Arsene Wenger: Decoding his FA Cup winning campaigns with Arsenal
Arsene Wenger is considered one of the greatest coaches to grace the game of football. In a generation of managerial changes, Wenger was in charge of Arsenal for 22 years, becoming their longest-serving manager. In these years, he won several titles but the primary highlight was his success in the FA Cup. The Frenchman won seven FA Cup crowns. Here we decode his stats.
Wenger's maiden FA Cup title with Arsenal in 1997-98 season
Arsenal had a brilliant 1997-98 season under Wenger when they lifted the Premier League and the FA Cup crown. They won 23 matches, registered nine draws and suffered six matches. They won the league only by a point over second-placed Manchester United. They defeated Newcastle United in the FA Cup final while losing to Chelsea in the League Cup semi-final.
Breaking down Arsenal's 1997-98 FA Cup season in numbers
Arsenal started their 1997-98 FA Cup campaign with a win over Port Vale on penalties. They defeated Middlesborough, Crystal Palace, and West Ham, with the last two matches replayed after draws. Arsenal won their sixth-round clash against Hammers on penalties. Arsenal prevailed over Wolves in the semi-final before winning against Newcastle United (final). Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka scored for Arsenal in the final.
Arsenal's spectacular 2001-02 season under Arsene Wenger
Wenger guided Arsenal to a domestic double in the 2001-02 season where they won the league and the FA Cup. They finished the league with 26 wins, nine draws while suffering three defeats. Arsenal defeated rivals Chelsea in the FA Cup final. They bowed out of the League Cup in the fifth round. They lost out in the second group stage of the UCL.
Breaking down their FA Cup 2001-02 campaign in numbers
The Gunners started with a win over Watford in the opening round of the 2001-02 FA Cup. They defeated Liverpool in the fourth round before prevailing over Gillingham in the fifth round. Arsenal defeated Newcastle in their sixth-round replay before beating Middlesbrough in the semi-final. They won 2-0 over Chelsea in the final. Dennis Bergkamp was Arsenal's leading goal-scorer with three goals.
Consecutive FA Cup titles for Arsenal under Arsene Wenger
Wenger won his third FA Cup title in the 2002-03 season. Arsenal finished second in the Premier League, behind champions Manchester United. They won 23 league games, registered nine draws while suffering six defeats. Arsenal won the FA Cup title beating Southampton in the final. They bowed out of the third round in the League Cup followed by second group stage exit in UCL.
Breaking down their 2002-03 FA Cup campaign in numbers
Arsenal began their FA Cup 2002-03 with a 2-0 win over Oxford United followed by a thumping 5-1 win over Farnborough Town. They defeated Manchester United followed by a replay win over Chelsea in the quarter-final. Arsenal defeated Sheffield United in the semi-final before prevailing over Southampton in the title clash. Francis Jeffers was Arsenal's leading goal-scorer with three goals with Bergkamp netting twice.
Arsenal won their 10th FA Cup title in 2004-05 season
Arsenal won their 10th FA Cup title in the 2004-05 season where they also finished second in the Premier League. They lost the PL title to Chelsea. Arsenal won 25 games, eight draws and suffered five defeats. The Gunners defeated Manchester United on penalties in the final to lift the FA Cup. While they lost out in the League Cup and UCL.
Breaking down their FA Cup 2004-05 campaign in numbers
Arsenal began their FA Cup 2004-05 journey with a win over Stoke City followed by victories Wolves and Sheffield United. The latter was replayed after an initial 1-1 draw. They also defeated Bolton before prevailing over Blackburn Rovers in the semi-final. Arsenal defeated United in the final on penalties to clinch the crown. Robin van Persie was Arsenal's leading goal-scorer with three goals.
Wenger's eight-year drought ended with 2013-14 FA Cup title
After the 2004-05 FA Cup, Arsenal went on a barren run and only in 2013-014 they returned to glory by bagging the FA Cup crown once again. The Gunners finished fourth in the PL, winning 24 matches, while registering seven draws and as many defeats. Chelsea knocked them out of the Carabao Cup fourth round. They lost out in the UCL pre-quarter-finals.
Breaking down their FA Cup 2013-14 campaign in numbers
Arsenal's 2013-14 FA Cup campaign began with a motivating 2-0 win over rivals Tottenham. They smashed Coventry City in the fourth round before edging past Liverpool in the fifth round. They prevailed over Everton before winning on penalties against Wigan Athletic in the semi-final. The Gunners defeated Hull City in the final. Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski netted three goals each.
Wenger's consecutive FA Cup crown in 2014-15 season for Arsenal
Arsenal won their 12 FA Cup title in the 2014-15 season while finishing third in the Premier League. They won 22 league games, registering nine draws and seven defeats. Meanwhile, they won the FA Cup beating Aston Villa in the final. They lost in the opening round of the League Cup against Southampton while bowing out of the pre-quarter-finals of UCL against AS Monaco.
Breaking down their 2014-15 FA Cup season in numbers
Arsenal started with a confident 2-0 win over Hull City followed by a five-goal thriller against Brighton. However, the Gunners defeated Middlesbrough in the next round while they prevailed over Manchester United. They defeated Reading 2-1 in the semi-final that too on extra-time before progressing to the final. Arsenal thumped Villa 4-0 in the final. Alexis Sanchez was Arsenal's leading goal-scorer with four goals.
Wenger's seventh FA Cup crown for Arsenal in 2016-17 season
Arsenal had another average campaign in the 2016-17 season but winning the FA Cup was their only silver lining. The Gunners finished fifth in the PL with 23 wins, six draws and nine defeats. They won the FA Cup final over Chelsea while bowing out of the Carabao Cup in the fifth round. Arsenal were also eliminated from the UCL round of 16.
Breaking down their FA Cup 2016-17 campaign in numbers
Wenger's men started with a 2-1 win over Preston North End in the 2016-17 FA Cup. Arsenal smashed 5-0 against Southampton in the next round before prevailing over Sutton United. They hammered 5-0 against Lincoln City while winning on extra time versus Manchester City. Arsenal defeated Chelsea in the final. Theo Walcott was Arsenal's leading goal-scorer with five strikes while Aaron Ramsey netted thrice.
Most FA Cup titles by a manager
Wenger has won seven FA Cup finals, the most titles won by a particular manager. He surpassed former Aston Villa tactician George Ramsey, who owns six FA Cup titles after reaching eight finals. Arsenal have won most FA Cup titles in the competition's history, Wenger has won half of them. Wenger featured in 105 FA Cup matches while winning 76 matches (D14, L15).
