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1998 FA Charity Shield

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1998 FA Charity Shield
The match programme cover.
Arsenal Manchester United
3 0
Date9 August 1998
VenueWembley Stadium, London
Man of the MatchMarc Overmars (Arsenal)[1]
RefereeGraham Poll (Hertfordshire)
Attendance67,342
WeatherClear
22 °C (72 °F)[2]
← 1997
1999 →

The 1998 FA Charity Shield was the 76th FA Charity Shield, an annual English football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. It was contested by Arsenal, who won a league and FA Cup double the previous season, and Manchester United, who finished runners-up in the league on 9 August 1998. Watched by a crowd of 67,342 at Wembley Stadium, the match was won by Arsenal, by three goals to nil.

This was Arsenal's 15th Charity Shield appearance and Manchester United's 18th. The match saw United captain Roy Keane start his first competitive game, since damaging his cruciate ligaments 11 months earlier and defender Jaap Stam making his competitive debut for the club. For Arsenal, striker Dennis Bergkamp partnered Nicolas Anelka in the first team, and recently acquired defender Nelson Vivas was named on the substitutes' bench.

Manchester United began the game the better of the two, but conceded 11 minutes before half time through Marc Overmars. Arsenal extended their lead in the second half – good play from Overmars and Anelka found Christopher Wreh to put the ball into an empty net at the second time of asking. In the 72nd minute, Arsenal scored a third goal, when Anelka evaded Stam in the penalty box to shoot past goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.

Arsenal's win marked the first time a southern club had won the Shield outright in 36 years. By contrast, it was Manchester United's first Shield defeat in seven matches. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger described the scoreline as "unexpected" and felt the result was a psychological boost for the coming season, whereas Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson admitted his team were beaten by the better side on the day.

Background

The FA Charity Shield was founded in 1908, initially contested between the top professional and amateur teams of each season. In 1921, it was played between the Football League champions and FA Cup winners for the first time; the formation of a new top-tier division, the Premier League in 1992, meant it displaced the Football League spot.[3] Wembley Stadium acted as the host of the Shield.[3]

Arsenal qualified for the 1998 FA Charity Shield as winners of the 1997–98 FA Premier League.[4] Although the team were 12 points behind league leaders Manchester United by the end of February 1998, a winning streak of nine matches ensured Arsenal won the title, culminating with a 4–0 win over Everton on 3 May 1998.[5] Arsenal beat Newcastle United 2–0 in the 1998 FA Cup Final to complete the domestic double.[6] Given they won both honours, the Charity Shield place went to league runners-up Manchester United.[4]

The last meeting between both teams was in the Premier League; a second-half goal scored by Marc Overmars gave Arsenal a 1–0 win at Old Trafford on 14 March 1998.[7][8] Arsenal were the only team in the league to have beaten United home and away in 1997–98, with the corresponding fixture, at home, ending 3–2 in their favour.[9] Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger acknowledged the Shield game was the "only opportunity to play our first-team men together against top-class opposition" before their league campaign commenced the following week.[10] Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was preoccupied with the club's UEFA Champions League two-legged tie against ŁKS Łódź, with the first game in midweek. He nevertheless relished the match, as it would get "players' sharpness up and provide plenty of benefit for the two important games to come in the next six days".[11]

Match

Team selection

Manchester United winger Jesper Blomqvist was ruled out of the match with an ankle injury, but Roy Keane was declared fit to start his first competitive match since damaging his ligaments against Leeds United in September 1997.[12][13] Defender Jaap Stam, who signed for United in May 1998 made his competitive debut for the club, partnering centre back Ronny Johnsen. For Arsenal, new signing Nelson Vivas began the match on the substitutes bench, in spite of being expected to make his full debut.[14] Dennis Bergkamp partnered Nicolas Anelka upfront.[15]

Summary

Manchester United began brightly in front of a crowd of 67,342, with their midfield coping well against Arsenal's pair Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit, who both took longer to get into the match, having partaked in France's successful World Cup campaign.[16] United fashioned their first chance through David Beckham, who throughout the match was subjected to "moronic booing" – many fans blamed him for England's elimination from the 1998 World Cup.[16][a] His crossfield pass met Ryan Giggs, who failed to control the ball, but clipped into Paul Scholes, whose attempt forced David Seaman to clear.[18] In spite of United's promising start, it was Arsenal who scored the opening goal. Vieira chipped the ball over the United defence, which met Bergkamp. The striker ran and backheeled the ball to Anelka, who then blocked Johnsen's attempt to clear. The ball broke to Overmars – from inside the penalty area, he flicked the ball first time past Schmeichel.[18] A shot by Keane from "25 yards" prompted a save from Seaman, three minutes before the break.[1]

Arsenal "regained control" in the second half, with right-sided players Lee Dixon and Ray Parlour threatening to score.[1] In the 57th minute, Arsenal increased their lead. From the left wing, Overmars used his pace to get the better of Gary Neville and passed the ball to Anelka, which drew in Stam. Anelka in turn transferred it to Wreh, whose shot was saved once by Schmeichel, but not on the rebound.[1] In spite of the setback, United continued to pressure Arsenal; defender Martin Keown nearly turned the ball into his own net from Giggs' corner that was flicked on by Johnsen.[1] Both clubs made mass substitutions in the final third of the game, notably Teddy Sheringham and Luís Boa Morte coming on for Andy Cole – who "hardly mustered a shot" and Petit respectively.[18] Sheringham wasted United's best chance to score before Arsenal scored a third – Parlour's pass found Anelka, who evaded Stam and shot left-footed past Schmeichel, at the goalkeeper's near post.[18]

Details

Arsenal3–0Manchester United
Overmars 34'
Wreh 57'
Anelka 72'
Attendance: 67,342
Arsenal
Manchester United
GK 1 England David Seaman
RB 2 England Lee Dixon Yellow card 81'
CB 6 England Tony Adams (c) downward-facing red arrow 80'
CB 14 England Martin Keown Yellow card 22'
LB 3 England Nigel Winterburn
RM 15 England Ray Parlour
CM 17 France Emmanuel Petit downward-facing red arrow 73'
CM 4 France Patrick Vieira downward-facing red arrow 84'
LM 11 Netherlands Marc Overmars downward-facing red arrow 67'
CF 9 France Nicolas Anelka
CF 10 Netherlands Dennis Bergkamp downward-facing red arrow 46'
Substitutes:
GK 13 Austria Alex Manninger
DF 5 England Steve Bould upward-facing green arrow 80'
DF 7 Argentina Nelson Vivas
MF 16 England Stephen Hughes upward-facing green arrow 67'
MF 18 France Gilles Grimandi upward-facing green arrow 84'
MF 21 Portugal Luís Boa Morte upward-facing green arrow 73'
FW 12 Liberia Christopher Wreh upward-facing green arrow 46'
Manager:
France Arsène Wenger
GK 1 Denmark Peter Schmeichel
RB 2 England Gary Neville Yellow card 3'
CB 5 Norway Ronny Johnsen
CB 6 Netherlands Jaap Stam
LB 3 Republic of Ireland Denis Irwin Yellow card 26'
RM 7 England David Beckham
CM 8 England Nicky Butt downward-facing red arrow 53'
CM 16 Republic of Ireland Roy Keane (c) downward-facing red arrow 76'
LM 11 Wales Ryan Giggs downward-facing red arrow 70'
CF 18 England Paul Scholes downward-facing red arrow 70'
CF 9 England Andy Cole downward-facing red arrow 70'
Substitutes:
GK 31 England Nick Culkin
DF 4 England David May
DF 12 England Phil Neville Yellow card 79' upward-facing green arrow 70'
DF 21 Norway Henning Berg upward-facing green arrow 76'
MF 25 Netherlands Jordi Cruyff upward-facing green arrow 70'
FW 10 England Teddy Sheringham upward-facing green arrow 70'
FW 20 Norway Ole Gunnar Solskjær upward-facing green arrow 53'
Manager:
Scotland Alex Ferguson

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • Penalty shootout if scores level.
  • Seven named substitutes.
  • Maximum of six substitutions.

Source: [1]

Statistics

Match statistics[15]
Arsenal Manchester United
Goals scored 3 0
Possession 55% 45%
Shots on target 7 2
Shots off target 1 3
Corner kicks 2 11
Offsides 3 5
Yellow cards 2 3
Red cards 0 0

Post-match

The result was the first time a southern club[b] had won the Shield outright since Tottenham Hotspur in 1962 and was Manchester United's first defeat in seven Shield matches.[1] Wenger described the scoreline as "unexpected"[21] and cited the first goal as "crucial" in the match, given the weather conditions.[22] He was content with how his international players, who had been in the World Cup "coped physically" and believed the result gave Arsenal a psychological boost for the Champions League campaign, as the club planned to stage their home matches at Wembley Stadium.[22] Bergkamp felt the result showed that Arsenal had what it takes to retain the Premier League title: "We've still got the same mentality and that will be the basis for this year's challenge. This is a good start. It is harder to retain the trophy."[22]

Ferguson admitted his team were been beaten by the better side and concurred with Wenger that the first goal was important.[18] He was pleased that captain Roy Keane "came through" the match after eleven months out of action and was confident his team would fare better in their next match, against ŁKS Łódź the following Wednesday.[23] Schmeichel felt the upcoming qualifier was more important than the Charity Shield game, which was "looked at as part of our pre-season build-up."[24] Ferguson anticipated another title challenge from Arsenal in the league: "I think you could make a strong case for four teams to challenge for the Premiership but I think Arsenal pose the biggest threat."[23]

Three days after the Charity Shield match, United beat ŁKS Łódź by two goals to nil and qualified for the Champions League group stages following a goalless match a fortnight later.[25][26] Both clubs later faced each other in the league, with Arsenal winning 3–0 at Highbury in September 1998, before a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford six months after.[27][28] They were also paired together in the FA Cup semi-final, which was settled in a replay following a goalless affair. Manchester United won in extra time – the winning goal scored by Giggs.[29] The two teams went into the final day of the 1998–99 FA Premier League with a chance of winning the title; United's 2–1 win against Tottenham meant they pipped Arsenal to first position by a point.[30] Whereas Arsenal failed to progress past the group stages of the Champions League, Manchester United eventually went on to win the competition, beating Bayern Munich in the final.[31][32] Ferguson's team therefore completed a treble of trophies in one season.[32]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Beckham was sent off for kicking Diego Simeone in the second round of the 1998 World Cup against Argentina. His dismissal led to considerable abuse from certain sections of the media and England fans. The player became a scapegoat for the national team's failure to progress, as in the match England were eliminated on penalties.[17]
  2. ^ One which is located in the southern counties of England. Initially these were amateur-based clubs, as professionalism in football was not readily accepted, compared with the north. In the 1893–94 season, Arsenal (under its former name Woolwich Arsenal) turned professional and became the first southern club admitted to the northern-oriented Football League. The following year saw the creation of the Southern Football League, which was comprised of amateur and professional teams. By the 1920–21 season, the top division of the Southern Football League was absorbed by the Football League, to create its third division.[19][20]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Moore, Glenn (10 August 1998). "Football: Arsenal show United little charity". The Independent. London. p. 24.
  2. ^ "History for London City, United Kingdom". Weather Underground. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  3. ^ a b "The FA Community Shield history". TheFA.com. The Football Association. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b "Arsenal soon back in the groove". Courier Mail. Queensland. 10 August 1998. p. 48.
  5. ^ Lacey, David (4 May 1998). "Gunners rest their case for the defence". The Guardian. London. p. A3.
  6. ^ "Arsenal at the double". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 16 May 1998. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  7. ^ "Arsenal v Manchester United head-to-head record". United Mad. Digital Sports Group. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Overmars keeps title race alive". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 14 March 1998. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  9. ^ "Manchester United – 1997–98". Statto Organisation. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  10. ^ Hart, Michael (7 August 1998). "Arsenal need spirit to cure the hangover". Evening Standard. London. p. 71.
  11. ^ Cass, Bob (10 August 1998). "Keane to succeed". The Mail on Sunday. London. p. 100.
  12. ^ Brodkin, Jon (7 August 1998). "Blomqvist out as Keane eyes return". The Guardian. London. p. B6.
  13. ^ Millar, Steve (12 August 1998). "Keane can't wait for the sparks to fly". The Mirror. London. p. 37.
  14. ^ Martin, Andrew (9 August 1998). "Football: Charity and faith is Vivas' hope". The Independent. London. p. B12.
  15. ^ a b Dillon, John (10 August 1998). "Wenger's hot shots have fun in the sun; Arsenal 3 Man Utd 0". The Mirror. London. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  16. ^ a b Lacey, David (10 August 1998). "Wenger's all-stars write an epitaph to United; FA Charity Shield Arsenal 3 Manchester United 0: Overmars sets Double winners on way to victory that promises more success". The Guardian. London. p. 21.
  17. ^ Hill, Dave (15 August 1998). "Beckham". The Independent. London. p. 10.
  18. ^ a b c d e Holt, Oliver (10 August 1998). "Arsenal warm to their second home". The Times. London. p. 32.
  19. ^ Tomlinson, Alan (2010). A Dictionary of Sports Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 196. ISBN 0-1992-1381-X.
  20. ^ Freeman, Nicholas (2011). 1895: Drama, Disaster and Disgrace in Late Victorian Britain. Edinburgh University Press. p. 43. ISBN 0-7486-4056-8.
  21. ^ Dorward, Philip (10 August 1998). "Charity Shield victory gives Arsenal important psychological edge over Old Trafford rivals". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. p. 21.
  22. ^ a b c Lipton, Martin (10 August 1998). "Fans will make it hell for Beckham". Daily Mail. London. p. 64-62.
  23. ^ a b "Arsene approves of that Wembley winning habit". Herald Express. Torquay. 10 August 1998. p. 32.
  24. ^ "Man U on new ground in early cup clash". Hobart Mercury. 12 August 1998. p. 25.
  25. ^ Pierson, Mark (14 August 1998). "Roving role is fine by Giggs". The Independent. London. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  26. ^ Hodgson, Guy (27 August 1998). "United poles apart from Lodz". The Independent. London. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  27. ^ Winter, Henry (21 September 1998). "Fergie shell-shocked by awesome Gunners". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  28. ^ Hodgson, Guy (18 February 1999). "United rescued by Cole". The Independent. London. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  29. ^ "Giggs magic sinks Gunners". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 14 April 1999. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  30. ^ "Glorious United crowned champions". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 17 May 1999. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  31. ^ Thorpe, Martin (25 November 1998). "Lens see off Arsenal's Euro hopes". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  32. ^ a b "United crowned kings of Europe". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 26 May 1999. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
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