Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes his side’s 3-0 Premier League win at Hull will have no bearing when they face each other again in the FA Cup final on 17 May.
Lukas Podolski scored twice after Aaron Ramsey’s goal as the Gunners strolled to victory at the KC Stadium. “The Cup final is a completely different game,” Wenger insisted.
Arsenal won the 1998 and 2003 FA Cups shortly after league wins over final opponents Newcastle and Southampton.
Arsenal’s last major trophy was the 2005 FA Cup, when they beat Manchester United 5-4 on penalties after neither team could score in 120 minutes.
However, Manchester City suffered a surprise defeat against Wigan in last season’s Wembley showpiece in the weeks after beating them in the league.
Midfielder Ramsey, who played for Cardiff when they were beaten by Portsmouth in the 2008 final, echoed the words of his manager.
“We have beaten Hull twice but are not going to take them lightly,” he said.
“They are a well-organised team, get crosses in and we can’t rely on our previous performances against them.”
Hull will be without strikers Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long for the final, as both are cup-tied. Jelavic played for Everton earlier in the competition, Long for West Brom.
Manager Steve Bruce said that it left him with a decision to make on possible replacements Yannick Sagbo, Sone Aluko and Matty Fryatt.
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