On this day in 2012, Sunderland got through to the quarter finals of the FA Cup for the first time in eight years. We beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Stadium of Light through a goal by Kieran Richardson and an own goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Sunderland had started their FA Cup campaign in the 2011-12 season away to Peterborough United, with the Wearsiders coming back up north in the hat for the fourth round courtesy of second half goals from Seb Larsson and James McClean.
Middlesbrough at home was the next match. The away team took the lead early on but Fraizer Campbell rescued a replay an hour into the game on his return from an injury that had kept him out of action for a year and a half. The replay (back when they still bothered with them) went the other way around, with Sunderland as the away team taking the lead before Middlesbrough as the hosts equalised. In extra time, Stephane Sessegnon snatched it for us to book us a spot in the fifth round. It was our first win at the Riverside in seven years and would remain our last win on Boro’s soil for 13 years.
We drew Arsenal at home, the Gunners had beaten Leeds United and Aston Villa narrowly at home to get to the fifth round. Having just lost 4-0 to AC Milan at the San Siro in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, sitting fourth in the Premier League quite a few points behind the two Manchester clubs and being no longer in the League Cup, the FA Cup remained Arsene Wenger’s sides’ last realistic chance of a trophy in their 125th anniversary season.
Martin O’Neill’s men would be out for revenge though, just one week prior to this match a second half stoppage time winner for Arsenal had led to defeat for Sunderland in front of home support and they’d be keen to avoid losing to the same team again. This was also exemplified by the fact another late Arsenal goal caused a loss at the Emirates earlier in the campaign.
We went into the game with this lineup:
Simon Mignolet
Phil Bardsley
Kieran Richardson
Lee Cattermole
John O’Shea
Michael Turner
Sebastian Larsson
Jack Colback
Stephane Sessegnon
Craig Gardner
James McClean
Plus a bench of:
Keiren Westwood, Wayne Bridge, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, David Meyler, Ahmed Elmohamady, Dong-Won Ji and Frazier Campbell
Arsenal made five changes from their game in Italy three days before but amongst their starting XI was their future manager, Mikel Arteta.
The Londoners started off the stronger of the teams, Arteta struck a free kick wide, Mignolet made a good save to deny Gervinho and Van Persie had a penalty shout denied by the referee.
Richardson gave us the lead five minutes before the interval however. Gardner won a free kick on the right side of the pitch, Larsson crossed into the box and it was headed away. Richardson got onto the ball in the far left corner of the area and fired brilliantly into the bottom right corner, although it did take a deflection.
To end the first half, McClean couldn’t quite convert a Larsson cross that Colback had laid off at the post for him. And it was 1-0 to us at the break.
After the restart, Larsson was involved in goalmouth action again, just missing a free kick over the bar and then we had a claim of a penalty ignored as well. Thomas Vermalen appeared to handle the ball inside of the box to prevent a cross getting into the danger area.
Our second was a touch unfortunate for the away team. We stole the ball whilst Arsenal were on the attack and this allowed Sessegnon to break free, he tried to roll it to Gardner once he reached the box but it just drifted past him as he ran past the ball. Larsson was there though and he put a gentle low ball across the face of goal and it missed our players but seemed to stick to Oxlade-Chamberlain and he couldn’t clear the ball in time to avoid it going over the line.
With twelve minutes remaining on the clock following the advantage being doubled, there wasn’t enough time for Arsenal to mount a response and we went through to the quarter finals to face Everton.
Everton would unfortunately beat us in a replay on Wearside and this remains the last time we have beaten Arsenal.
