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Latest
News:
Jens Lehmann helped Arsenal
salvage their season in a 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory against Manchester
United after a thrilling FA Cup final finished goalless after extra time.
With the Germany international, who was dropped from the side when Arsenal
faced Manchester United in February, saving from Paul Scholes, captain
Patrick Vieira was left to inflict the final blow.
It was, in truth, a complete travesty. A sporting robbery of the highest
order, with only Lehmann's brilliance and a goal-line clearance from Freddie
Ljungberg having kept Arsenal in the game at all. However, few could
begrudge Lehmann his moment in the spotlight, having remained defiant even
after paying the price for his early season errors. His Arsenal future
may remain in doubt, but his diving save to deny Scholes was the defining
moment of a game which the Gunners finished with 10 men after Jose Antonio
Reyes' late dismissal.
The man of the match was nevertheless undeniably Wayne Rooney, who had
sparkled throughout and could hardly believe that so many chances went
astray or that Lehmann was so inspired. In contrast, Roy Carroll did
not have a single save to make in the first 90 minutes, but Arsenal's
survival instincts are well honed. It was just as well.
For rather than kicking Arsenal off the pitch, as Wenger had feared, United
had played them off it instead. Just without inflicting the blow which
really mattered. Sir Alex Ferguson's side were distraught.
Unsurprisingly so, given that the FA Cup can rarely have been so important
to these two clubs amid Chelsea's pre-eminence this season.
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©
Copyright - Richard Baker
Last Modified - May 21, 2005
richardbaker@optushome.com.au
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