where we win the championship but we will go to Old Trafford to win the game and we can do it.”
And: “We go everywhere trying to win the game and that’s what we will want to do next week. There is an immense desire among the players to do it.”
In 1928, this week, Everton’s centre-forward “Dixie” Dean scored three goals in the last match of the season, against Arsenal at Goodison Park, to beat George Camsell’s record of 59 League goals in one season.
TEAM
Arsenal recorded their 11th consecutive League victory, the best in the club’s 116-year history. They also equalled their Premiership unbeaten run of 19 games.
Wenger said: “I have a vision for this club to be the dominant team in English football.”
Arsenal have scored in 35 consecutive Premiership matches, 11 behind the all-time League record.
Arsenal have scored first in 26 matches.
PLAYERS
Dein is quoted in the Independent as saying: “If a player wants to be difficult invariably he gets his move – but we don’t want it to happen here. There will be a conversation with Arsene [Wenger, the Arsenal manager] and Patrick – and I’m confident the player will stay with us, but you cannot say 100 per cent.”
The Express quoted Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood: “When we signed Vieira, his agent Marc Roger blatantly told us that he would get him away from us before the end of his contract. I was hoping he was joking, but he was not.”
David Noble has returned to Arsenal after his loan spell with Watford expired. The 20-year-old midfielder made just eight starts for Gianluca Vialli’s side during his season-long stay at Vicarage Road.
It has emerged that Arsenal want Martin Keown to stay at Highbury. His contract expires at the end of the season and a new deal has yet to be agreed.
But the centre-back, who could still make the England squad for the World Cup finals this summer, has been told he will be offered a new deal and talks will be held when there is a break in Arsenal’s hectic programme.
Wenger said: “You don’t find many players like him [Bergkamp] on the corner of every street.”
The Mirror called Bergkamp Merlin and Ljungberg King Arthur.
Dennis Bergkamp today admitted his team-mates went “crazy” when bitter rivals Spurs scored against Liverpool to all but end the Merseysiders’ title hopes. The Dutch star told how he was having treatment at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground while his team-mates watched the clash at White Hart Lane on a television in the next room.
Bergkamp told the Standard:”I have one more year on my contract at Arsenal and I will be here next season. I have no doubts in my mind about that, none at all. That will also give me one more go at the Champions League and I want that. That is a very big competition and can give you special moments.”
“And after that? “I don’t know what will happen. I want to feel the same as I do now – that I can make the runs I have to in my position.”
Bergkamp reckons the current Gunners lineup is better than the glory side of 1997-98. “This is without doubt the greatest Arsenal side I’ve played in during my seven years here. We are very confident of success now.”
Junichi Inamoto does not want to leave Arsenal, despite enduring a frustrating first season at the English club. “I want to stay at Arsenal but I haven’t talked with the manager [Arsene Wenger] about it yet. He hasn’t said anything to me about next season,” he said.
Stuart Taylor needs only to make one appearance to give Arsenal a unique record of having three goalkeepers eligible for championship-winning medals in the same season.
Lee Dixon’s 30-second appearance against West Ham on Wednesday made him eligible for a championship medal.
Tony Adams wants Celtic for his testimonial set for 13 May.
Freddie Ljungberg has the same goals total as Fowler, Pahars, Angel, Beckham and Viduka.
Robert Pires will miss picking up his Player of the Year trophy at the Football Writers Association dinner this week after surgery on his injured knee. He has been immobilised since his op and has been told he can’t move for 10 days. Arsene Wenger is set to acccept the award on his behalf.
The surgeon. Franceschi believes that Pires will need five to six months to rebuild the strength in the knee. After that, the world and European champion would probably require a further four to eight weeks to regain his match fitness. In other words, Pires is unlikely to grace the Premiership until 2003. Some reports say he’ll be back in October.
TV/MEDIA
David Dein has warned BSkyB they will not be able to buy the next Premiership deal on the cheap and that the whole of the British game is ready to unite against cut-price TV deals. Talks are under way to create a new football TV channel to incorporate all the domestic football in both England and Scotland, as well as England internationals.
And Dein, backed up by Manchester United’s chief executive Peter Kenyon, has made it clear Premiership rights will cost close to £2bn when Sky’s current deal expires in two years.
Vodafone has signed up Arsenal to its microbilling system, m-pay, which allows content providers to bill for web or WAP content.
OLD BOYS
The legendary goal celebration by Charlie George at the 1971 Cup Final has been voted the greatest ever. The survey by Egg Sport polled 1,000 people.
Wimbledon are losing £150,000 a week, yet former Liverpool and Arsenal star Michael Thomas is picking up around £8,000 a week, despite not having made a first-team appearance since December 2000.
TRANSFER RUMOURS
Fulham warned off any clubs hoping to lure their Republic of Ireland defender Steve Finnan away from west London this summer. The 26-year-old is reportedly coveted by Manchester United and Arsenal but any bid is set to be rejected.
According to www.calciomercato.com, Sunderland are ahead of Liverpool and Arsenal in the queue to sign Tranmere’s Irish midfielder Sean Thornton. The 19-year-old has impressed in a poor season for the Prenton Park side.
According to www.planetfootball.com, David Trezeguet says he won’t be coming to England this summer.
According to one paper, Oleg Luzhny, 33, could be joining Germans Kaiserslautern on a free transfer. They reportedly asked for first option on him.
According to reports Fulham are set to bid £5m for Kanu.
YOUTH
Arsenal beat Ipswich 1-2 in the u-19 play off semi-final.
MISCELLANEOUS
A Bob Hope quote might be relevant in the coming week: “I guess our Frenchmen are better than their Frenchmen.”
An RAF skydiver who lost a leg after crashing into a football stadium’s roof while dressed as Father Christmas is suing the Ministry of Defence for £50,000. It happened at Aston Villa’s home game against Arsenal in 1998.
Jack Charlton is about to shock Irish fans by leaving Liam Brady out of his best Ireland XI of the last 40 years.