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Ribbons, rosettes, pre-match tension!

13/14: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool - Lukas Podolski

Our run in this season's League Cup ended relatively early this time around and last year's Champions League winners dashed our hopes in that competition back in the knockout stages. Despite falling short in the end we have enjoyed a good league campaign and a European tour has been secured once again.

With every other Premier League club bar one now on their summer break, Saturday sees us walk down Wembley Way to be part of arguably the most famous and prestigious one-off club game in the world.

The build-up, the colour, the TV, the excitement and most of all, the nerves have well and truly kicked in!

Since my last thoughts were penned I joined a rather large party of Gooners for a 'last game of the season jolly' in Norwich. Always a great host city, the Canaries join two clubs in a relegated trio that made up some of the best away days of this season - and I don't just mean on the pitch! Time will tell if Leicester, Burnley and Derby or QPR serve up the same entertainment next season!

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With this Saturday's match very much at the forefront of every travelling Gooner's mind there was a 'party' atmosphere in Carrow Road's away end, matching the same feelings in and round the city centre the night before. All we needed was a couple of goals to complete the perfect weekend.

Rambo and Jenko duly obliged with the goals that, for differing reasons, can only be described as extremely enjoyable. The former's thumping volley was worth the entrance money alone and sharing the latter's joy in opening his goalscoring account as a true Gooner was a quite fantastic moment.

With our league campaign over for another season all our thoughts turn to Saturday.

Of the 10 FA Cup finals we have reached in my lifetime, I am old enough to remember eight of them extremely well. As I'm sure every Gooner worldwide can already see, cup final week is incredibly special.

The scramble for match tickets, the pre-match plans be they at the game, at the Emirates or your chosen venue, learning the words to 'Abide With Me', the purchase of colours and memorabilia, the constant media attention, the fact every Gooner struggles to think about anything else and the mindblowing PMT make up a heady few days.

The old adage is the sun always shines on cup final day and, although it rained so hard when we beat Southampton back in 2003 that the Millenium Stadium roof was shut, it looks like it could well be an accurate statement for this coming weekend.

A day full of colour, noise and sheer emotion, may I take this opportunity to wish every single Gooner all over the globe the very best of luck on their day.

For all of us, let's turn cup final day 'RED' and make it one to remember.

Come on you mighty mighty reds!

Frank
@stubbsy70

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