It was meant to be the crowning glory of Arsenal's back-to-back double season. Instead, Arsene Wenger's side arrive in Cardiff seeking to salvage FA Cup final success from the frustration of their title failure. Nothing will quite make up for the way in which Arsenal effectively threw away the Premiership in conceding two late goals at Bolton before losing at home to Leeds. Then again, it will only be if the Gunners have stopped feeling sorry for themselves and focus on the job in hand that they will overcome Southampton in tomorrow's final.
And the feeling is that they will. Not even defensive frailty, with injury worries over Martin Keown, Oleg Luzhny and Lauren, allied to the absences of Sol Campbell and Pascal Cygan, as well as Patrick Vieira, should undermine them. The Saints will be treating this game as seriously as they come. When your last final appearance was in 1976, it tends to matter just that little bit more. Indeed, this kind of opportunity may never came round again for the likes of Chris Marsden and, rest assured, that Gordon Strachan will have his team pumped up for the occasion.
Southampton do have a genuine chance but Arsenal's pride has been stung and their motivation in the Millennium Stadium could not be clearer - to prove they are not second-best once again. The Saints, as well as Sunderland, have already felt the full force of the Gunners' recent frustration, with 10 goals scored in the two league games since the title was lost. The tension has dissipated and the panache has returned. Goals have flowed again, with three hat-tricks in that time from Robert Pires, Jermaine Pennant and Freddie Ljungberg. They have even kept a clean sheet.
Wenger declared: "I know we will be favourites and they will be underdogs, but that's a situation we face every week and it's a responsibility we can take on. People all over the world support the underdogs. But it's still the team who play the best football on the day who will win the game and we know we can achieve that."
Remember too that, for a side who supposedly do not take the FA Cup seriously, Arsenal have an impressive record in the competition. After all, since Wenger took charge in 1996, they have won it twice, been runners-up, beaten semi-finalists and are now in the final again.
It is not as if Southampton have not been warned. After all, Strachan had a rather clear view of Arsenal's firepower less than a fortnight ago. But not even that 6-1 drubbing, albeit involving two weakened sides, was enough to dampen the Scot's huge enthusiasm or confidence. "Ten minutes from the end, I genuinely thought we could win the FA Cup," he insisted. "At least it's cleared my mind of any thoughts as to how you have to play against Arsenal. We won't do it by standing off and admiring Arsenal playing, so I'll pick the team with the biggest hearts, who want to run and close down to give us a chance."
He added: "There is little pressure on Southampton to lift the trophy. We were not expected to reach the final and have already clinched a place in the UEFA Cup. But we won't just relax and enjoy the occasion. No matter what managers say about the thrill of a cup final appearance, it isn't borne out by the expression on the faces of the man on the losing side."
Arsenal have, indeed, suffered when clubs have smothered their midfield and frustrated their attack, while picking out the chinks in their defence on the break. James Beattie certainly possesses the finishing prowess to punish Arsenal's under-strength defence, but then so too does Thierry Henry. So too, in fact, do Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and Sylvain Wiltord.
However enticing the prospect of an upset may seem, Arsenal simply seem have too many attacking options to overcome Southampton, just as long as their familiarity with Cardiff's Millennium Stadium does not breed contempt. Wenger concluded: "I don't think this season it will mean more to Southampton than us. They are already in Europe and they should thank us for that. In fact, they have a way to do it on Saturday!"
Wenger has a defensive injury conundrum to contend with, with Martin Keown having become the latest addition to his fitness problems. The Frenchman, who is already without Sol Campbell and Pascal Cygan, as well as Patrick Vieira and Francis Jeffers, will give Keown a test on a thigh problem this morning. He does need Keown to be fit as fellow defenders Oleg Luzhny and Lauren are also doubtful, with Kolo Toure and Igors Stepanovs therefore on standby. Wenger does have David Seaman and Ray Parlour available, while Sylvain Wiltord has recovered from a stomach virus, but Jermaine Pennant is cup-tied.
Strachan is set to recall first choice goalkeeper Antti Niemi. The Finnish international has recovered from a jarred knee and is ready to play, which means heartbreak for Welshman Paul Jones. Skipper Chris Marsden has also recovered from a knee injury and will realise his dream of playing in the showpiece match.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that today's clash will be the first played undercover after the English FA decided to pull the roof over the Millennium Stadium because of heavy rain in the Welsh capital.
Filed by James Boylan.
