It’s 2005, and Arsene Wenger has just won his most recent in a catalogue of trophies for The Gunners, the FA Cup. After winning it for the fourth time, Wenger can’t truly have believed that the quest to repeat this feat would have taken such a long and unrelenting road. This year, as we open the competition against our staunchest of rivals, he has the chance to spark this love affair once more.

Wenger started his tenor at Arsenal by become champions of one of the world’s oldest tournaments in the world. The success he tasted seemed to ignite an unduly romance with the Cup, becoming champions three more times in the next seven years, and only once failing to reach at least the semi-final.

So why, for a team like Arsenal, who have a huge history in the competition, have we failed  to muster up a significant cup run in eight trophy-less years at the club?

Loss of respect and a change in priorities

Whilst The Gunners have experienced a successful season thus far, their recent plight in the Premier League has been echoed with their form in the FA Cup. With an association with the Cup as strong as Wengers’, this is difficult to understand.

Arsene is no liar, but has a history of frustrating many by saying one thing and appearing to do another. The FA Cup is an example of this. Year on year Wenger expresses his desire to win this tournament, and this year is no different;

“The FA Cup has a special meaning for everyone, it is a big competition and everybody wants to win it”. This year, as we meet our rivals, he seems to gunning for it even more, “In this case I consider this game a top level Premier League game, I have to treat it like that”, stated Wenger.

Within the last comment lies the problem, it suggests that when we have faced the likes of Bolton, Blackburn and Stoke in the Cup, we have not treated it with the desired attitude. Regularly we fielded weakened teams, arrogantly dismissing the chances of a giant-killing.

It could be a product of Arsenals lack of depth since the victory in 2005 that has halted our League progress also, as the Invincibles gradually faded away. Or maybe there is bigger fish to fry, more prestigious and more lucrative Champions League fish.

Wenger would argue he puts out a team that he feels is capable of winning that particular game. But the fact is the latter stages of the Champions League conflict heavily with that of the FA Cup. Even with slimmer chances of progressing further, it is obvious that the once hugely respected English tradition will succumb to the European superpower.

Since that victory against United in 2005, Wenger and his team have only managed to reach the semi-final on one occasion and failed to progress further than the fifth-round six times in that eight year period. We all yearn for Arsenal to reconnect with the FA Cup, and the team is ripe to re-ignite this flame against our not so noisy neighbours in North London.

A date with rivals

It is always a major contest between us and our main rivals, and it will no different this year, as we look to assert our League position on them in the Cup. With major players out injured for The Gunners, we may well be relying on the spirit of the Cup and a burning desire to beat Spurs to progress to the fourth round.

The spectacle may not conjure up a classic between the two teams, as The Gunners will be missing a plethora of talent, Giroud, Ozil, Ramsey and Gibbs, all bedrocks of our progress so far this season, all injured. The depth of our squad facing its toughest test yet.

It is Giroud’s presence that will be missed dearly, Podolski will have to improve, quickly. Our squad seems to be filled with midfield cover, and with Monreal proving on New Year’s day that he can be considered more than an adequate replacement for Gibbs, left-back will be less of an issue.

It will still be a tough game for Arsenal, yet we can take solace from our 1-0 victory at the Emirates in September. A resolute defensive performance is almost something we have come to rely upon, and with the reinvigoration of Adebayor likely to make it a tasty affair, it adds extra impetus to remain solid at the back.

Our last rendezvous with Spurs in the Cup came back in 2001, a semi-final in which we came from behind to win 2-1, Vieira and Pires wrapping up the victory, a magical Cup experience that we have failed to replicate since 2005. We have the chance this year to show our doubters we are capable, restoring Arsenal’s passion for the FA Cup in the process.

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