Arsene Wenger gunning for redemption in FA Cup final against Villans
An erratic season saw the Arsenal manager pilloried by fans in Stoke, before sealing a Champions League spot for 16th straight season
Arsene Wenger would love to silence his critics by making history when holders Arsenal take on Aston Villa in the FA Cup final tonight.
Wenger heads to Wembley on the cusp of a historic double achievement that would go some way to answering the doubters who claim he has lost his touch in recent years.
Frustrated by Arsenal's failure to win the Premier League since 2004 and their inability to make an impact in the Champions League, some Gunners fans have turned on Wenger over the past two years.
I'm more focused on the fact that we have fought so hard to get there. Now we want to finish the job
Verbally abused at a railway station following defeat at Stoke and forced to endure the indignity of supporters holding banners calling for his sacking, the Arsenal manager has maintained a dignified stance in the face of extreme provocation this term.
But that is not to say the jibes don't sting Wenger and, after a strong second half of the season saw Arsenal climb to a third-place finish in the Premier League, the 65-year-old has an opportunity to further reassert his credentials by retaining the FA Cup.
A victory over Villa would make Wenger the first post-war manager to win the FA Cup six times, taking him ahead of Alex Ferguson and level with George Ramsay - the only manager to have won six FA Cups, with his last coming in charge of Villa in 1920.
There would also be a significant slice of history for Wenger's club if they lift the famous old trophy as it would make them the most successful team in the history of the competition with 12 Cup-winning campaigns.