Aaron Ramsey recalls Wembley rollercoaster against Hull
It was Ramsey’s strike deep into extra-time on a baking May afternoon which sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory over Hull, the Arsenal players swamping the midfielder in a release of emotion as the club ended a near decade wait for silverware in what was a standout campaign for the Wales international.
Having left the Wembley pitch in tears after playing for Cardiff in their 2008 FA Cup final defeat against Portsmouth, Ramsey fulfilled a boyhood dream when winning the trophy with Arsenal, an achievement which took some time to sink in.
“The winner was just an amazing feeling, and with my celebration, I didn’t really know what to do, I was knackered,” he recalled.
“I was just running about and it all caught up on me then, so I needed a couple of seconds just to get my breath back and realise just what I had just actually done.
“It was definitely overwhelming.”
Just as they did in last season’s semi-final against Wigan — when Arsenal came through on penalties after trailing until the closing minutes — Arsene Wenger’s side head into this evening’s match against the Sky Bet Championship side as overwhelming favourites.
Ramsey said: “It is a different sort of pressure, but it is a pressure we have been up against many times in the competition over the years when we have played lesser teams.”
Ramsey has endured an “emotional rollercoaster of late”.
“I have had a bit of a tough few weeks with my gran passing. She meant an awful lot to me, we had a great relationship and I dedicated my last couple of goals to her, so I have been on an emotional rollercoaster of late,” said Ramsey. “She always believed in me and gave me reassurance and it has been a difficult time.”
Meanwhile defender Per Mertesacker believes Arsenal have become a stronger unit from their FA Cup success of last season, but cannot allow themselves any sense of complacency.
The Gunners head into the tie on the back of a superb run of form, which has seen them win 16 from 18 matches in all competitions and up into second place in the Barclays Premier League.
The atmosphere around the club is certainly a world way from the tense finale to the 2013/2014 campaign, when Arsenal were under extreme pressure in the quest to finally end a near decade wait for silverware as well as finish in the top four of the Premier League once again, not to mention the uncertainty around the future of Wenger.
Those ambitions were within eight minutes of being shattered when trailing 1-0 to Wigan in their semi-final 12 months ago, before Mertesacker made amends for giving away an earlier penalty when heading home a late equaliser to force extra-time and a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out victory that in turn set up a final against Hull, which itself proved just as dramatic as Arsenal came from 2-0 down to lift the trophy.
“It is a good warning to all of us. You need to be focused 100% Reading, so it is going to be a tough one for us,” said the German, who will again lead the team out at Wembley with captain Mikel Arteta not fit.
“We suffered a bit last season on that occasion with that pressure, but it was a great experience and hopefully we can manage that a bit better.
“We are on a good level of confidence, but there will be pressure on us because we are super favourites and can we handle that during the game?”
Mertesacker added: “It is going to be Reading’s biggest game of the season, so to mentally prepare for that is going to be difficult, not just to match their physicality and mental strength, but to do more, to be on the ball from the start, to show them respect but no fear.”
Jack Wilshere could be another in contention this weekend, having recovered from minor ankle surgery.
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