• FA Cup

Arteta: FA Cup win can spark new era

Mikel Arteta says winning the FA Cup and ending Arsenal's nine-year trophy drought could spark a new era at the club, as well as silence some of their most notable critics.

Arsene Wenger's side face Hull at Wembley on Saturday with the Frenchman aiming to end almost a decade without silverware. Wenger has come under much scrutiny this season, particularly from Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, but Arteta believes victory in the capital could be a turning point for the club.

"With the history we have over the last nine years without any trophies at all it could be a great turning point," Arteta said. "It's something more than the trophy as to what it can mean to the club, to the fans, to everyone.

"When you get to that line and you win, it creates a lot of confidence. It builds something special between the players, the staff, the fans. Suddenly you have a Charity Shield to play with another opponent and win another trophy and the ball is rolling. That is why it's more than just a final and a trophy."

Mourinho, whose first season back as Chelsea manager ended without a trophy, branded Wenger a "specialist in failure" in February.

Arteta refused to taunt the Portuguese tactician for his own lack of silverware this year, which Blues midfielder Eden Hazard ironically branded a failure, but leapt to the defence Wenger and insisted Mourinho's gibe was well off the mark.

"If success is only to win a trophy, it doesn't matter how, then I think [Wenger] is the way [Mourinho] is saying," Arteta said. "If you analyse everything [Wenger] has done for the club, then if he is a failure I have a different opinion.

"I don't like it when someone criticises my team-mates, the staff, the manager, the club because I see what he does every day to look after this club.

"When they are right maybe you can accept, everybody makes mistakes. You can criticise the manager, whoever, but when it comes in a certain moment in a certain way I don't like it."

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