Arsenal – Southampton

Join Soccernet for all the action as Arsenal and Southampton battle it out in the FA Cup Final. Kicking off at 15.00 UK time.

Good news for Arsenal as Martin Keown makes the team - no Luzhny/Stepanovs central defensive partnership for them though the Ukrainian starts.

As for Southampton, Gordon Strachan has a trick up his sleeve with the selection of Chris Baird - one senior appearance to his name - and the dropping of the out-of-form Fabrice Fernandes. Paul Telfer will man the wing in a more defensive role while Baird starts at right-back.

The domed head of Chris Marsden leads out the Saints while the pony-tailed head of David Seaman leads out the Gunners.

Guest-of-honour Bobby Robson meets the teams. He remembers where is, just about.

Referee Graham Barber gets the game underway. Saints take the kick-off. They play it back to Bridge who hits it long towards Beattie.

Headed away. Henry breaks, evading a shirt-pull from Lundekvam, and shoots.....but Niemi's legs come to the rescue. Nearly a goal within 30 seconds.

Beattie swings at a shot and fires over. Lundekvam meanwhile, must be counting himself lucky to still be on the pitch.

Marsden gets in a cross. Keown gets up to head away. Saints with the momentum.

Baird and Telfer double-team on Pires. That's the Strachan plan.

Henry looks a little shaken. Pires is stuck to again by Telfer.

Hacking foul by Anders Svensson. He comes off worst. Should be OK though.

Free-kick taken short. Svensson heads away.

Long kick for Ormerod he misses it. Arsenal's Gilberto plays the ball back to his defence.

Southampton fighting hard. But Henry goes clear, gets in a shot, which Niemi fumbles. Bergkamp gets it and drags a shot goalwards. Baird is there in the nick of time to clear.

Headed on to Marsden. A lack of pace shows there. Oakley takes a throw. Michael Svensson climbs highest to nod on goal. Seaman is equal.

Bergkamp in space. A thrilling pass to Henry, who cuts in and can only shoot at Niemi. Saints force a corner down the other end immediately.

Oakley takes. Ormerod gets there...only to nod behind when he couldn't adjust his angle.

Baird robs Pires and Lauren too is stopped - by a marauding Marsden.

Ormerod gets in a cross. Gilberto heads away under pressure from Beattie. Telfer gets a chance to shoot but drags his effort.

Beattie opens his legs...and runs on goal. Cole comes across to tackle.

A melee in the box. It bobbles to Michael Svensson but it's a defender's strike over the top.

Ormerod and Bridge combine to get a cross in. Keown gets it away.

Pires out to Lauren. His cross is nodded behind by Baird.

Corner from Henry....headed clear. Then the rebound finds Pires offside.

Beattie fouled. A chance to attack the 18-yard box for Saints. Oakley takes....but Lauren has to knock behind.

Arsenal get it clear but Baird gets a shot in....Seaman claims it with some trouble.

The youngster has been outstanding.

Henry is robbed and Beattie chases hard. But Lauren gets it away.

Beattie gets it in the net...but that's offside. Just.

Luznhy steps out to force the issue. Henry fails to find a red shirt. Saints get it clear.

Marsden gets a chance to cross. Arsenal clear but Svensson weaves and his shot is knocked behind.

It's cleared but Pires is stopped by Baird once more. Saints really up for this. Every manjack of them giving everything.

Keown looks to be limping. Stepanovs could be seen yet. Henry looked to be clear but offside given.

Bergkamp is fouled by Baird. Free-kick.

Lundekvam clears when Cole looked to be on a Pires ball.

Gilberto is fouled by Telfer. Through the back of him and that should have been a yellow card. It wasn't.

Ormerod is fouled by a silly Keown clatter. The apeman is booked. Free-kick too.

The ball came in from Oakley and Michael Svensson could have got to it. But unfairly said the ref.

Henry looks to be feeling his groin. That is, he's injured it, not manhandling himself.

Beattie is booked for a foul on Luzhny. Late tackle. 1-1 on yellows.

Beattie down the channel. But Arsenal get a Marsden cross away. Pires wins a foul.

Ljungberg clearly dives. He wins a free-kick. Silly decision.

Aimed for Gilberto but nodded away. Ormerod chases hard but Seaman shoots out of the goal and heads away.

Arsenal break up a neat Saints move. But Saints too are strong in defence. Keown clatters Beattie. Looks to be hurt, the Gunner.

Telfer and Baird stop Pires once more. Great stuff from them.

Bergkamp and Henry combine to force a shot from Ljungberg. The rebound comes to Pires. He pokes home and Niemi can't stop it. 1-0 to Arsenal.

That is unlucky on Southampton but that's the Arsenal way. Their movement tore apart the defence.

Henry gets away...and finds Pires, who smashes over. Arsenal looking to kill this off already.

Arsenal stepping this up. But Parlour is stopped by Marsden. All hands to the pump for Saints.

Parlour goes straight through Anders Svensson and is lucky not to be booked.

Beattie climbs highest to get the ball down for Marsden. Luzhny gets in the way.

Henry goes through. He finds Bergkamp. A shot across goal is cleared by Baird again. Parlour miskicks and the ball squirms back to Niemi. Saints under concerted pressure.

Baird stops Pires in his tracks. A series of throw-ins forced down the left.

Into added time and Arsenal want that goal to all but kill off the Saints.

But Southampton dominate possession. Though a Bridge ball finds Seaman.

Half-time is upon us. And Arsenal have shown their class in leading a game in which Southampton have certainly played a part.

A Northern Soul interlude from the tannoy system and we're back underway in Cardiff.

Arsenal take the restart. They play keep-ball. Marsden concedes a throw.

A woeful Seaman hack. Baird cuts in - Ormerod turns but Luzhny comes to the rescue. Beattie chases down the corner but the ball has gone behind.

Seaman is again woeful from a back-pass. He gets lucky again. Luzhny fouls Beattie. Free-kick.

Keown got it away when Michael Svensson threatened. Corner.

Seaman on safari and the ball gets clear with no thanks to him. Oakley's cross comes in for Beattie to glance in. Michael Svensson needed to think quicker.

Arsenal threaten now. Bergkamp cuts in but Lundekvam gets it away. The ball is knocked clear.

Lundekvam gingerly limps off with the physio. Could be a blow for Saints.

Bergkamp cuts inside, bends a right-footed shot. Niemi palms away and Ljungberg smashes it....into the sidenetting which billows to cheers from the Arsenal fans. No goal though.

Saints push hard. Marsden flicks a header to Beattie but he's too far out to beat Seaman.

Luzhny again fouls Beattie. Saints get numbers forward for a free-kick. Aimed for Beattie but Cole nods behind.

Telfer gets to it when Seaman came to punch and missed. It went over but the smiling cavalier is not having the best start to this second half.

Henry on the burst. He cuts in to shoot on his right foot. Niemi palms behind. Corner.

Pires takes. A melee and Telfer hacks away.

Bridge crazily back-heels away when Pires came into the box. Pires gets it back and Ljungberg gets a shot blocked.

Beattie gets on top of a Baird ball but no-one's there to win the knock-down. He needs support.

Pires booked for a foul on Telfer.

Bridge wins a free-kick when he dives.

Keown gets on the end of a long ball. Telfer smashes in a deep cross. Ormerod loops a header and Seaman claims under little pressure.

Again the ball is pumped in and Luzhny does well to head away. Ljungberg gets away but then fouls Lundekvam in the process.

Niemi has gone down. He looks hurt badly. He did it taking the goal-kick. Calf or achilles? Unsure so far but Paul Jones will come on for him - that's a definite.

The Welshman takes his place in Cardiff - he's played here before so it should hold few fears.

Marsden gets in a scuffed cross. Henry breaks into the area after beating three and then performs a pike to twist with a tarif of 3.4. He's booked.

Ormerod gets a chance on the edge of the area but drags his shot over. Parlour had earlier attempted to foul Marsden but comes off worst.

He'll be OK, will Charlie Dimmock's male twin. (Check it on Google Images overseas readers).

Arsenal spread the play and Marsden goes back to rob Lauren.

The game has become rather bitty in the terms of several niggles and injuries. Ormerod's offside is a case in point.

Henry on the run finds Cole. Lundekvam gets the ball behind for a corner.

Henry's corner punched clear by Jones. Seaman takes another hilarious goal-kick. Marsden's flick finds Bridge. Throw is forced.

Anders Svensson is subbed. Jo Tessem will replace him.

Ball from Telfer comes off Marsden to Tessem to shoot. Cole gets in the way. Nearly a super sub, the Norwegian.

Marsden takes away Pires' legs and is rightly booked.

Beavis Bergkamp, who's quietened down after an influential first half, is replaced by Sylvain Wiltord.

Parlour wins a free-kick. Keown the intended target for a Henry take. But Jones takes it at the second attempt.

Cole stops Telfer when the ball had seemed to go over him. Good play from him.

Southampton over-deliberate and Arsenal get the ball away. Strachan incensed on the bench.

Arsenal on the attack. Cole gives it to Heney and Lundekvam's lean stops Henry getting in a shot.

Keown nearly lost out to Ormerod but he gets it away. Long throw. Nodded back to Baird but he finds Row Z with a speculative effort.

Luzhny gets it away when Ormerod chases. The Ukrainian has had his best game for the Gunners.

Flick from Tessem finds Ormerod, who swivels and shoots. Fantastic save from Seaman who gets it away when it looked to have beaten him. Who says he's too old? I do usually.

Michael Svensson stops a Ljungberg burst in its tracks.

Parlour is fouled by Tessem. Respite for Arsenal. Fabrice Fernandes will come on for Chris Baird, who's had a great game.

Wiltord gets down the right but Jones gets to it. Luzhny wins a throw down the other end.

Arsenal keep on winning those pumped balls. Fernandes meanwhile is lazy when he had a chance to attack.

Henry gets the ball, cuts out right and gets a shot in. Lundekvam's deflection makes Jones work and he pulls off a fantastic save.

Arsenal want to keep it in the corner. Southampton can't get near the ball. Oles ring out.

Nearly a full minute of Arsenal possession. Then Henry's dive wins the ball back - frustrating for Southampton.

Cole forces a series of Arsenal throws and takes his time. Wiltord takes a tumble and Arsenal have it back. Saints just can't get the ball.

Arsenal take an age over this. And win a free-kick again. They are wasting time by keeping the ball. Total and utter frustration for Saints and neutrals.

But now they force a corner. Ormerod up there. So is Jones. Beattie gets a header in and Cole seemed to handle it.

Seaman completely misses the ball and Arsenal, with real trouble, get the ball clear. Late drama but the ref has thw whistle in his lips.

That's it. Arsenal have their piece of silver, Southampton ran out of gas after a great effort.

Southampton kept going until the end but Arsenal had the class to win it and they deserved the win. David Seaman will lift the trophy in those 'safe hands' of his.

A season of disappointment ends in happiness for the Gunners. No Treble or Double but the FA Cup will have to do. And their players are delighted.