Talking Frank Post Arsenal

Last updated : 10 March 2003 By -

Chelsea have yet to beat Arsenal in the FA Cup at Highbury and Arsenal’s record against Chelsea in most competitions has in recent years been outstanding, but Frank believes that the tide is now at last beginning to turn for The Blues.

Such was the team’s determination and character to bring themselves back level with only six minutes remaining (regardless of the quality of the goal), that Frank and the team regard the result as a positive step forward and a justified reflection of their “new” resilient Chelsea tag.

"It wasn't a great goal but that doesn't matter. It was one of the most important I've ever scored. I just stabbed it in and it snuck in the bottom corner," he declared.

"We've been in this position so many times with Arsenal, battling on but still just losing the game, and maybe we'd started to think that might happen again.

Give Me The Glory!
"Some people might have thought we could have given up a bit but we kept going and the lads are confident in the dressing-room now.

"Maybe we've now broken a bit of the hoodoo in getting this equaliser. We want to get at them in the replay so it's all to play for. Hopefully we can now break the whole thing and win against them."

Lampard's late equaliser will of course be seen as a measure of revenge for defeat in last season's FA Cup final but the job is still only half done. Frank said of his FA Cup Final experience: "The FA Cup final last season was the best day of my career, even though we lost. It is a huge occasion and now we can look forward to the replay and trying to get back to the final.”

"Qualifying for the Champions League is massively important to the club but the FA Cup is equal to that for me. The FA Cup final day and everything it means to the fans is absolutely fantastic.

"When we drew Arsenal, we obviously thought it was the toughest game we could have had, but we're desperate to get back to the final.

"That showed in the way that we kept going and the way the fans kept behind us and celebrated when we got the equaliser. It's a massive thing for the club and we'll be 100% up for the return leg."

Let’s hope so eh?

stevefurlong@chelsea-mad.co.uk