Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker, who helped the club reach the final of the FA Cup by scoring the equaliser in the semi-final, says that he wants the players to go out and win the trophy for the fans. A victory will finally ended the trophy drought which has been in the minds of long-suffering Arsenal fans. The club has not won a major trophy since the FA Cup victory in 2005. Even though there have been numerous occasions when they have come close, it has largely been a decade to forget for the club.
The FA Cup final this year is more crucial than in previous years since it would also determine the future of several players and also the manager. It is believed that Arsene Wenger is delaying the signing of a new contract in order to see the outcome of the final. A poor result could bring an end to his time in the club. Mertesacker scored in the 1-1 draw with Wigan, in which Arsenal went on to win the semi-final on penalties. He says that the fans deserve success for staying with the club even during the troubled times.
Mertesacker has gone on to become one of the important players for the club after becoming an Arsenal player in 2011.
“I had a hard first season but they encouraged me so I have to give them credit. Especially in my first season they always covered me and always backed me up and gave me that bit of confidence you need as a player. (Winning the cup) would mean a lot, that would be a big step for our team. We went through a lot of difficulties. We were top of the league, then we dropped points and then came back to fourth position. We want to keep our run now,” said Mertesacker.