Keown: Now is the time for Gunners to bring FA Cup home

Wednesday 14 May 2014
Keown won The FA Cup three times with Arsenal

Arsenal must bring a trophy back to the Emirates before it can be considered a true home, according to former defender Martin Keown.

The Gunners moved to their new home in 2006 - but have not won a trophy since lifting The FA Cup in 2005 - and Keown says it is high-time Arsene Wenger's men ended the unwelcome record.

"Getting some silverware back to the Emirates would be such a significant moment," said the 47-year-old.

"That stadium hasn't yet had the chance to share the club’s glory - and for it to be a proper home it needs to have a trophy paraded around it."

Arsenal v Hull City

FA Cup with Budweiser 

Final 

5pm, Saturday 17 May 

Wembley Stadium connected by EE 

Live on ITV and BT Sport

Keown won seven major trophies - including three FA Cups - during his 13 years at the club and said that if Arsenal are going to win another they will have to improve on the display shown in their previous Wembley outing.

"I just hope the players perform better than they did in the Semi-Final," he added. 

"They seemed frightened, they seemed nervous and they really weren't themselves. 

"That was just a difficult time for club, but now they’re in the Final they can commit to it."

Arsenal go in to Saturday's Final as favourites to beat Hull City and lift the famous trophy for a record-equalling 11th time.

However, they were faced with a similar situation before the League Cup Final against Birmingham City in 2011 and fell to a late Obafemi Martins goal.

Keown was part of one of the most successful teams in the club's history

Keown says complacency will not be an issue on Saturday and that the Gunners will have learned their lessons from the Wigan encounter, rather than the events of three years ago.

"They’ll look at their previous performance in The FA Cup and realise that against Wigan they nearly went out," he added. 

"They were nine minutes away from going out. It could have been the end of an era. It now looks as though Arsene Wenger’s future looks assured. 

"However, it will be very difficult to recover from this if they don’t win – but you can’t worry about that. 

"There’s an equal pressure between both teams though, Hull want it as well. You’ve got to go in loving it and you can’t fear your opponent.

"I think now that [Aaron] Ramsey is back and [Mesut] Ozil is available – and [Jack] Wilshere as well – they’ve got the necessary players to carry out the blueprint of what the manager wants to play football."

The FA Cup Final is live on ITV1 from 3pm and BT Sport 1 from 4.15pm. Kick-off is at 5pm.

By Jamie Reid Senior Writer