Arsenal dump Spurs out of Cup

Arsenal clinched a place in the FA Cup final and retained the north London boasting rights over neighbours Tottenham after Robert…

Arsenal clinched a place in the FA Cup final and retained the north London boasting rights over neighbours Tottenham after Robert Pires scored the winning goal at Old Trafford.

Gary Doherty had given Spurs a surprise early lead but Arsenal dominated the match practically from start to finish and Patrick Vieira's header soon put them level, setting the stage for Pires's tap-in 17 minutes from the end.

But the Gunners, who beat their local rivals in the Premiership last weekend, should never have had to rely on such a slim margin of success.

Pires, Sylvain Wiltord, Ray Parlour and Thierry Henry missed golden scoring chances before the French winger struck to send Arsene Wenger's men into the final at the Millennium Stadium on May 12th. PA Sport

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter