1993 FA Cup final

Template:Short descriptionTemplate:Template other The 1993 FA Cup final was contested by Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley. The original match, played on 15 May 1993, finished 1–1. Arsenal won the replay on 20 May, 2–1 after extra-time.

It was Arsenal's sixth FA Cup final victory, and their first since the 1979 FA Cup final. They became the first English side to achieve a domestic cup double, having also won the 1993 Football League Cup final.

It was Sheffield Wednesday's first appearance in the FA Cup final since 1966. They also reached the League Cup final that season, also losing 2–1 to Arsenal (though without a replay). This appearance of the same two sides in the final of both of England's domestic knock-out tournaments in the same season had never happened before, and would be the only time until 2022. Sheffield Wednesday have not appeared in a domestic cup final since, reaching two League Cup semi-finals since then.

The replay saw the last Arsenal appearance by veteran defender David O'Leary, who left shortly afterwards to join Leeds United, after an 18-year spell with Arsenal which had yielded 722 competitive games and six major trophies.

Match summary

Original match

Arsenal took the lead in the 20th minute, when Ian Wright headed in a cross. Sheffield Wednesday equalised in the 61st minute, when David Hirst turned in a low drive, past the advancing Arsenal goalkeeper, David Seaman.

Replay

The kick-off for the replay was delayed by 30 minutes after an accident on the M1 motorway had delayed the arrival of most of Sheffield Wednesday's fans.

Once again, Ian Wright opened the scoring for Arsenal, running onto a through ball to prod the ball past Chris Woods, into the corner of the net. This was his fourth goal in FA Cup finals at Wembley, just one behind the record-holder Ian Rush. Wednesday attacked Arsenal in the second half, and Chris Waddle's shot deflected off Arsenal defender Lee Dixon into the net in the 68th minute.

The game went into extra time, and with two minutes of the second half remaining, central defender Andy Linighan scored with a header from a Paul Merson corner. Goalkeeper Chris Woods fumbled and Graham Hyde could only help the ball into the top of the net. Linighan had played most of the game with a broken nose after Mark Bright had struck him in the face with his elbow.

Firsts and lasts

The two clubs had already contested the season's League Cup final, a match which Arsenal had won 2–1. It was the first time that the same two clubs had reached the final of both domestic club competitions.

It was also dubbed the 'longest' FA Cup final. It had gone to extra-time in the replay – a match which was delayed by thirty minutes – and was just one minute away from the first ever FA Cup final penalty shoot-out. It was also the last FA Cup final to go to a replay; from 1999 onwards, it was decided that all FA Cup finals would be decided on the day.

This was the first FA Cup final in which squad numbers had been used, having been trialled in the League Cup final. Players from both clubs retained the same numbers for the three matches. The system was fully adopted by the Premier League for the following season.

For Arsenal, David O'Leary played his last two official matches after joining the club as an apprentice in 1973. His testimonial took place between the final and the replay, on 17 May 1993. During extra time in the replay, Alan Smith received the only yellow card of his professional career.

Match details

File:Kit left arm.svg File:Kit body.svg File:Kit right arm.svg File:Kit shorts.svg File:Kit socks long.svg Arsenal Template:Preview warningTemplate:Preview warningTemplate:Preview warningTemplate:Preview warningTemplate:Preview warning

File:Kit left arm.svg File:Kit body.svg File:Kit right arm.svg File:Kit shorts.svg File:Kit socks long.svg Sheffield Wednesday Template:Preview warningTemplate:Preview warningTemplate:Preview warning

GK 1 Template:Flagicon David Seaman DF 2 Template:Flagicon Lee Dixon DF 5 Template:Flagicon Andy Linighan DF 6 Template:Flagicon Tony Adams (c) DF 3 Template:Flagicon Nigel Winterburn MF 10 Template:Flagicon Paul Merson MF 14 Template:Flagicon Paul Davis MF 17 Template:Flagicon John Jensen MF 11 Template:Flagicon Ray Parlour downward-facing red arrow 66' FW 7 Template:Flagicon Kevin Campbell FW 8 Template:Flagicon Ian Wright downward-facing red arrow 90' Substitutes: DF 22 Template:Flagicon David O'Leary upward-facing green arrow 90' FW 9 Template:Flagicon Alan Smith upward-facing green arrow 66' Manager: Template:Flagicon George Graham

File:Arsenal vs Sheffield Wednesday 1993-05-15.svg

GK 1 Template:Flagicon Chris Woods RB 2 Template:Flagicon Roland Nilsson CB 6 Template:Flagicon Viv Anderson (c) downward-facing red arrow 85' CB 9 Template:Flagicon Paul Warhurst LB 3 Template:Flagicon Nigel Worthington RM 8 Template:Flagicon Chris Waddle downward-facing red arrow 112' CM 4 Template:Flagicon Carlton Palmer CM 11 Template:Flagicon John Sheridan LM 15 Template:Flagicon John Harkes CF 5 Template:Flagicon David Hirst CF 10 Template:Flagicon Mark Bright Substitutes: MF 14 Template:Flagicon Chris Bart-Williams upward-facing green arrow 112' MF 17 Template:Flagicon Graham Hyde upward-facing green arrow 85' Manager: Template:Flagicon Trevor Francis

Match officials Assistant referees: Roy Pearson Brian Wigginton Fourth official: Roger Dilkes

Match rules 90 minutes 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary Replay if scores still level Two named substitutes Maximum of two substitutions

Replay

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File:Kit left arm.svg File:Kit body.svg File:Kit right arm.svg File:Kit shorts.svg File:Kit socks long.svg Sheffield Wednesday Template:Preview warningTemplate:Preview warningTemplate:Preview warning

GK 1 Template:Flagicon David Seaman RB 2 Template:Flagicon Lee Dixon CB 5 Template:Flagicon Andy Linighan CB 6 Template:Flagicon Tony Adams (c) LB 3 Template:Flagicon Nigel Winterburn CM 14 Template:Flagicon Paul Davis CM 17 Template:Flagicon John Jensen CM 10 Template:Flagicon Paul Merson RW 7 Template:Flagicon Kevin Campbell CF 8 Template:Flagicon Ian Wright downward-facing red arrow 81' LW 9 Template:Flagicon Alan Smith Substitutes: DF 22 Template:Flagicon David O'Leary upward-facing green arrow 81' MF 4 Template:Flagicon Ian Selley Manager: Template:Flagicon George Graham

File:Arsenal vs Sheffield Wednesday 1993-05-20.svg

GK 1 Template:Flagicon Chris Woods RB 2 Template:Flagicon Roland Nilsson downward-facing red arrow 118' CB 4 Template:Flagicon Carlton Palmer (c) CB 9 Template:Flagicon Paul Warhurst LB 3 Template:Flagicon Nigel Worthington RM 8 Template:Flagicon Chris Waddle CM 7 Template:Flagicon Danny Wilson downward-facing red arrow 62' CM 11 Template:Flagicon John Sheridan LM 15 Template:Flagicon John Harkes CF 5 Template:Flagicon David Hirst CF 10 Template:Flagicon Mark Bright Substitutes: MF 14 Template:Flagicon Chris Bart-Williams upward-facing green arrow 118' MF 17 Template:Flagicon Graham Hyde upward-facing green arrow 62' Manager: Template:Flagicon Trevor Francis

Match officials Assistant referees: Roy Pearson Brian Wigginton Fourth official: Roger Dilkes

Match rules 90 minutes 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary Penalty shoot-out if scores still level Two named substitutes Maximum of two substitutions

External links

• Line-ups