2014 FA Cup Final: Arsenal 3-2 Hull City

The footage

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2014

The match report

Arsenal won the FA Cup for the eleventh time on Saturday 17 May 2014, beating Hull City 3-2 after extra time in the 133rd final of the competition. In front of 89,345 spectators at Wembley Stadium, Arsenal recovered from conceding twice inside the first eight minutes, levelled through Laurent Koscielny in the second half and won it when Aaron Ramsey converted Olivier Giroud's backheel in the 109th minute. The victory ended a wait of 3,283 days for a trophy, stretching back to the 2005 final against Manchester United in Cardiff.[1][3][7]

The pressure on Arsenal going into the final was immense. Nine seasons without silverware had turned the club's trophy drought into English football's longest-running talking point, and Arsene Wenger's contract was due to expire that summer with no new deal announced. Two years later Wenger admitted that his future had been at stake that day and that defeat would have been a genuine problem for his position. Hull City arrived with nothing comparable to lose: the club was playing in its first FA Cup final, its previous best having been a semi-final in 1930, and had already secured Premier League survival.[6][7][3]

Before kick-off, Leona Lewis performed Abide with Me and the national anthem accompanied by the Band of the Welsh Guards. Hull were without strikers Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic, both cup-tied, while Arsenal's club captain Thomas Vermaelen was fit enough only for the bench, so Mikel Arteta led the side out. Arsenal lined up 4-2-3-1 against Hull's five-man defence, with Lukasz Fabianski retaining his place as the cup goalkeeper. The trophy on display was itself new: a third edition of the 1911 design, cast in sterling silver by Thomas Lyte and presented for the first time that day, replacing the cup first awarded in 1992.[7][1][5]

Hull scored with their first attack. In the 4th minute Stephen Quinn's corner found Tom Huddlestone unmarked on the edge of the area, and James Chester diverted his volley past Fabianski. Four minutes later Fabianski could only parry Alex Bruce's header onto the post and Curtis Davies, the Hull captain, drove in the rebound. Arsenal were 2-0 down inside eight minutes and might have been three behind when Kieran Gibbs cleared Bruce's looping header off the line in the 14th minute. The game turned on a free-kick in the 17th minute, Santi Cazorla curling the ball over the wall and beyond Allan McGregor's fingertips, and Hull led 2-1 at half-time.[1][3][4][7]

The second half was played largely in Hull's third. In the 56th minute the crowd paused to applaud in memory of the victims of the Bradford City stadium fire. Wenger sent on Yaya Sanogo for Lukas Podolski in the 61st minute and switched to two strikers, and Arsenal's pressure finally told in the 71st minute: Bacary Sagna's header at a corner deflected off Giroud and Koscielny turned the ball in from close range, injuring himself in the process. Hull disputed the award of the corner bitterly, believing Sanogo had touched the ball out before it was given. Gibbs then missed a glorious chance from close range and Sanogo shot wide in the closing moments, so the final went to extra time at 2-2.[3][4][7]

Arsenal dominated the additional period. Giroud headed Ramsey's cross against the crossbar in the 93rd minute, and Hull lost Liam Rosenior to injury, George Boyd replacing him in the 102nd minute. Wenger sent on Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere for Cazorla and Mesut Ozil before the second period of extra time, and in the 109th minute Giroud's instinctive backheel found Ramsey, who finished first time past McGregor. There was one final scare when a slip by Per Mertesacker let Sone Aluko round Fabianski in the 116th minute, but his angled shot rolled wide, and Fabianski saved from Aluko in the last minute to confirm a 3-2 win.[1][3][4][7]

Vermaelen, the non-playing club captain, was the first Arsenal player to get his hands on the trophy, lifting it alongside Arteta. Ramsey, named man of the match, told the FA afterwards that scoring the winner was something he had dreamed of for many years, and that the team had shown courage, strength and character to come back. Fabianski, who had played every round in goal, called it one of the great comebacks in the history of the final. Wenger, drenched in champagne by Podolski during the celebrations, signed a new three-year contract 13 days later.[4][2][6]

The consequences reached beyond north London. Because Arsenal had already qualified for the Champions League through their league position, Hull took the Europa League place reserved for the cup winners, entering at the third qualifying round; it was the last season in which the runners-up could inherit that place. Arsenal retained the trophy a year later, beating Aston Villa 4-0 in the 2015 final, and two weeks after the 2014 final Arsenal Ladies beat Everton to win the FA Women's Cup, giving the club a rare cup double. A peak ITV audience of 10.1 million watched the final, up on the previous year.[7][6]

How the match unfolded

1. 4'Hull take the lead. Stephen Quinn's corner finds Tom Huddlestone on the edge of the box and his volley is diverted past Lukasz Fabianski by James Chester.[1][3]
2. 8'Hull score again. Fabianski parries Alex Bruce's header onto the post and captain Curtis Davies rifles in the rebound for 2-0.[1][3]
3. 14'Kieran Gibbs clears Alex Bruce's looping header off the Arsenal line to prevent Hull going three up.[4][7]
4. 17'Santi Cazorla curls a right-footed free-kick over the wall and beyond Allan McGregor's fingertips to pull Arsenal back into the game.[1][3]
5. 56'The crowd applauds in memory of the 56 victims of the 1985 Bradford City stadium fire.[7]
6. 60'Huddlestone receives the first yellow card of the final for a foul.[7]
7. 61'Yaya Sanogo replaces Lukas Podolski and Arsenal switch to playing with two strikers.[1][4]
8. 68'Arsenal appeal for a penalty when Cazorla goes down under a challenge from Davies, but Lee Probert waves play on.[7]
9. 70'David Meyler is booked for a foul on Laurent Koscielny.[7]
10. 71'Koscielny equalises, turning the ball past McGregor from close range after Bacary Sagna's header at a corner deflects off Olivier Giroud. Hull dispute the award of the corner.[1][3][4]
11. 75'Sone Aluko replaces Quinn as Hull try to regain a foothold.[1][7]
12. 79'Gibbs shoots wildly over from close range after being set up by Sanogo, and McGregor then saves from Giroud.[3][7]
13. 85'Giroud is booked for a foul on Aluko; Davies is booked moments later for a foul on Giroud.[7]
14. 90'Sanogo shoots wide from the edge of the area in the closing moments of normal time and the final goes to extra time at 2-2.[3][7]
15. 93'Giroud rises to meet Aaron Ramsey's cross and heads against the crossbar.[3][7]
16. 102'Hull are forced into their final change when Liam Rosenior is injured; George Boyd replaces him.[1][7]
17. 106'Arsenal make a double substitution: Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere replace Cazorla and Mesut Ozil.[7][1]
18. 109'Ramsey wins the Cup, latching onto Giroud's clever backheel and finishing first time past McGregor for 3-2.[1][3][7]
19. 116'A slip by Per Mertesacker lets Aluko round the stranded Fabianski, but his shot from a tight angle rolls across the face of goal and wide.[4][7]
20. 120'Fabianski saves from Aluko in the final minute and the whistle confirms Arsenal as winners.[7]

Match facts

Date

Saturday 17 May 2014

Venue

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance

89,345The official attendance given in the FA's match report and repeated across contemporary reports.[1][7]

Referee

Lee Probert (Wiltshire FA)[1][7]

Scorers

James Chester 4'
Curtis Davies 8'
Santi Cazorla 17'
Laurent Koscielny 71'
Aaron Ramsey 109'[1][3]

Half-time

1-2

Competition

2013-14 FA Cup

Where they played

Both sides as they lined up. Choose any player to read what they did in this final.

Select a shirt for that player's note.

Route to the final

Line-ups

Trivia and detail

• The trophy Arsenal lifted was brand new: a third edition of the 1911 design, cast in sterling 925 silver by Thomas Lyte and presented for the first time, replacing the cup first awarded to Liverpool in 1992 and last won by Wigan Athletic in 2013.[5]
• In the 56th minute the Wembley crowd applauded in memory of the 56 victims of the Bradford City stadium fire of 1985.[7]
• Hull were without both of their January striker signings, Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic, who were cup-tied after playing in the competition for West Bromwich Albion and Everton respectively.[7]
• Hull City's previous best FA Cup run before 2014 had been a single semi-final appearance, in 1930.[7]
• Thomas Vermaelen, Arsenal's club captain, did not play a minute of the final but was the first player to lift the trophy, alongside stand-in captain Mikel Arteta.[4]
• ITV's free-to-air coverage peaked at 10.1 million viewers, a 52.1% audience share, up on the previous year's final.[7]

How well do you know the 2014 final?

Five questions. Every answer is sourced from the material on this page.

1. Who scored Arsenal's winning goal in the 2014 FA Cup final?

   Aaron RamseyOlivier GiroudSanti CazorlaLaurent Koscielny
   Answer

   Aaron Ramsey. Ramsey finished first time from Giroud's backheel in the 109th minute of extra time.[1][3]

2. What was the final score of the 2014 FA Cup final?

   Arsenal 3-2 Hull CityArsenal 2-1 Hull CityHull City 3-2 Arsenal2-2, Arsenal won on penalties
   Answer

   Arsenal 3-2 Hull City. Arsenal came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 after extra time.[1][3]

3. Which two players scored Hull City's goals in the 2014 final?

   James Chester and Curtis DaviesAlex Bruce and Matty FryattTom Huddlestone and Jake LivermoreStephen Quinn and David Meyler
   Answer

   James Chester and Curtis Davies. Both Hull centre-backs scored from set pieces inside the first eight minutes.[1][7]

4. How long had Arsenal waited for a trophy before winning the 2014 final?

   Nine yearsFive yearsTwelve yearsThree years
   Answer

   Nine years. Their previous trophy was the 2005 FA Cup, 3,283 days before the 2014 final.[3][1]

5. Who captained Arsenal on the pitch in the 2014 final?

   Mikel ArtetaThomas VermaelenPer MertesackerBacary Sagna
   Answer

   Mikel Arteta. Club captain Vermaelen was only fit for the bench, so Arteta led the team out; both later lifted the trophy together.[1][4]

What is not settled

Honesty matters more than tidiness. These details are contested or unrecorded, and we have not guessed at them:

• The minute of the winning goal is reported differently: the BBC's match report says Ramsey scored 'after 108 minutes', while the FA's official match report and the standard reference work record 109. We have used 109.
• The FA's match report times Arsenal's double extra-time substitution (Rosicky and Wilshere for Cazorla and Ozil) at 105 minutes, while the standard reference work gives 106. We have used 106.
• Kieran Gibbs's goal-line clearance from Alex Bruce's header is timed at the 13th minute by the Guardian and the 14th by the standard reference work. We have used 14.
• The FA's official match report lists Hull's formation as 5-3-1-1, while the standard reference work describes it as 3-5-1-1. We have drawn 5-3-1-1; the same eleven players occupy both descriptions.
• Curtis Davies's goal is timed at 8 minutes in the FA's match report and match details, though some prose accounts place it in the 9th minute. We have used 8.

How we know

Every claim on this page is tied to a numbered source below. These are the contemporary records behind it, each one fetched and matched word for word before publication rather than taken on trust:

• The FA's official match report, published with the 2020 full-match replay · The Football Association
• FA post-match interview with Aaron Ramsey, 17 May 2014 · The Football Association
• Phil McNulty, chief football writer, 17 May 2014 · BBC Sport
• David Hytner, 18 May 2014 · The Guardian

Where a primary record and a modern account disagree, we show both rather than choosing the tidier number.

Sources

1. Arsenal 3-2 Hull City: 2014 FA Cup Final match report · The Football Association
2. FA Cup match-winner Aaron Ramsey in dreamland · The Football Association
3. Arsenal 3-2 Hull City · BBC Sport
4. Arsene Wenger savours FA Cup win over Hull as Arsenal end drought · The Guardian
5. FA Cup reborn for 2014 final as new trophy is cast · BBC News
6. Wenger admits he may have been sacked if Arsenal had lost in 2014 FA Cup Final · ITV News
7. 2014 FA Cup final · Wikipedia

Elsewhere in the encyclopedia

Other finals involving these clubs

• 1971 Arsenal: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool
• 1979 Arsenal: Arsenal 3-2 Manchester United
• 2015 Arsenal: Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa
• 2017 Arsenal: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
• 2020 Arsenal: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea

Other finals at Wembley Stadium

• 2008 Cardiff City 1-0 Portsmouth
• 2009 Chelsea 2-1 Everton
• 2010 Chelsea 1-0 Portsmouth
• 2011 Manchester City 1-0 Stoke City
• 2012 Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool
• 2013 Wigan Athletic 1-0 Manchester City

Elsewhere on WhatChan