Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has hinted that it would have been very difficult to have held onto his post at the Emirates Stadium had it not been for the Gunners’ FA Cup victory in 2014.
By that point, the North London heavyweights were approaching nine years without any kind of silverware, but they ended their considerable drought for a trophy by defeating Hull City at Wembley.
The Tigers tore into a two-goal lead inside the first eight minutes thanks to goals from James Chester and Curtis Davies, but Arsenal fought back, halving the deficit through Santi Cazorla before Laurent Koscielny equalised in the 71st minute.
Aaron Ramsey scored an extra-time winner to bring the FA Cup back to North London for the first time since 2005.
Shortly afterwards, Wenger signed a new three-year contract, and, speaking to the Mirror ahead of the Gunners’ FA Cup bout against Hull on Saturday, the coach has hinted that his longer-term future at the club could had been very different had it not been for their comeback.
“Usually I respect my contracts and I fight for everything. I think as well to say to you that 17 years at a club depend on one cup final… so it’s better you don’t go to the final then. You don’t have that problem,” Wenger began.
“But it would have been a problem had we not won, because it would have been a massive disappointment for everybody.
“It would have been difficult. But we won,” he continued. “No disrespect to them, but the size of our opponent would have made it worse. If you go to a final against Man United, people think you can win or lose. If you go to a final against Hull, everybody expects you to win and the disappointment would have been bigger.
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“I never forget the decisive moments in the game – Kieran Gibbs cleared off the line at 2-0 down. You could say the same for Santi Cazorla to score the free-kick to make it 2-1.
“I’m committed to this club and I think I’ve shown that. One day I will show you all the proposals that I turned down to stay here.”