Wenger invokes spirit of 2005 in FA Cup history bid
Arsenal boss says against-the-odds win over Manchester United can be example against Chelsea
History-chasing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes his team will upset the form book and overcome their defensive injury crisis by beating Double hopefuls Chelsea in Saturday’s FA Cup final.
Despite Antonio Conte’s claims to the contrary, Chelsea are the favourites, having already swept to glory in the Premier League and with a fully fit squad at their manager’s disposal.
But Wenger says the example of the 2005 FA Cup final, when Arsenal weathered a battering by Manchester United to prevail on penalties in Cardiff, shows his team could upset the odds again.
“Of course I expect us to win,” said Wenger, who is still to commit himself to Arsenal beyond Saturday’s match.
“It’s true that in neutral opinions, Chelsea will be favourites. But we have gone into finals like that as well.
“I remember in 2005 we had no players available any more. I played with Dennis Bergkamp up front against Manchester United, who had [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Wayne] Rooney, [Ryan] Giggs, [Paul] Scholes.