Arsenal and Hull City are just 90 minutes away from claiming the last piece of domestic silverware on offer this season as they go head-to-head in the 2014 FA Cup Final, live on ITV and BT Sport.
More than 700 clubs from across England and Wales set off on the route to Wembley nine months ago and now just two sides remain in the fight to lift football’s most famous trophy at Wembley Stadium on May 17.
With the league season now completed, barring the Football League play-offs, the showpiece Wembley final has been restored to its rightful place as the climax to the domestic campaign, with only the Champions League final to follow before the World Cup kicks off on June 12.
Arsene Wenger’s side will be hoping to win their first trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2005, having reached the final by beating Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Everton before winning a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out against Wigan in the semi-final.
In contrast, Hull City have reached the final for the first time in their history by beating just one Premier League side in Sunderland, and will have to produce one of their best performances of the season if they are to lift the famous trophy.
Steve Bruce’s team will be competing for their first major trophy after beating Sheffield United 5-3 at Wembley in a thrilling semi-final in April.
It’s the furthest the club has got in the competition since a semi-final knockout by Arsenal in 1930, and coincidentally the Gunners’ Champions League qualification means the Tigers already have a place in next season’s Europa League, whether they win the cup or not.
Hull are playing in the final for the first time – by contrast Arsenal are making a record-equalling 18th appearance in English football’s showpiece occasion, winning ten times.
Arsene Wenger’s team are the overwhelming favourites to win the 2014 FA Cup and end a nine-year wait for a trophy.
The last trophy of any kind that Arsenal won was the FA Cup back in 2005, which was Patrick Vieira’s last game for the club.
The Gunners will start as favourites, but manager Arsene Wenger will certainly not underestimate the opposition managed by the canny Steve Bruce, even though they beat them 3-0 in a recent Premier League encounter.
Arsenal started the season in fine style with their most expensive signing, German playmaker Mezut Ozil, making an immediate impact and Welsh star Aaron Ramsey in the form of his life.
They were top of the Premier League until Christmas, but injuries to Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott affected their form
and by April they were fighting for fourth place again.
Hull City may lack FA Cup pedigree, but manager Steve Bruce has plenty himself, having played in three finals for Manchester United.
Bruce will be hoping that his side can repeat the heroics of Wigan Athletic a year ago when the underdogs beat Manchester City in a famous final upset.
Hull City owner Assem Allam has put plenty of money into the club, who were a fixture in the lower leagues for most of the 20th
century and only gained promotion to the Premier League in 2008.
Most of the team are journeymen compared to Arsenal’s line-up, but they include in their ranks Croatian striker Nikica Jelavic
and England international midfielder Tom Huddlestone, who can be brilliant on his day.
Despite having its critics and detractors in recent years, FA Cup Final day is always special for the thousands of fans in attendance at Wembley and many millions more watching on TV across the country and around the world.
Can the underdogs, like Wigan last season, spoil Arsene Wenger’s dream of winning a trophy after a nine-year wait?
SOTB’s guide to the 2014 FA Cup Final on ITV and BT Sport below:
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ITV Sport will screen live free-to-air coverage of the 133rd FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Hull City on May 17.
The 2014 final marks the end of ITV’s current six-year association with the competition as the terrestrial rights pass back to the BBC from next season until 2018.
Adrian Chiles introduces ITV’s live coverage from Wembley Stadium which features the usual extensive two-hour build-up ahead of the 5.00pm kick-off for English football’s showpiece occasion.
ITV’s countdown to kick-off begins at 3.00pm and the build-up will feature the usual array of special features and interviews with the key names and personalities involved in the afternoon’s contest from both camps.
Chiles will be joined in the Wembley studio by former FA Cup winners and regular ITV pundits Roy Keane and Lee Dixon, who will provide their thoughts on where this year’s final will be won and lost, as well as former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood.
After all the pre-match ceremonials, match commentary will be led by Clive Tyldesley, who calls his ninth FA Cup Final for the network, with Andy Townsend alongside him.
Gabriel Clarke and Ned Boulting will be ITV’s roving reporters around the ground as they get all the latest news and live interviews from players and managers.
There will also be extensive post-match analysis and coverage of all the celebrations as the winning team celebrates their triumph.
Further reaction and analysis will feature in a one-hour highlights show on ITV, presented by Matt Smith, at 11.00pm.
ITV Sport’s FA Cup final coverage will also be broadcast in high-definition on ITV HD and streamed online via itv.com/football.
Further news, match updates, reports and video clips from can be found online via the ITV football website and on Twitter via @itvfootball.
Scottish viewers will also be able to watch live coverage of the FA Cup final for the first time on network TV since 2008 as STV will be simulcasting ITV’s live coverage.
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Saturday 17th May
FA Cup Final 2014: Arsenal v Hull City Kick-off: 17:00
LIVE: 3.00pm-7.30pm ITV Highlights: 11.00pm-12.00am ITV.
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BT Sport covers its first ever FA Cup final in 2014 and the channel will have full coverage of the 133rd staging of the showpiece encounter from Wembley.
Jake Humphrey will anchor BT Sport’s live programming from pitchside at Wembley Stadium during the day, which will be split into two parts – a one-hour build-up show at 12noon, followed by the match itself from 4.15pm.
BT Sport’s coverage begins at 9.30am with a special edition of the BT Sports Panel, presented by James Richardson and Graeme Swann, who start the final warm-up with guests including former Arsenal player Nigel Winterburn, England international Toni Duggan and Sale Sharks star Danny Cipriani.
The build-up show will set the scene ahead of the evening’s showpiece match with special interviews and features involving key figures from the Arsenal and Hull City camps.
There will also be the chance to see BT Sport’s young FA Cup presenter winner Joseph Hadfield in action as he presents an interview alongside Humphrey, which will be shown during the build-up.
Humphrey will be alongside regular pundits Steve McManaman and David James, both of whom are former FA Cup winners, as well as a range of special guests at the stadium on the day, including Rio Ferdinand, Ian Wright, Jimmy Bullard and David Ginola.
Following live coverage of the Aviva Premiership rugby semi-final, the BT Sport team will be back at 4.15pm with all the live build-up and full match coverage from 5.00pm.
Commentary duties will be led by Ian Darke alongside Michael Owen and Neil Warnock, while Ray Stubbs, Darrell Currie and Lindsay Hipgrave conduct interviews with the key personnel involved.
BT Sport is currently covering its first season of live FA Cup football and this year’s Wembley showpiece is the first time that the broadcaster has covered FA Cup final day.
The broadcaster will screen live matches the famous cup competition for at least the next four seasons after signing a shared deal with the BBC covering 2014 to 2018.
Not a BT Sport subscriber? Find out how to get BT Sport via bt.com/sport
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Saturday 17th May
FA Cup Final 2014: Arsenal v Hull City Kick-off: 17:00
Build-up: 12.00pm-1.00pm BT Sport 1 LIVE: 4.15pm-7.30pm BT Sport 1.
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