Time to open the memory bank and reminisce about the good times again.
Football is set to make its long-awaited return to our screens on Saturday when the Bundesliga gets up and running once more, but until then, we’re stuck with nothing to do but take a look back at some of the cup finals, historic moments and unforgettable drama which went down on 14 May.
Let’s take a look at what this day in history has to offer us.
1980 – 1st European Final Decided by Penalties
Arsenal faced Valencia in the Cup Winners’ Cup final on this day in 1980, and the two sides could not be separated in normal time. The game went to penalties, making it the first European final to be decided in such a manner.
Liam Brady and Graham Rix both missed their efforts, allowing Valencia to pick up a 5-4 shoot-out victory and lift the trophy.
1986 – George Graham Joins Arsenal
? #OnThisDay in 1986, George Graham was appointed as our manager
?? First Division – 1988/89 and 1990/91
?? League Cup – 1986/87 and 1992/93
? European Cup Winners’ Cup – 1993/94
? FA Cup – 1992/93 pic.twitter.com/JqRgZlAyAk— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 14, 2020
One of Arsenal’s greatest managers of all time, George Graham joined the Gunners with the vision of guiding the team to their first trophy since 1979.
By the time Graham left nine years later, he had won eight trophies, including two league titles and the 1993/94 Cup Winners’ Cup, and he was largely responsible for creating the foundations for Arsène Wenger’s side soon after. Mission accomplished.
1988 – Wimbledon Stop Liverpool’s Double
Wimbledon’s rise to prominence was one of the biggest stories of the 1980s. Having been a non-league side just 11 years earlier, Wimbledon rose all the way to the top flight and even managed to lift the FA Cup in 1988.
Up against league champions Liverpool, Wimbledon pulled off the impossible and snatched a 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Lawrie Sanchez and a penalty save from Dave Beasant – the first penalty save in an FA Cup final.
1994 – Manchester United 4-0 Chelsea
Manchester United won the first double in the club’s history by dismantling Chelsea 4-0 in the final of the FA Cup in 1994.
The Blues looked good but were powerless to stop United’s relentless dominance. Two Eric Cantona penalties (the second of which was controversial) gave the Red Devils an imposing lead in the second half, before strikes from Mark Hughes and Brian McClair sealed the trophy for United.
1995 – Blackburn Win Premier League Title
Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish returned to Anfield with a Blackburn Rovers side who were on the brink of winning the title. However, defeat against his former side would open the door for Manchester United.
Liverpool eventually picked up a 2-1 win and gave control of the race to United, but news soon filtered through that the Red Devils had only managed a 1-1 draw with West Ham. The title was Blackburn’s.
2000 – Bradford Pull off the Great Escape
Favourites for relegation on the final day of the 1999/00 Premier League season, Bradford City pulled off a stunning 1-0 win over Liverpool which saw them climb out of the relegation zone at the expense of Wimbledon.
It’s not like Liverpool weren’t trying. They needed a win to reach the Champions League and therefore sent out a strong team, but a 12th-minute goal from David Weatherall was too much for the Reds to overcome.
2002 – Wales 1-0 Germany
Wales’ meeting with Germany may have only been a friendly to prepare the Germans for their trip to that summer’s World Cup, but Wales put in one of their greatest performances of all time to pick up a stunning 1-0 win.
A debut goal from Robert Earnshaw led Wales to only their second victory over Germany, and Mark Hughes’ side were worthy winners. Earnshaw and Ryan Giggs terrorised their opponents throughout, but Germany bounced back and made it all the way to the World Cup final just a month later.
2003 – Juventus Dismantle Real Madrid
Defending European champions Real Madrid were torn apart by Juventus in the 2002/03 Champions League semi-final second leg, overturning a 2-1 loss from the first fixture to win 4-3 on aggregate.
David Trezeguet, Alessandro Del Piero and Pavel Nedvěd were all on target for Juventus, setting up an all-Italian final with AC Milan, but it was I Rossoneri who came out on top after a penalty shoot-out.
2006 – Juventus Seal Serie A Title (Errrm…)
Juventus lifted their 29th Serie A title on this day in 2006 after a 2-0 win over Reggina, only to be subsequently stripped of the title and relegated for their part in the infamous Calciopoli scandal.
Alongside Juventus, AC Milan were handed a 30-point deduction, meaning third-placed Inter were eventually handed the title.
2011 – Man City Finally Win a Trophy
After 35 years of collecting dust, Manchester City’s trophy cabinet finally had a new addition in 2011 following a 1-0 win over Stoke City in the FA Cup final.
City were dominant throughout but still had to wait 74 minutes for their breakthrough. Yaya Touré pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area to unleash probably the most powerful strike you’ve ever seen and steer City to long-awaited glory.
2011 – Manchester Win 19th League Title
Manchester United moved away from Liverpool in the record books as they won their 19th league title courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers.
It was an unconvincing performance from United, who needed a late Wayne Rooney penalty to snatch a point and guarantee they could no longer be caught at the top of the standings.
2015 – Dnipro Reach Europa League Final
Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk picked up a 1-0 win over Napoli in the Europa League semi-final to earn them a spot in the final of the competition. They eventually fell to Sevilla, but that’s not why this story is so intriguing.
Less than one year later, Dnipro were found guilty of Financial Fair Play violations, and after a few years of turmoil and relegation to the amateur leagues, the team was dissolved in 2019 – four years after being in a European final.
2016 – Pep Guardiola Manages Final Bundesliga Game
Bayern Munich picked up a 3-1 win over Hannover in Pep Guardiola’s final Bundesliga game, with the Spaniard leaving to join Manchester City at the end of the campaign.
It was also a historic day for Robert Lewandowski, whose early strike took his tally for the season to 30 goals and made him the first player in 39 years to manage such a figure.
2017 – Tottenham Say Goodbye to White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane’s final game saw Tottenham Hotspur host Manchester United, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side picked up a 2-1 win to give the stadium the goodbye it deserved.
Goals from Victor Wanyama and Harry Kane saw Spurs finish the season unbeaten at home, but what followed was what felt like an eternity of botched building work and uncertainty over the new stadium. But hey, Spurs made it to the ingeniously-named Tottenham Hotspur Stadium eventually.
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