Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

Arsenal seeks title in FA Cup final
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-20 09:34

Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira is sure of this: His team is better than the one that captured the Premier League title last year without losing a game.

That's a strong endorsement, yet Arsenal will be left without a title this season if it loses the FA Cup final to Manchester United on Saturday.


Arsenal's Robin Van Persie, left, rounds keeper Jens Lehmann to score during a training session at Arsenal training ground at Colney near London Wednesday May 18, 2005. Arsenal play Manchester United in the FA Cup Final in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff Wales, Saturday May 21. [AP]

"The way we have played this year, I think we deserve to win a trophy," Vieira said. "We have played fantastic football this season, better even than last year. We have taken it to a different level."

Vieira was one of the stars on a team that put together a record run of 49 unbeaten league games, including all 38 in last season's Premier League. This season, Chelsea won the title by 12 points, losing just once and winning a record 29 times.

"We did not win the Premiership and we are not in the Champions League final, so the only trophy left for us is the FA Cup," Vieira said.

He insists Arsenal is stronger on attack but has been hurt by mistakes on defense.

"We have created more chances and scored more goals, we have improved a lot," he said. "But defensively, we have to do a bit more. Everybody has to work more if we want to do well in the Champions League and against the big clubs."

Arsenal's unbeaten streak ended in October with a 2-0 loss at Manchester United, sparking a run of one win in six games.

And the Gunners' title defense in effect ended in February when United won the return game 4-2, helping Chelsea extend its first-place lead.

Now Manchester United and Arsenal meet again, with the loser set to end the season without a trophy. United is aiming to stretch its record of FA Cup wins to 12 while the Gunners are in the final for the fourth time in five seasons.

Vieira's midfield matchup with United's Roy Keane may be the key at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

"He's a really important player for Manchester United," Vieira said. "I feel I'm a really important player for Arsenal and both players will want to win the game."

Although Thierry Henry will be absent because of injury, players like Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robin van Persie and Dennis Bergkamp could turn the final into a showpiece.

But the key players may be in the heart of midfield. Provided, that is, they stay on the field for 90 minutes. Vieira and Keane have notorious reputations.

"I'm ready for anything," said Vieira, chasing his third FA Cup final triumph. "Would I mind if he said anything else to me? I wouldn't mind at all."

But Keane, who already has four FA Cup winners' medals and two as a runner-up, questioned the notion that his rivalry with the tall Frenchman will decide the game.

"It's not just one versus one," Keane said. "The game is all about 11 versus 11."

Both teams enter the final facing distractions.

United has a new owner in Malcolm Glazer, who last week bought a 75 percent interest in the club even though he has never been to England to see it play. Fans have threatened to demonstrate at the final in protest of the takeover by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' owner.

Arsenal's preparation has been affected by a league disciplinary hearing into accusations that Chelsea tried to hire defender Ashley Cole. Cole and his agent met with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon in January. Clubs are not allowed to talk to players contracted to other teams, and the Premier League promised a decision June 1.



Spurs VS SuperSoniccs
Federer wins Laureus Awards
UEFA Cup final
 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

Rescuers in bid to save 51 trapped miners

 

   
 

FM express outrage at Diaoyu Islands claim

 

   
 

US business chief optimistic over yuan reform

 

   
 

China criticizes new US textile quotas

 

   
 

Deposit rates raised for US, HK dollars

 

   
 

Fixed asset investment growth splits opinion

 

   
  Nash leads Suns to 114-108 win Over Mavs
   
  Man United manager won't discuss takeover
   
  Talks between NBA, players' union collapse
   
  Nash and Nowitzki are newcomers to All-NBA Team
   
  German match-fixing suspect speaks
   
  Chakvetadze to play Venus in Istanbul
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 精品国精品无码自拍自在线| 亚洲一区第一页| 999影院成人在线影院| 日本牲交大片免费观看| 亚洲精品中文字幕乱码| 色综合久久久无码中文字幕波多| 成人午夜私人影院入口| 亚洲中文字幕无码av在线| 男高中生大粗吊gvlive| 国产乱子伦精品视频| 一道本在线播放| 最近免费中文字幕大全高清10 | 国产福利久久青青草原下载| 久久久精品日本一区二区三区| 精品乱子伦一区二区三区| 国产成人免费ā片在线观看老同学 | 英语老师解开裙子坐我腿中间| 国产精品久久久久久久久kt| 久久久受www免费人成| 精品国产一区二区三区久久影院 | 男人用嘴添女人下身免费视频| 国产精品久久久| h视频在线观看免费完整版| 日日麻批免费40分钟无码| 亚洲一级高清在线中文字幕| 特级毛片s级全部免费| 啊灬啊灬别停啊灬用力啊免费 | 亚洲激情在线观看| 麻豆视传媒一区二区三区| 国产色xx群视频射精| www.精品视频| 成年女人午夜毛片免费看| 人妖在线精品一区二区三区| 99rv精品视频在线播放| 好男人社区神马www| 久久丝袜精品综合网站| 狠狠色丁香婷婷久久综合蜜芽| 国产日产欧洲无码视频| 91精品国产一区| 好吊妞最新视频免费观看| 中文字幕日韩视频|