Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham
FA Cup semi-final, April 4, 1993
Having already booked their place in the League Cup final, Arsenal were aiming to make it a Wembley double by clinching a spot in the FA Cup final as well. Standing in their way… arch enemies Tottenham.
Tony Adams (79)
FA Cup semi-final,
April 4, 1993
Wembley,
Referee: Philip Don, Middlesex,
Att: 76, 263
The two sides had met at the same stage of the competition two years previously, with Spurs taking the north London bragging rights – and clinching a Wembley return – thanks to a Paul Gascoigne-inspired supershow.
By this stage, of course, Gazza had departed for Lazio in Italy and the Gunners had their sights set on revenge. And no-one was more determined to make up for that 1991 defeat than Mr Arsenal himself, Tony Adams.
And so it was that the England defender dominated the game at both ends of the pitch, repelling everything the Spurs forwards could through at him before powering forward in the 79th minute to head home the only goal of the game.
Key Figures
Tony Adams
The Arsenal legend led from the front in typical style as the Gunners emerged victorious. Just five days earlier he had been England's hero in a battling victory in Turkey that kept the Three Lions on course for the 1994 World Cup finals, and he carried that forward to Wembley with a real captain's performance.
Lee Dixon
The England right-back played his part in a typically solid rearguard performance from the Gunners, but his day was soured by his 85th minute red card for a second bookable offence. Having already received a first half yellow card for a foul on Nayim, he picked up a second caution five minutes from time for bringing down Justin Edinburgh. The subsequent red card ruled him out of the Coca-Cola Cup final.
Philip Don
The man in charge of a controversial and niggly affair managed to upset both teams with some of his decisions. Spurs were furious that he rejected their penalty claims when Darren Anderton was felled by Andy Linighan in the first half, and Arsenal were less than happy with Dixon's dismissal. On a busy afternoon for the Middlesex official, he booked five players (three from Spurs and two from Arsenal) and sent off one.
Did You Know...?
By winning both the FA and League Cups, Arsenal became the first side in history to claim both trophies in the same season.
Adams scored only two goals in the entire 1992-93 season, both in the FA Cup. His first had come just a month previously when he netted Arsenal's first in their 4-2 quarter-final win over Ipswich at Portman Road.
The FA Cup final replay was watched by a crowd of just 62,267 - the lowest attendance for a Wembley FA Cup final.
What Happened Next
Arsenal went on to win both the FA and Coca-Cola Cups, on each occasion beating Sheffield Wednesday in the final, albeit after a replay in the case of the FA Cup. As for Spurs, they finished the season empty-handed but did have the consolation, if it could be called such, of finishing above the Gunners in the inaugural Premier League, although their respective positions of eighth and tenth were nothing to shout about for either club.
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