Arsenal 3-2 Hull: Gunners finally end trophy drought with FA Cup glory

Arsenal’s long wait for a trophy is finally over as the Gunners came from behind to beat Hull in extra-time to lift the FA Cup.

It was a classic underdog performance from the plucky Tigers, who opened up a 2-0 lead inside ten minutes in a packed Wembley Stadium.

But the north London outfit’s superior endurance paid dividends as Arsene Wenger’s men struck twice to force extra-time, with Aaron Ramsey netting the winner with ten minutes remaining to end the club’s nine-year drought.

Steve Bruce’s side were given little chance ahead of the tie, but they stunned the favourites when James Chester and Curtis Davies both fired in to put the Tigers two-up after just eight minutes.

Centre-back Chester, who was named in the starting XI despite nursing a hamstring injury, opened the scoring with a clever flick, beating the wrong-footed Lukasz Fabianski at the far post after Tom Huddlestone’s scuffed shot looked to be dribbling wide.

Wenger shook his head in disbelief as the black and amber half erupted and the Frenchman was livid when Davies doubled Hull’s lead, the defender hammering in the loose ball after Fabianski could only parry Alex Bruce’s rising header against the post.

And they could have had three if it weren’t for Kieran Gibbs, the England full-back coming to the rescue with a goal-line clearance as Hull continued to cause all sorts of problems from set pieces.

At the other end, meanwhile, their typically English defending certainly ruffled lone frontman Olivier Giroud’s feathers, as the Frenchman became increasingly frustrated after finding himself continuously outmuscled in the box.

But the Tigers struggled to maintain their confident start as Arsenal began to dominate possession, and Santi Cazorla soon pulled one back for the Gunners when his brilliant arched free kick sailed past stretching Hull stopper Allan McGregor.

Play petered out somewhat as the game approached half-time and the tepid tempo continued after the break, with Hull beginning to sit back to defend their slim lead.

But Arsenal, despite failing to thrill the Gunners faithful with an unconvincing performance, were just too persistent and they finally equalised when Laurent Koscielny scrappily turned in from close-range in the 71st minute.

The Gunners had plenty of chances to win the game in the closing stages of normal time but failed to find the mark, with Gibbs blasting over from ten yards and McGregor doing well to palm away a well-hit volley from Giroud.

Hull managed to weather the storm to force extra-time but Wenger’s men continued to dominate, with Giroud going close again when his free header clattered the bar from Ramsey’s perfect delivery.

Players from both sides were clearly beginning to tire as the game apprached penalties, and the introduction of Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky proved to be the catalyst in Arsenal's final push.

Moments after the midfield duo’s introduction the Gunners finally netted the winner, Giroud’s clever backheel freeing Ramsey in the box, with the Welsh star calmly firing into the bottom corner to end the club’s wait for silverware.

The result was tough on Steve Bruce’s brave side, who were obviously kicking themselves for allowing their lead to slip, though a place in next season’s Europa League will be a welcome consolation.