Arsenal beat unlucky United to win FA Cup final

Arsenal won the FA Cup final 5-4 on penalities Saturday when they rode their luck to survive ferocious attacks by Manchester United.

Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira coolly converted the final spot-kick in front of the United fans after his team mate Jens Lehmann had saved a Paul Scholes penalty.

But the Gunners, who finished the match with 10 men after Jose Antonio Reyes was sent off in extra time, were not the deserved victors of a game in which their arch-rivals made all the best chances and enjoyed no luck.

Inspired by teenage forward Wayne Rooney and winger Cristiano Ronaldo, United dominated throughout and Arsenal failed to create a single clearcut scoring chance.

"I think in the second half Manchester United played very well, and we had to drop deep and keep it tight. As long as nobody scored we were okay," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

"I'm very proud, we had to dig deep today, and we were a bit lucky, it's hard for the team that loses like that because it was a very intense game."

Arsenal's victory completed a disappointing season for United, for whom the build-up was overshadowed by the takeover of the clubby American businessman Malcolm Glazer last week.

United manager Alex Ferguson, whose side finished third in the Premier League behind Chelsea and Arsenal, blamed his players' wayward finishing.

"We are disappointed, we've missed chances all season, our goalscoring has let us down and we've only got ourselves to blame in a way," he said.

United had a Rio Ferdinand effort disallowed in the first half,Rooney hit the post and Ruud van Nistelrooy was denied by the crossbar in the dying minutes.

Ferguson's side also had two penalty appeals waved away in extra time, which ended moments after Arsenal's Spanish forward Reyes became the second player to be sent off in an FA Cup final.

Source: Xinhua